NFL Free Agency: Making the Call on San Francisco 49ers 2016 Free Agents
By Peter Panacy
November 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Garrett Celek (88) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Tight End Garrett Celek (UFA)
2015 Cap Hit: $710,000
Tight end Garrett Celek was one of the beneficiaries of the trade that sent fellow TE Vernon Davis to the Denver Broncos earlier this season.
Celek quickly became a favorite target of quarterback Blaine Gabbert and finished up the season with three touchdowns on 19 catches before an ankle injury sidelined him for the rest of 2015.
The 49ers do have other options at this position including Vance McDonald, Blake Bell and Brian Leonhardt. But McDonald still has reliability issues and the book is still out on Bell, who is still developing as a rookie.
San Francisco would be wise to keep Celek around for at least another season in case the aforementioned options don’t work out.
Decision: Keep
Next: NT Ian Williams