The San Francisco 49ers have significant needs at wide receiver, and players with experience under Kyle Shanahan could be targets in free agency. One such player is veteran wide receiver Pierre Garcon. On Monday, he posted on Instagram asking if ‘y’all hiring?”
The 30-year old is entering free agency coming off a bit of inconsistency over five seasons in Washington. His catch totals have generally been high, but his yardage has been all over the place. he is coming off a season in which he finished with 79 receptions for 1,041 yards and three touchdowns. He had one other 1,000-yard season in Washington, catching 113 balls for 1,346 yards and five touchdowns in 2013.
Kyle Shanahan was Washington’s offensive coordinator Garcon’s first two years in DC. Garcon signed a five-year, $42.4 million contract with Washington after spending his first four years in Indianapolis. He had 44 receptions for 633 yards in ten games his first season. Robert Griffin III had a big year that season, but the ball was spread around considerably. Garcon led the team in receptions and yards that year. Santana Moss was right behind him with 41 receptions for 573 yards.
In 2013, Garcon played the entire season, and had his huge numbers with Shanahan directing the offense. Dan Snyder fired Mike Shanahan after the 2013 season, and Kyle Shanahan was not retained. The younger Shanahan joined the Cleveland Browns to serve as Mike Pettine’s offensive coordinator.
If the 49ers want to inject the offense with a boost and do not plan on investing a pick in Mike Williams or Corey Davis, someone like Garcon could be a solid short-term addition. A lot of it will come down to price. He will not be the most expensive receiver on the market, but with quite a few teams holding onto a lot of cap space around the NFL, Garcon could end up being a pricey addition. He has the previous relationship with Kyle Shanahan, but coming off a 2-14 season, the 49ers might still be forced to a pay a premium.
I don’t think the 49ers will add many older veterans, but at the right price and length, the right veteran could be useful for developing the rest of the talent. This is particularly true if the team thinks one of the draft-eligible quarterbacks is the right option.