The San Francisco 49ers have not re-signed wide receiver Anquan Boldin, and he remains a free agent for the time being. We have not heard a whole lot of chatter about him. He reportedly had a visit with Washington, and there was a connection with the New England Patriots, but nothing came of either of those.
Someone asked Albert Breer why Boldin hasn't signed anywhere yet, and Breer got an anonymous quote:
Texted a pro scouting director. Answer: "He's old and can't run." Also, teams wanna get young guys reps in spring. https://t.co/lhr6p4Jsua
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) June 1, 2016
First off, I don't think Boldin ever could really run all that much, at least in the context of some of the faster receivers out there. But he managed to rise to No. 17 in receiving yards and No. 12 in receptions in spite of really not having that kind of speed. Age is certainly something to consider with Boldin. He missed two games last year with a hamstring injury that kept him on the injury report most of the back half of the schedule.
Boldin did have the second fewest receiving yards of his career, and one of the lower receptions totals, but the 49ers offense was garbage last year. There is always the concern that he has reached a point where his career is going to go off a cliff, but he will get an opportunity somewhere this year. My guess is he has not signed somewhere in part because teams want to get young guys some reps, and in part because he is able to enjoy the full offseason with his family and charitable work.
This is the first time Boldin has hit unrestricted free agency. Nobody holds his rights, so he does not have to be at voluntary workouts, or even the mandatory minicamp each team holds. I suspect he signs somewhere in June or July. That will give him time to start learning a new playbook, and be ready to compete in training camp. I'm not concerned at this point that he's too old or "can't run."