San Francisco 49ers: 5 Burning Questions for 2016 Training Camp
By Peter Panacy
Who Emerges as the 49ers’ No. 2 Wide Receiver?
Veteran wide receiver Torrey Smith has all but secured the No. 1 spot atop the depth chart. That part is easy, even if Smith posted career-low numbers on an anemic Niners offense a year ago.
But who plays alongside him?
With veteran wideout Anquan Boldin still unsigned — and it doesn’t seem likely the 49ers will bring him back — the door is wide open for someone else to assume the role alongside Smith.
A coveted No. 2 spot on the depth chart could fall to one of San Francisco’s more experienced receivers. Should the Niners go this route, wide receivers Quinton Patton and Bruce Ellington would appear to be the favorites to earn a starting job. Yet both have struggled with injuries and inconsistent play over their respective careers.
An interesting prospect to watch will be rookie wideout Aaron Burbridge, whom the 49ers drafted in Round 6 of the draft.
Burbridge appears to be a clone of Boldin, at least according to Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News:
Assuming Burbridge comes in and starts right away may be a bit of a stretch. And, as Niner Noise staff writer Bryan Knowles pointed out, wide receiver will still be a problem for San Francisco this season regardless what the team tries here.
Open-ended competitions are usually good things, but there doesn’t seem to be a likable solution in place just yet.
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