Golden Nuggets: Homecoming To A Brand New Home

It's probably every little boy's dream to one day play for their hometown sports team. Well for Stevie Johnson, that dream is now a reality. Over the weekend, the 49ers traded for the San Francisco born 7 year veteran from the Buffalo Bills for a 4th round pick in next year's draft. Trent Baalke decided to trade for Johnson rather than spend a 1st round pick on a receiver, which allowed him to focus on the secondary. Before this past season, Johnson had played all 16 games 3 straight seasons in a row with 1,000+ yards each of those seasons. Last season, he only played 12 games and had 597 yards with a rookie QB throwing to him.

With Johnson in the receiving corps, it gives the Niners a nice starting lineup in the offensive gameplan. Having Crabtree and Johnson on the outside with Boldin in the slot gives the offense players that have proven production. While Johnson doesn't have outstanding speed, he was a #1 receiver with the Bills and has proven playmaking ability. If they can keep this receiving corp healthy and with Vernon in the mix, Colin Kaepernick should have a unit that could be one of the best in the league. While I don't expect Harbaugh to completely open up the passing game, he should slightly open the door for more 3 WR sets. It should be a fun season to watch.

49ers Links

2 down. Just a few more to go | 49ers Sign 1st 2 Draft Picks (Wilkening)

He's got a long way to go to reach the 49ers WR legacy | Hometown Kid Wants To Add To WR Legacy (Price)

A tough runner. He'll fit in just fine. There's a lot of talent in that backfield | Hyde Pick A Good One (Williamson)

I wanted the team to pick Honey Badger last year because of his versatility. Ward seems like a good pick just for his versatility | Ward: Niners Honey Badger? (BASG)

Pick Your Poison With This Receiving Corps (Price)

I don't know what the plan is with these guys, but I like players that are football players. They just play ball | Building A Secondary With Versatile DBs (Williams)

What Alex Smith Trade Actually Netted (Maiocco)

Players Pick Their Numbers (Price)

I don't care much about rankings, but having the Broncos in front of the Niners seems odd. The Niners and Seahawks just seem to be a level above everyone else. But it doesn't really matter | ESPN Power Rankings (Williamson)

Niners Beat Bills To Hyde (Branch)

How Draft Affects Niner's Future (Biderman)

He has a prototype he likes to draft and that's where he goes. He does a great job in staying with that philosophy | Baalke Drafted Players That Reflected The Team (Williamson)

USF Coach Resigns After Criticizing Pick (Maiocco)

College Coach On Aaron Lynch (Branch)