The San Francisco 49ers signed free-agent wide receiver Pierre Garçon to be their No. 1 receiver. The Niners — who have limited options behind Garçon — need to sign an established veteran to backup their new top receiver.
When San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch overhauled the 49ers’ receiving corps, wide receiver Pierre Garçon was the centerpiece of the team’s free-agent additions.
To complement Garçon, the 49ers signed two additional veteran receivers with experience on the outside of the offensive formation.
Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin is a four-year veteran who is one of the fastest players in the NFL, but is still working to become a complete receiver. Goodwin also has a lengthy injury history, which has limited him to only 10 career starts and 49 career receptions.
Wide receiver Aldrick Robinson is a fellow speedster who followed Shanahan from the Washington Redskins to the Atlanta Falcons to the 49ers. Robinson has bounced between rosters and practice squads, and has just four career starts and 50 career receptions.
The 49ers also signed wide receiver Jeremy Kerley to a three-year extension before drafting wide receiver Trent Taylor in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft. Unfortunately, Kerley and Taylor are primarily slot receivers with little experience on the outside, and the remaining outside receivers on the roster are developmental projects.
Another issue for the 49ers receiving group is their lack of height — after the 6-foot Garçon, the team’s remaining four receivers size up between 5-foot-8 and 5-foot-10.
With Goodwin still working to expand his route tree, and Kerley and Taylor relegated to the slot, Robinson is the only potential backup for Garçon. Robinson certainly shows promise — as we discussed in a recent article — but he’s far from a proven commodity.
About the Author: Chris Wilson
