4 49ers Who Could Possibly Struggle Under Chip Kelly

4 of 5

Jan 3, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Quinton Patton (11) celebrates after the 49ers defeated the St. Louis Rams 19-16 in overtime at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

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QUINTON PATTON

Quinton Patton has had an interesting career so far in San Francisco, and one could certainly point to a number of justifications for keeping him around. After Torrey Smith, the wide receiver depth chart is wide open and ripe for the taking among the rest of the group. Patton will have just as much opportunity to secure a roster spot as anyone else.

Ask yourself this question: What value does he offer that other receivers in the group do not? He lacks the speed that Smith has to threaten a defense vertically and he is not as athletic as Bruce Ellington in space.

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(Image and GIF: NFL GamePass)

At 6-foot-0 and 204 pounds, he also lacks the size to be a dominant threat from the slot, as Chip Kelly relies on the larger receiver/tight-end guys to fill those roles.

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Ellington may be the smaller of the two, but Kelly’s offense puts a premium on athletic players who can become “space players.”

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Patton is entering the final year of his rookie contract, which means that with a 2016 cap hit of only $772,875, per OverTheCap.com. He’s also cheap. I would be surprised if Patton did not make the roster, but it’s unlikely he contributes in any significant way and he likely will not be back next season.

As far as his OTA/minicamp performance, he struggled with catching the ball and did not show any dramatic improvement.

Oh. And there is this:

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(Image: NFL GamePass)

Next: Vance McDonald