5 bargains 49ers can target after opening wave of NFL free agency
By Peter Panacy
49ers bargain free agent No. 4: Wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Perhaps San Francisco is satisfied with its wide receiver trio of Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings heading into 2022.
Jennings, in particular, came on strong his second season in the league with a number of high-value catches in clutch moments, yet his straight-line speed is less than desirable, and one might view him solely as a fourth option on a depth chart anyway.
Sure, Samuel and Aiyuk have speed. But the 49ers would be wise to at least explore adding a big-bodied target who has blazing-fast speed, too.
Enter former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
The 6-foot-4, 206-pound Valdes-Scantling ran a 4.37 40-yard time during his NFL Scouting Combine workouts in 2018, and his 20.9 yards-per-reception average in 2020 actually ended up leading the league.
When the Niners were featuring quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo under center the last few years, they didn’t necessarily need a deep-threat field-stretcher on the roster given Garoppolo’s weaker arm.
However, with strong-armed quarterback Trey Lance taking over and likely wanting to push the ball down the field, a player like Marquez Valdes-Scantling could make a big difference.