10 Available Free Agents Who Could Still Help the San Francisco 49ers in 2016
By Peter Panacy
No. 8: Tight End Owen Daniels
Head coach Chip Kelly loves his tight ends, and the 49ers appear to be set at this position entering 2016.
Or are they?
With former 49ers tight end Vernon Davis out of the picture, the door is open for other TEs Garrett Celek, Vance McDonald, Blake Bell and Busta Anderson to secure spots on the depth chart. But do any of these truly inspire confidence?
Perhaps the switching of Bruce Miller from fullback to tight end will help. But there isn’t any guaranteed success here.
So considering 33-year-old veteran tight end Owen Daniels, coming off a Super Bowl crown with the Denver Broncos, as an option might work into the Niners favor.
If there’s one thing about Daniels, it’s his consistency. Daniels has averaged 566.1 yards over his 10-year career and has only seen that number drop below 500 yards three times: his rookie season, 2010 and an injury-plagued 2013 campaign.
The two-time Pro Bowler is also a great mentor, at least according to current Broncos tight end Garrett Graham (h/t James Palmer of NFL Network).
Broncos TE @gra89ham raved about what @owendaniels has done for him on & off the field throughout his career. Owes him so much.
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) May 16, 2016
Daniels wouldn’t just be bringing over veteran poise to a young roster. He’d also be capable of making notable contributions on the field for a crop of tight ends which is, otherwise, not very tested.
Why He Could Help
Playmaking aside, Daniels has a Super Bowl ring — something only veteran safety Antoine Bethea and wide receiver Torrey Smith can claim on the Niners roster.
Daniels’ locker-room presence would be a major boost for an up-and-coming 49ers squad trying to make headway this season.
Next: Wide Receiver Marques Colston