3 free agents 49ers should consider with NFL Draft complete
By Peter Panacy
49ers Free-Agent Target No. 2: Wide Receiver Golden Tate
It sure seems as if veteran wide receiver Golden Tate has made his way around the NFC, and perhaps there’s an argument to make San Francisco his next stop.
Turning 33 years old before the regular season begins, Tate isn’t likely to command a long-term, lucrative contract anywhere. And given where he’s at in this stage of his career, Tate is also probably going to prefer going to a contender instead of a rebuilding team.
True, Tate’s 2020 campaign with the New York Giants wasn’t great, him hauling in just 35 passes for 388 yards and two touchdowns over 12 games. But one has to factor in just how bad the G-Men’s offense was last year, and it’s foolish to put the blame entirely on Tate for his lackluster season.
And remember, Tate broke 23 tackles back in 2018. It’s not like he’s been completely washed up for a while.
The 49ers need a No. 3 receiver even after the NFL Draft to team up with the starting tandem of Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Yes, the Niners have some depth options, including Jalen Hurd, Mohamed Sanu, Trent Sherfield and the 2021 undrafted free agent, Austin Watkins. Yet the veteran savvy and experience simply aren’t there.
Tate, who has made his rounds throughout the league, has the kind of experience not unlike former Niners wideout Emmanuel Sanders, who mentored players like Samuel back in 2019.
San Francisco could still use someone of that ilk.