The San Francisco 49ers fell to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, and while they have a legitimate excuse in that they were down so many wide receivers, that doesn’t make the defeat any less disappointing.
Thankfully, they should get some guys back after the bye week, and that could mean veteran Brandin Cooks ends up being the odd man out.
There was a hope Cooks could step up and deliver a big performance for the Niners, but he was essentially a non-factor on Sunday. He had just one catch on three targets, which brought him up to three total catches in the season for 33 yards. Probably the most impactful thing he did on Sunday was negative as he had a false-start penalty, which immediately preceded Brock Purdy’s interception when the Niners had a chance to go down and potentially take the lead in the fourth quarter.
Now, Cooks’ place on the roster becomes far from a sure thing. Let’s say in a best-case scenario the Niners get Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, and Demarcus Robinson back after the bye week. That means they’d have to clear three roster spots, and after the way Jordan Watkins stepped up on Sunday, he likely won’t be impacted, and Jacob Cowing is used a lot on special teams, so his spot is secure for now.
Brandin Cooks is likely 49ers' odd man out at WR after bye week
Cooks may just end up being released since he hasn’t provided a ton of value for San Francisco. It’s a shame because he grew up rooting for the 49ers and is a Stockton native, but at the age of 33, it seems pretty clear he no longer has the juice to be a productive NFL receiver.
The fact the 49ers targeted their receivers so rarely on Sunday just shows how important it is to have Evans and Samuel on the field. If they only have George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey available on offense, that considerably shrinks the number of calls head coach Kyle Shanahan can dial up.
Any offense is going to struggle without some of its top weapons, so it just reinforces how important health is for the 49ers if they’re going to have any chance at all of making a run this season.
Cooks' struggles may also force general manager John Lynch to be active at the trade deadline. He doesn’t necessarily make to make an insane splash by landing Garrett Wilson, but maybe a trade for Keenan Allen or a veteran option who can provide depth, if San Francisco faces more injuries, could be a sensible move.
It’s clear Cooks is not cutting it, so it wouldn’t be a shock if he’s no longer on the roster the next time the 49ers play, especially with so many guys potentially coming back.
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