Niners Nation
The 49ers seem unlikely to invest in another veteran wide receiver this offseason, making the development of their young pass-catchers even more important.
Anybody looking at the 49ers’ depth chart and reading the early updates as they go through OTAs would be forgiven for being concerned about the state of the wide receiver position.
Brandon Aiyuk may not be ready for Week 1, there’s a chance Demarcus Robinson could be suspended for the start of the season and — though his hamstring issue is not considered serious — last year’s first-round pick Ricky Pearsall is already dealing with an injury that is likely to keep him out until training camp.
As such, there is the possibility that the 49ers could open their season against the Seattle Seahawks with Pearsall, Jauan Jennings and one of either Jacob Cowing or rookie Jordan Watkins as their top three receivers.
That prospect may lead some to believe the 49ers will make another addition at wide receiver, and that is something general manager John Lynch did not rule out when asked by KNBR.
“You never close the door on that,” Lynch said. “I don’t think we have to. Like I said, I think there’s a lot of quality and a lot of competition, and you kind of let that play out. And if opportunity presents itself to get better, then we’ll always be interested in that. But right now, we don’t feel like we’re in a situation where we have to.”
Lynch’s comments, while leaving the door open to a potential wide receiver move, are not those of a general manager who is going to pick up the phone to attempt to strike a trade for Tyreek Hill, as ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio suggested they should do.
The 49ers took a look at Gabe Davis, while a veteran free agent Amari Cooper could have some appeal.
But Lynch’s words point to the high likelihood that this is an offseason in which the 49ers are going to back themselves to develop the young talent they have at receiver.
And he is clearly confident that Pearsall and Cowing are on the right track.
Pearsall came on strong down the stretch last season after missing the first six games with the injury he sustained in a shooting last August. Cowing played sparingly on offense, but flashed some promise as a downfield threat with his speed and route-running craft.
Lynch added:
“Ricky’s had a really good offseason. I know a lot of people learned yesterday [about the injury]. Kudos to Kyle. A lot of coaches, this time of year, you don’t have to give injuries. There’s no secrets. We’re not trying to hide anything. Ricky’s worked his tail off this offseason. He and Jake Cowing have really approached this offseason, and they’ve attacked it. It’s a shame he kind of got tweaked, but like I said, we’ve been out here working hard, and you’re always going to have a lot of caution this time of year. And I think...
