10 Players the 49ers Should Watch for 2018 NFL Free Agency
By Peter Panacy
No. 8: Wide Receiver Jordan Matthews
2017 Team: Philadelphia Eagles
The 49ers added wide receivers Pierre Garcon, Marquise Goodwin and Aldrick Robinson via free agency this year. And yet they could stand for even more upgrades, either through the NFL Draft or next year’s free agency.
One of the players to watch is current Philadelphia Eagles wideout Jordan Matthews.
The 6-foot-3, 212-pound former second-round pick of the Eagles gives both size and production, as demonstrated over his first three seasons at the NFL level:
Game | Game | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Age | Tm | Pos | G | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Lng | R/G | Y/G | Ctch% |
2014 | 22 | PHI | WR | 16 | 10 | 103 | 67 | 872 | 13.0 | 8 | 44 | 4.2 | 54.5 | 65.0% |
2015 | 23 | PHI | WR | 16 | 13 | 126 | 85 | 997 | 11.7 | 8 | 78 | 5.3 | 62.3 | 67.5% |
2016 | 24 | PHI | WR | 14 | 13 | 117 | 73 | 804 | 11.0 | 3 | 54 | 5.2 | 57.4 | 62.4% |
Care | Care | 46 | 36 | 346 | 225 | 2673 | 11.9 | 19 | 78 | 4.9 | 58.1 |
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/20/2017.
Now just imagine that kind of production in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
What’s even better is Matthews will be just 25 years old when 2018 free agency kicks off. Sure, the Eagles probably want to retain him. But he remains a pending free agent for now.
And he should be on San Francisco’s radar as a big-bodied, red-zone target.