The start of NFL free agency is right around the corner. One team that could be very active is the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers have a mountain of cap space and will be one of the biggest players this month.

With that in mind, the 49ers will try to sign a “starting-caliber safety” in free agency, writes Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports. Maiocco highlights Earl Thomas as one safety the team will target. He also points out there will be plenty of other players in what should be a stacked safety market.

The New York Giants recently announced they wouldn't franchise-tag Landon Collins. Eric Weddle was released earlier on Tuesday, adding two new big names to the pool. Adrian Amos, Lamarcus Joyner, Tyrann Mathieu, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix are some of the other safeties set to be available.

It's a very crowded market, and that could mean the 49ers will be able to get safeties more cheaply than usual. 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman recently declared that Thomas is interested in playing for San Francisco.

The 49ers have around $67.7 million in cap space, according to the cap website Overthecap.com, which is the seventh-most in the league. They need improvements on defense, especially in the secondary. Getting a top safety would go a long way toward fixing their defensive woes from last season. To keep up with the Los Angeles Rams, who have added big names left and right, the 49ers clearly feel they need to make a splash.

Re-teaming Sherman and Thomas, who played on the Seattle Seahawks together during their glory days, would certainly fit the bill. It'll be very interesting to see how the 49ers choose to spend their money over the next couple of weeks.