49ers 2012 Free Agency Review: Wide Receivers

We have no true #1 receiver and haven’t since Terrell Owens left. I’m sick of having 0 playmakers on the outside.

He’s been on the team and worked with Alex longer than any other wide receiver on the roster (though it’s worth noting Davis and Walker have been around longer). I think they understand each other better and are much more comfortable working with each other. At Camp Alex he was even quizzing Kaepernick as well on the offense. He may not be a #1 receiver in this league, but he’s a smart veteran presence that we need on the field. He’s solid enough that he’ll be open when teams are so focused on stopping Davis and Crabs, and that’s the difference to getting more first downs and keeping more drives alive.

Resign Morgan and Ginn.

Still possibly draft a WR somewhere in the first three rounds. Alex needs help outside of VD.

That would be ideal.

i still say draft Fleener and then put him @ WR; otherwise, i wouldn’t mind if we re-signed Morgan and Ginn (specifically for return duty)…landing Bowe in FA would be nice too

But the front row streams got shut down today…

Immediately relieved that 13 other people made the same mistake

I am not sure what I think about our receivers. Crabtree had an OK year, but disappeared as previously mention. Getting Morgan back is nice, but I do not think he is a solid #1 receiver. Ginn is a nice threat at receiver, but a threat is probably all that he is. And Williams…ugh…Williams…lol. We need a big bodied physical threat. Dwayne Bowe, anyone?

The reason I voted 2 was that I think getting another good to great CB is more important. If we can re-sign Rogers, get another very good CB, get Culliver up to speed, our D would be dominant. Like 2000 Ravens dominant. If that were to happen like it does in my dreams, then our receivers would (with Morgan back) would be more than serviceable for next years championship run.

I agree with folks that say Crabs is not a true #1 in this league for the reason Fooch listed above: he disappears against against good #1 corners every time. Once they take Crabtree away with one guy, they try and double VD and take him away, too, although the playoffs gave me hope that will not work in the future. Anyway, if we had a true #1 threat on the outside, VD who’s always the biggest threat on the field, then I really like the duo of Crabs/Morgan being #2/3. We’d be set.

Unless the WR is a great WR, and I mean the level of Calvin Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald. Mostly because their play will depend on the QB at hand. Have a great QB and they will be good have an average QB and they will be average and if you have a poor QB the offense and the WRs will play poorly. But if you can get a Johnson or Fitzgerald grab any QB and it will be fine for the QB, Fitzgerald, and any other WR/TE on the team.

Everybody forgets that the 49ers receivers were affected by injuries like no other unit on the team. Our OLBs were Ahmad Brooks, Parys Haralson, and Aldon Smith…for every game. Meanwhile, Crabtree had a foot injury, Braylon tore his meniscus, Ted Ginn had an ankle and a knee, and Joshua Morgan went down with that nasty leg injury half-way through the season. Kyle Williams was the only guy that remained healthy all year!

I do think the team needs a bigger-bodied receiver that can play on the isolated side of the formation (basically, a Braylon that’s not a bust). But the receiving corps was remarkably unlucky injury-wise relative to the other units on the team.

A sort of amazing number I found a couple of weeks ago that pertains to our receivers:

Josh Morgan was the ONLY regular receiver on this team in 2011 to end the year with a higher yards per reception average than KENDALL HUNTER.

Of course everything is debatable because everyone has a different opinion, but just because they have one, doesn’t make it a right one.

I can’t even look at the defense with the top 2 or even 3 picks…..doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but the defense and special teams were great this season. People bang on Williams for the 2 fumbles, but it was Ginn’s job and Williams is the back-up.

Crabs, Morgan and Williams can stay, but if after all that you only have Swain and Hastings, you need some help. I won’t list Ginn here because he is a situational weapon and not full time WR.

I would take a WR in free agency Like Bowe, but also use my 1st rounder on Alshon Jeffery or Sanu. Adding 2 big body WRs to the mix will only help the Offense score more TDs.

I would then draft LaMichael James (RB) in the 3rd round if still available. I have watched James for 3 years now ( I live in Oregon) and there is simply no other RB that is better. Maybe bigger but not better. James is a true change of pace RB and has the speed to burn it for a TD every time he has the ball. He does have true Barry Sanders type moves and agility, but even Sanders didn’t have James’ speed. If given a chance, James will be very special in the NFL……

So adding 2 Talented WR’s and James in the 3rd would help Smith and company get some more TD’s. I also think they should get a quality G in the 2nd round. The Offense needs the most help and should be the biggest focus in the early part of the draft.

stick the middle finger up at all the draft ‘experts’ and do something differently. Baalke certainly does his homework. Personally, I’d be happy with an o-lineman, safety, RB, and then WR, somewhere in the 4th or 5th. There is also the line of thought that adding the No.1 receiving TE adds more potency to your offense rather than taking the 4th or 5th best WR that’s left at no.30.

we need to get a good FA guy like Bowe or VJax who won’t have to acclimate to the pro game and learn a new system like a draft pick will. I’d like to add a guy who can play WR and return kicks – Eddie Royal comes to mind. Lastly, we also need to draft a WR, maybe not in the 1st round (b/c he’ll be 4th or 5th on the depth chart all year), but someone who can be an impact guy down the road. While I trust Harbaugh and Baalke to get the guys we need, recall that last year, we went the same route and signed Braylon and drafted Ronald Johnson, neither of whom panned out. If one of them had done so, we’d probably be playing Sunday.

When is the last time that a big time (big dollar) WR actually worked out for the team that signed him?

Seems to me like we need a deep threat WR outside who is a burner. If we had a burner then Crabs can work underneath routes, put Williams in the slot (where I think he can be dynamite) and mix Morgan in off the bench. Plus then Vernon could get busy without the entire Def looking at him. Like it matters…. 85 is a BEAST!!!

I hope its not Desean… unless we get him for pennies on the dollar because no one wants to deal with his MeSean routine. Getting him on a 1 year deal where he has to prove he is not a cancer could be nice. But the Eagles are too smart to let him walk.

Accidentally voted 5.

We need both a #1 and some quality depth. Bringing back Morgan and Ginn should help with depth (no more Hastings and Swain please) and then we pick up a game changing type WR in FA. Too bad Edwards didn’t work out.

… I’m on the fence with Williams , Crabs will only get better in year Two under Harbaugh and company , Swain & Hastings ( not so much ) … can’t remember the Cat that got injuried in camp ( Bontavin ? ) wondering what his deal is … just have to wait and see which direction Baalke and company go …!!

We have a top 2 defense. Running the ball opens the passing game. FA or Draft (Free Agency if we draft OL with the first pick they gonna call it a million dollar line) But based on the last draft, I am confident either way the coaching staff goes.

I think we need both a big time free agent signing (V-Jax is my ideal, but Bowe and Colston would also be awesome), and to draft one in the first two rounds to develop. Re-sign Morgan. Then, at the very least, the WR corps will be respectable.

Coach Mike Leach recalls a highly-touted WR that he coached at Texas Tech.

“I can think of a receiver for us. He was on, I believe, one of the All-American lists. Great player for two years. When we first got him, you’d throw him the ball and it’d hit him in the face. It always sort of puzzled me that it wasn’t at least batted down before it got to his face.” – Mike Leach

While he doesn’t say that it is Michael Crabtree all indication (including how he still plays) this is who he is referring to.

We need help at WR to get our offensive to that next level of perennial contender.

I think this team needs a #1 receiver, but it needs to be a speed guy in the mold of Steve Smith or Deshaun Jackson (but not a head case douche like Jackson is). Most of the guys we have fit more into the possesion mold. We need someone to stretch the field as the #1 with Crabs as a #2 and Morgan and Williams as the 3 and 4. Ginn would be a solid #5 receiver/return specialist.

Crabtree is great with the ball in his hands, but seems to disappear for long periods of time, and struggles against No. 1 corners.

What receiver doesn’t struggle against No. 1 corners?