The San Francisco 49ers came out of the gates swinging in free agency by signing veteran wide receiver Mike Evans to a three-year contract.
This deal feels oddly familiar to the one the Niners struck back in 2013 when they traded a sixth-round pick to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for wide receiver Anquan Boldin.
How the Niners were able to acquire Boldin at such an affordable price is something of a mystery as he went on to have three solid seasons in San Francisco. Apparently, the Ravens were planning on releasing Boldin anyway but managed to get something in return, while the 49ers didn't mind using a late-round pick to secure his services.
Mike Evans and Anquan Boldin have plenty of similarities for 49ers
Boldin's first year with the Niners was his age-33 season. Evans is about to enter his age-33 season. Boldin was with the Arizona Cardinals for most of his career and then spent three in Baltimore where he won a Super Bowl, against the 49ers no less, before getting traded to San Francisco.
Evans has spent his entire career up to this point with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has made the Pro Bowl six times while also winning one Super Bowl.
While Boldin was a great player, he is probably not a Hall of Fame-caliber receiver, while Evans is certainly on that trajectory.
The two are not identical, but the Niners acquiring an elite wide receiver in the twilight of his career has a very familiar feeling. San Francisco inked Evans to a three-year contract, so it would not be a surprise if he spends the same amount of time in the Bay Area that Boldin did.
Even though Boldin was past his prime, he put up some strong numbers in his first season with San Francisco. He had 1,179 receiving yards on 85 receptions and had seven touchdowns. He also played a key role in the playoffs even though the 49ers were ultimately defeated in the NFC Championship game by the Seattle Seahawks.
It wouldn't come as a shock if Evans put up some big numbers this season. As long as he stays healthy, his game is still strong enough to be elite, especially in Kyle Shanahan's offense with Brock Purdy throwing him the ball.
One must also consider the fact Evans will serve as a mentor to the younger receivers on the roster. Who knows how much guys like Ricky Pearsall, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing, and whichever wide receiver the Niners pick in the NFL Draft will end up benefiting from getting to watch Evans and pick his brain. Boldin surely played a similar role, helping guys like Michael Crabtree and other young receivers back in the mid-2010s.
If the 49ers signing Evans works out as well as when they acquired Boldin, they should be very happy and should maybe even entertain targeting aging receivers like Evans in the future if it proves to be a success.