49ers free agency: 4 roster needs team still needs to address
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: 49ers still need a quality third option at wide receiver
It seemed pretty evident San Francisco was going to lose its No. 3 wide receiver option, Kendrick Bourne, to NFL free agency. And Bourne, who boasted a career-best 667 receiving yards last season, ultimately signed a handsome deal with the New England Patriots.
This opens up a void behind the 49ers’ two starters, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.
The Niners covered up the need for a solid third-option wideout by inking former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Trent Sherfield in the second wave of free agency, and that might help matters a bit. Sherfield, 6-foot-1 and 219 pounds, has a similar build as Bourne but was buried on Arizona’s depth chart, largely being limited to special teams play.
Unless San Francisco is getting a proverbial “diamond in the rough” here, it’s likely head coach Kyle Shanahan will want to explore some other options between now and training camp.
The 2021 NFL Draft is deep with wide receiver prospects, and that’s a good sign. And there are still some bargain options available on the free-agent market, too, suggesting the 49ers still have plenty of open routes to take when it comes to rounding out their pass-catching depth chart.
Still, finding an over-the-middle threat to help replace Bourne should be relatively high on the Niners’ remaining to-do list, getting someone who could serve as a valuable third-down option and red-zone contributor.