49ers roster: 4 better options than acquiring Cowboys WR Amari Cooper
By Peter Panacy
49ers option No. 2: Continue to develop trio of Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings
Almost directly correlated to the idea of San Francisco doing nothing with regards to Amari Cooper would be the thought of simply “rolling with the guys on the roster,” namely wide receivers Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings, likely the top three on the depth chart heading into 2022.
It’s not a bad trio.
Samuel, who earned his first Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selections last season after impressing with a league third-best 1,770 all-purpose yards, is clearly the WR1 option for the 49ers moving forward, while Aiyuk finished his sophomore campaign strong after a sluggish start, ending the year with 56 catches and 826 yards with five touchdowns.
Jennings, while nowhere near as prolific as Samuel and Aiyuk, nevertheless was an instrumental part in some of the Niners’ key wins down the stretch and into the playoffs, and Jennings looks to be a key favorite for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart heading into next season.
Cooper, if San Francisco somehow figured out how to acquire him, would surely cut into the kind of production both Samuel and Aiyuk could deliver, lessening the value the players already on the 49ers roster would be able to give to the team.
If the Niners are wise, they’d focus their efforts more on Samuel, Aiyuk and, to a lesser extent, Jennings.
Not Cooper.