The San Francisco 49ers have been tied to free-agent Mike Evans this offseason, and it is not difficult to understand why. When healthy, Evans has been one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, but ex-Niner Richard Sherman poured cold water on the notion that he'd be a fit in San Francisco.
Here is what Sherman had to say about Evans going to the 49ers:
"I really don’t see that happening... Kyle Shanahan spreads the ball out to whoever is open. He’s not really focused on one receiver, and I think that was one of the things that kind of rubbed Brandon Aiyuk the wrong way."
Sherman says that Evans wants a high volume of touches but probably wouldn't find that in San Francisco. The 49ers have quite a few weapons on offense, and there are lots of mouths to feed, so it is easy to see Evans getting frustrated if he is not getting a lot of targets.
The idea of Evans playing in Shanahan's offense is an exciting prospect, though.
Imagine the 2023 version of Evans who played in all 17 games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and had 1,255 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. He could do some serious damage in San Francisco's offense.
Evans isn't going to come cheap, though. He could get something in the $20 million to $25 million range, which may be out of the 49ers' price range if they would rather explore more frugal options.
The fact he may not be the centerpiece of the offense when tight end George Kittle and running back Christian McCaffrey are on the field is an important factor as well. If Sherman is right, that may not sit right with him.
Something suggests Shanahan would be able to work Evans into the game plan, though. The head coach was able to keep everyone happy when Kittle, McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and Jauan Jennings were all on the field at the same time, so Shanahan should be able to balance all those competing interests.
The financial element may be the biggest impediment. Evans is age 32, so he knows his time in the league may be limited. He has to cash in on his value while he still can, so that may mean he will just go to whoever the highest bidder is.
But if he wants to win and likes the idea of playing in Shanahan's offense, even if it means he won't get 10 targets per game, then maybe Sherman is wrong and Evans will come to San Francisco.