Tavon Austin isn’t the only free agent wide receiver working out for the 49ers. San Francisco also hosted veteran pass-catchers Donte Moncrief and J.J. Nelson, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
While the 49ers still have ample receiver depth, including first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk, Dante Pettis, and Trent Taylor, the club has lost several options during the offseason. 2019 breakout star Deebo Samuel could miss time after breaking his foot earlier this year, veteran Marquise Goodwin was traded to the Eagles, and Travis Benjamin opted out of the season due to COVID-19.
Moncrief was once a budding star in Indianapolis, and while he’s still only 27 years old, his stock has fallen considerably over the past few years. He inked a two-year deal with the Steelers in advance of the 2019 campaign, but was released midway through the season after posting just four catches. Moncrief latched on with the Panthers for three games, but didn’t record any statistics.
Nelson, meanwhile, put up consecutive 500+-yard seasons with the Cardinals in 2016-17, but his offensive role has dwindled since then. In 2019, the former fifth-round selection appeared in 15 games for the Raiders but managed only four receptions.
Zeke and Amari will have to released when possible. Others as well.
Huh??
Barring a trade, I dont think anyone the 49ers pick up right now, will be anything more than sheer depth.
With that being said, either Nelson or Austin could be pretty good depth options for Shanahan to implement.
For now, Shanahan and Jimmy G will still have Deebo by the 3rd week at the latest,but they will also already have Aiyuk, Bourne, Taylor, Hurd, and even Jennings.
More importantly, they will also have Kittle, Reed, Juice, Woerner or Dwelley, and their stable of RBs in Mostert, Coleman, McKinnon, and Wilson..
Until Deebo gets back, they’ll be able to still move the ball effectively with their guys already in-house, I’m really not all that worried.
That is especially the case because any of the three between Taylor, Aiyuk, and Hurd could all easily outperform their expectations. Taylor was a 3rd down nightmare for opponents when he was last healthy, Aiyuk has a ton of potential, and is a YAC machine, and Hurd is basically the ultimate swiss army knife. Hurd is highly likely to have a breakout year, and I trust Shanahan to put him in the best spots for him to reach his potential…Heck, I might not even sleep on a late round gem like Jennings busting out..
Couldn’t agree more
Hurd is the only receiver with meaningful size that they have, and despite his major need for polish, can also obviously run the ball. A team that likes running end arounds and other WR rushing plays (Deebo Samuel, for instance) would likely have some ways to utilize Hurd in some creative manner. It’s also a way to get involved despite his need for NFL level polish due to his natural athleticism. He gives the 9ers something their other WRs do not with his size but can also act as a runner due to his college background in that capacity. I do not see him starting consistently this year, but Hurd should still be an interesting weapon for San Fran.
Moncrief dropped more than he caught
Donte “Balls literally bounce off of my hands every time they hit”. Sounds good.
Depends on whether you’re getting Pittsburgh Moncrief or Indianapolis Moncrief. The former? Hard pass. The latter? Sure. Which one is the “real” one? Hard to say, but most NFL teams would rather check off all the boxes they can just to not miss out on someone who could have ended up helping.
Was really excited about his possibilities when he signed in Pittsburgh, but we all know how that turned out. Still, I think the guy deserves another shot. I think he got too much in his own head after a couple of terrible games in Pitt. A new team could do good things for his confidence.