The one move the San Francisco 49ers made on Tuesday ahead of the NFL trade deadline was to acquire veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen from the Indianapolis Colts. General manager John Lynch revealed on Thursday that Allen was not the only Colts receiver the Niners had interest in.
Appearing on KNBR, Lynch said the following about their interest in both receivers:
“Really we kind of focused on Josh Downs as an option that we had some interested in... in the process [head coach Kyle Shanahan] was like what about Keenan? I said let me ask about that... there started a conversation about two and half weeks ago... I think it's a really good fit for us. We wanted to make an add at receiver."
That’s an interesting look into the process, especially since Downs ended up being acquired by the Kansas City Chiefs along with a 2027 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2027 fourth- and fifth-round pick.
Meanwhile, the Niners were able to get Allen in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick, so he was definitely the cheaper option of the two.
That does not necessarily mean he is the worse option, though. For what San Francisco needed in its wide receiver room, Allen should prove to be a much better fit than Downs.
Downs is a smaller receiver at 5-foot-9. He is a more explosive threat with his speed, which forces defenses to account for him downfield, which is why he makes sense in a Kansas City offense which is typically high-powered.
As for the 49ers, while they do take shots down the field sometimes, what Shanahan truly wants in his receivers is for them to be great route runners who can find open space. Allen fits that billing perfectly, so even if he’s not exactly a burner at the age of 34, he fits what San Francisco needs offensively.
Keenan Allen is seemingly made for 49ers offense
He’s also a great insurance option for the injured Mike Evans. While Allen is not quite as big as Evans, and he himself admitted that he’s not quite as good as Evans at this stage in his career, even though he two had a social media spat years ago, he is a bigger target for quarterback Brock Purdy.
Allen is really more of a Jauan Jennings-type player for the offense. He should be a threat on third down, and even if he’s not the fastest, his physicality and ability to block is what makes him ideal in a Shanahan offense.
Downs may be the flashier player, and his speed would make any offense better, but Allen is seemingly tailor made for San Francisco’s offense, which is why he will ultimately be a better fit.
The Week 16 showdown between the 49ers and Chiefs may settle the matter for good if we get to see both Down and Allen fully settled in with their new teams.
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