5 underachieving free agents SF 49ers could target to bolster roster
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Wide Receiver Willie Snead, Baltimore Ravens
There are a lot of issues with the Baltimore Ravens passing attack, although it’s fair to say wide receiver Willie Snead didn’t help matters much over his three-year tenure there.
Sure, in 2019, Snead managed an impressive five touchdowns on just 339 receiving yards. But while Snead managed to increase his receiving totals in 2020 up to 432 yards, his efforts came nowhere close to replicating the back-to-back near 1,000-yard seasons he enjoyed with the New Orleans Saints in 2015 and 2016.
The Niners have their top two wide receivers set, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. But the depth behind them remains questionable at best. Kendrick Bourne is an unrestricted free agent, and so is the former hyped slot receiver, Trent Taylor. Richie James has been inconsistent, while last year’s rookie, Jauan Jennings, remains a work in progress at best.
Snead, 28 years old, has serviceability as both a return specialist and dual-faceted runner capable of giving a different look to head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
Given the lowish numbers Snead has put up during his Baltimore tenure, it’s likely he’ll come awfully cheap and wouldn’t cost San Francisco much to help round out its wide receiver depth chart this offseason.