The 49ers reportedly brought in some new wide receivers Friday, agreeing to terms with J.J. Nelson and Tavon Austin, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The signings brought about typical chorus from fans and media alike: “imagine what these guys will be able to do in a Kyle Shanahan offense.”
Remember when folks were pushing the same optimism about Marquese Goodwin or Dante Pettis? How’d that work out?
The 49ers’ head coach is no doubt a wizard, but I doubt he has enough magic to turn Nelson or Austin into the kind of every-down, hyper-reliable, No. 1-type receiver.
And that’s the Niners really need heading into the 2020 season.
Remember, there’s a reason that both Nelson and Austin were available to be signed by the 49ers in mid-August.
Nelson played for the Raiders last year, impressing many at the team’s training camp in Napa. He was Jon Gruden’s “player of the moment” — the guy that the Raiders head coach hyped-up day after day to the media only for him to fail to live up to that hype come real games. By October, the Raiders cut him. Ankle and knee sprains were listed as the reason, but the truth remains that NFL teams don’t cut you if they really believe you’re a game-changer.
And ankle and knee sprains also don’t explain why Nelson was a free agent for 10 months.
Then there’s Austin, who has 34 catches, five touchdowns, and six fumbles in the last three years.
Austin was a former first-round pick by the Rams who was traded to the Cowboys after he couldn’t carve out a role in Sean McVay’s offense.
You know, the Sean McVay offense that’s a direct derivative of the Shanahan playbook.
The fumbles — he averages one every 18 touches in his career — didn’t help his case, either.
Austin might be physically gifted, but Shanahan hates fumbles and guys not being reliable on their routes. Abhors them.
Perhaps Austin could carve out a role as a return man — the Niners have a need there — but unless Austin has been waiting years to show the league how reliable he can be, I don’t see him receiving many snaps at wide receiver this year.
Even if both Nelson and Austin impress — even if both climb up the depth chart and are solid options for the 49ers come the regular season — I feel comfortable in saying that neither player will be what the Niners really need: a No. 1 wide receiver.
These are role players, gadget-play options, or returners at best.
With Deebo Samuel out (and we might be having this conversation if Samuel was still in) the Niners lack an every-down, go-to option for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
The Niners were missing that player last year, too, until they traded for Emmanuel Sanders. And once the veteran receiver came to Santa Clara, the offense went to a new level. Garoppolo, after only a few practices, made Sanders his No. 1 option. Big third down? Throw to Sanders. Trying to win the Super Bowl with one big play? Throw it to Sanders. (Next time, hit him.)
Sanders’ veteran leadership also helped the young, inexperienced Niners wide receivers better understand what Shanahan was asking them to do in his offense. It’s as tough on wideouts as any scheme in the league, but Sanders’ decoding is credited in the Niners’ locker room for elevating the run game in addition to the passing game.
Sanders signed with the Saints earlier this year. The cap-strapped Niners still haven’t found someone to replace that critical cog.
Samuel was supposed to be the guy, and that makes some sense — he is tremendously talented. But he’s also going into his second year and is now dealing with a Jones fracture in his foot — an injury that I cannot foresee not being a lingering issue throughout this season. Feet are kind of important for wide receivers.
Rookie Brandon Aiyuk has a chance to be a truly special player, but can he take virtual learning and apply it to the field in the span of a month? Perhaps, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Not for Week 1, at least. Maybe come November.
Kendrick Bourne is really good at social media and has fans pumping up his tires, but drops are still a big issue. Is he really the top option?
Is Pettis? Honestly, Pettis might be the best bet at this juncture. Doesn’t that tell you everything about the state of the Niners’ receiving corps?
Every other receiver on this team has a role — defined or by nature. Trent Taylor is a slot receiver, not an every-down guy. Jauan Jennings is a power-slot option whose also a rookie, and no one outside the Niners organization has seen “offensive weapon” Jalen Hurd play football since last August.
With a depth chart like that, I suppose you could think that Austin and Nelson are big acquisitions.
I’m still thinking that the big acquisition at wide receiver — or disappointment — is yet to come.
