NFL free agency: 5 under-the-radar free agents 49ers should consider to add depth
No. 1: WR Taylor Gabriel
Taylor Gabriel flourished when Shanahan was still the Atlanta Falcons’ offensive coordinator in 2016. Listed at 5-foot-8 and 167 pounds, Gabriel is an excellent deep threat with incredible speed and catching abilities.
Under Shanahan’s offense, the speedy receiver totaled 579 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Gabriel also caught 70 percent of the passes thrown at his direction in 2016.
Following Shanahan’s move to San Francisco in 2017, Gabriel’s numbers dropped to only 378 receiving yards and one touchdown.
| Games | Receiving | Rushing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Lng | R/G | Y/G | Ctch% | Rush | Yds | TD | Lng | Y/A | Y/G | A/G | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | AV |
| 2016 | 25 | ATL | wr | 18 | 13 | 3 | 50 | 35 | 579 | 16.5 | 6 | 76 | 2.7 | 44.5 | 70.0% | 4 | 51 | 1 | 27 | 12.8 | 3.9 | 0.3 | 630 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 2017 | 26 | ATL | wr | 18 | 16 | 4 | 51 | 33 | 378 | 11.5 | 1 | 40 | 2.1 | 23.6 | 64.7% | 8 | 49 | 0 | 15 | 6.1 | 3.1 | 0.5 | 427 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Career | 58 | 13 | 221 | 132 | 1819 | 13.8 | 8 | 76 | 2.3 | 31.4 | 16 | 110 | 1 | 27 | 6.9 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 1929 | 9 | 1 | 17 | |||||
| 2 yrs | ATL | 29 | 7 | 101 | 68 | 957 | 14.1 | 7 | 76 | 2.3 | 33.0 | 12 | 100 | 1 | 27 | 8.3 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 1057 | 8 | 0 | 11 | ||||
| 2 yrs | CLE | 29 | 6 | 120 | 64 | 862 | 13.5 | 1 | 70 | 2.2 | 29.7 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 872 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/11/2018.
Gabriel’s decline shows how much better he plays under Shanahan as his coordinator. Despite his lack of size, Gabriel fits Shanahan’s scheme very well and thus, it would make a lot of sense if he reunites with the current 49ers head coach.
With his previous playoff and Super Bowl experience, Gabriel also knows how to shine when the lights are on. Particularly in Super Bowl LI, Gabriel showcased his big-catch abilities after crossing Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler over in coverage.
Next: NFL free agency: Final rankings for the 49ers’ top 10 targets in 2018
San Francisco signing Gabriel would add depth especially to the slot receiver position. Alongside wideout Marquise Goodwin, Gabriel would also prosper as a deep-ball target for Garoppolo.
San Francisco signing Gabriel would add depth especially to the slot receiver position. Alongside wideout Marquise Goodwin, Gabriel would also prosper as a deep-ball target for Garoppolo.