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San Francisco 49ers: An Early Look at the Team’s 2017 Free Agents

By Peter Panacy

Jan 3, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert looks over the defense against the St. Louis Rams in the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. The 49ers defeated the Rams 19-16 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert looks over the defense against the St. Louis Rams in the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. The 49ers defeated the Rams 19-16 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 27, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Quinton Patton (11) shows off his grill prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 27, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Quinton Patton (11) shows off his grill prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /

Wide Receiver Quinton Patton

Every year seems to be the season in which wide receiver Quinton Patton is poised to break out. And each campaign winds up being more of a “what could have been” effort.

Patton came into the league in 2013 with a ton of promise and a hope he could contribute right away. But injuries and being pushed down the depth chart limited him to a great extent prior to 2015.

And even last year’s campaign was marginal at best.

For every eye-popping play Patton makes, it seems as if there’s an equally perplexing one. You’ll see this following clip a lot on Niner Noise, but it makes the point pretty clear:

On one hand, Patton hasn’t quite seen enough of the field to adequately prove himself. And head coach Chip Kelly could be the guy who maximizes Patton’s efficiency and potential. But on the other hand, San Francisco has a number of younger up-and-coming receivers vying for playing time as well.

Keep an eye on wideouts like DeAndre Smelter and rookie Aaron Burbridge. Heck, even former CFL standout Eric Rogers is in the mix.

Patton won’t likely be going anywhere this season. But he’ll be playing for an option in 2017. It’s a 50-50 guess whether or not Patton will be around next year though.

Next: Unrestricted Free Agents -- Gerald Hodges