49ers 2020 free agency needs: 3 low-cost options at wide receiver

Early in his NFL career, wide receiver Breshad Perriman looked to be a complete bust. After being selected by the Baltimore Ravens at No. 26 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft, Perriman all but missed his rookie year and turned into little more than a situational receiver over his three seasons in Baltimore.

Drops were a problem. So was inconsistency. And that ultimately led to the Ravens moving on in 2018.

Perriman subsequently signed a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns and started to turn his career around a bit, posting 16 receptions for 340 yards and two touchdowns, cutting down on the drops he endured earlier in his career.

But where Perriman helped increase his stock was last year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, especially after top wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin suffered injuries. While the Bucs offense was primarily a high-volume attack, it’s hard to ignore Perriman’s 645 receiving yards on 36 catches and six touchdowns.

Perriman still has elite-level speed, which is a big component for head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense, which missed a deep threat for most of 2019 after not getting the impact results from the speedster, Marquise Goodwin.

Perriman commanded $4 million last year, and a new contract will likely be in the same range. The 49ers could afford that kind of number to increase their deep-threat capabilities.