5 possible cap casualties the 49ers should target in 2018
By Peter Panacy
No. 5: Wide Receiver Jeremy Maclin, Baltimore Ravens
2018 Cap Hit: $7,500,000
The 49ers were mum on veteran wide receiver Jeremy Maclin last offseason, despite being on NFL.com’s Nick Shook’s list of fits. Not sure if that means anything going forward, but let’s get to that in a second.
San Francisco 49ers
Maclin signed with the Baltimore Ravens after his Kansas City Chiefs tenure. And it didn’t exactly go well, as the 29-year-old Maclin never developed a solid rapport with quarterback Joe Flacco and finished with a career-worst 40 receptions and 440 receiving yards.
So it’s no surprise our friends over at Ebony Bird listed Maclin as a player Baltimore should move on from this offseason. Doing so would save $5 million in cap space, while costing $2.5 million in dead money.
Why the 49ers, though?
Well, this is more of the tough sell. But hear me out. First, let’s assume the Niners aren’t totally comfortable with landing a top-tier receiver in the 2018 NFL Draft. There are a few, but this class isn’t quite as deep as years prior. Additionally, free-agent targets (Los Angeles Rams’ Sammy Watkins, Jacksonville Jaguars’ Allen Robinson) may not hit the open market.
Maclin would be more of the poor man’s version here, although he’d provide a nice boost to a crop that includes outside receivers Marquise Goodwin and the veteran, Pierre Garçon, returning off a neck injury.
Consider this a fall-back option. But those are important too.