Free agent wide receiver Jeremy Maclin was released late last Friday, catching a lot of people by surprise. Now that we are through the weekend, he has begun his search for a new home. ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting Maclin was scheduled to visit with the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday, and will meet with the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday. Fooch’s update: The Browns and Eagles are also reportedly interested.
Over the weekend, we discussed the idea of the San Francisco 49ers making a run at Maclin. They added several wide receivers this offseason, but none seems like a clear-cut option that can’t be replaced by someone like Maclin.
For the time being, it would appear they will not make a run. Matt Maiocco tweeted on Tuesday that there is no indication the 49ers are “aggressively pursuing” Maclin, and while they probably have not closed the door on pursuing Maclin, “they’re not actively involved.”
There’s no indication #49ers are aggressively pursuing WR Jeremy Maclin, which could be indication they’re pleased with Garçon and Goodwin.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) June 6, 2017
Maclin has visits scheduled with Bills, Ravens (via @AdamSchefter). I doubt #49ers have closed the door, but they’re not actively involved.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) June 6, 2017
Even if the 49ers are interested in Maclin, it requires two sides to get a deal done. Maclin could net a decent-sized offer on a short-term deal, but he also might look to sacrifice that a bit in exchange for a better shot at a title. LeSean McCoy has already begun the process of recruiting Maclin to Buffalo. I don’t know how realistic the Bills’ Super Bowl chances are in a conference that includes the New England Patriots, but they are probably a little bit better than the 49ers.
I wouldn’t blame Maclin for looking for a better opportunity to win some football games. I wouldn’t mind the 49ers jumping in the mix, but I’m not really holding my breath on it. And if the 49ers are happy with Pierre Garçon and Marquise Goodwin as their starters, well, so be it.