The 49ers are likely to part ways with Deebo Samuel this offseason, so grabbing some help in free agency might be a necessity.
Both wide receiver Deebo Samuel and the San Francisco 49ers appear fully ready to move on from each other.
Samuel requested a trade and a change of scenery, and general manager John Lynch indicated the Niners are willing to honor such a request this offseason, meaning Samuel will likely be jettisoned one way or another in the next few weeks.
The pending move will inevitably leave a shorthanded San Francisco wide receiver room even more depleted. Remember, fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk is still recovering from last year's ACL and MCL tears, effectively leaving Jauan Jennings and second-year pro Ricky Pearsall as the only established commodities on the depth chart.
Making things worse, neither the free-agent or NFL Draft classes at the position are particularly promising.
Should Lynch and the cap-conscious 49ers seek some low-budget options on the free-agent market, though, one of these three names could suffice.
Low-budget free-agent WRs 49ers could target
Tim Patrick
Veteran wideout Tim Patrick has experience playing in a Niners-like offense, having spent his first four seasons with the Denver Broncos and even working under San Francisco's former quarterbacks coach, Rich Scagarello, when he became Denver's offensive coordinator in 2019.
Patrick experienced career-best years in 2020 and 2021, posting over 700 receiving yards apiece, although he suffered serious injuries in each of the following two seasons.
That said, the 31 year old enjoyed a fully healthy and modestly productive 2024 campaign with the Detroit Lions last season in which he caught 33 passes for 394 yards and three touchdowns.
He'd be a cheap veteran presence.
DeAndre Carter
Wide receiver DeAndre Carter is the epitome of a journeyman, bouncing around the league for a multitude of teams over almost the entirety of his career, which did include stints with the 49ers in 2017 and 2018.
Known primarily for his role on special teams in the return game, which could also help alleviate Samuel's contributions there, Carter has flashed moments of offensive prowess, including a 2022 campaign in which he tallied 538 receiving yards.
Carter never saw regular-season action for the Niners. But the Northern California native could fill a gadget void on San Francisco's depth chart, doing so at minimal cost.
Chris Conley
Ah, yes. The 49ers' unsung hero from the 2024 playoffs.
Veteran receiver Chris Conley didn't have that kind of impact last year after delivering a memorable catch in the postseason the year prior, but his know-how and leadership qualities were nevertheless on display and in ways that don't always show up on the stat sheet.
Plus, the Niners seem to appreciate Conley, too, keeping the 32 year old around in some capacity or another the last two seasons.
Conley knows the offense, has shown up in big games before and would cost next to nothing on a re-sign deal to stick around in the Bay Area one more year.