The San Francisco 49ers made a roster transaction on Monday to replenish the wide receiver depth chart. The team claimed Tim Patrick off waivers and made room for him by using the waived/injured designation on UDFA B.J. Johnson III.
Johnson suffered a hamstring injury that Kyle Shanahan said Monday afternoon might be a partial tear, but was still being evaluated. The evaluation would appear to be in. If Johnson goes unclaimed on waivers, he will revert to the 49ers injured reserve list. In that spot, he would not count against the 90-man roster. Depending on the severity of the injury, the 49ers could negotiate an injury settlement with Johnson in which they would pay him however many game checks the injury would cost him.
Patrick was waived by the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday to make room for tight end Larry Donnell. Patrick is a UDFA out of Utah, and is a big guy. He stands 6’5 and weighs 210 pounds, but dealt with numerous injuries in college. He has an incredible combination of size and speed (4.47 40 at his Pro Day), but he missed 17 games throughout his college career. He is also a raw route runner, having primarily been a vertical threat in college.
NFL.com bottom line: Patrick is a size-speed prospect with vertical ability and above average play strength who plays with a competitive spirit. Utah asked him to get deep and make contested catches underneath so he will have to prove that can operate on the intermediate level. Durability concerns could cause him to fall out of the draft. Patrick's size, tape and workout give him a shot to make the back end of an NFL roster in the future.
PFF bottom line: Although Patrick’s route-running skills are limited, his potential in extending the field vertically must intrigue NFL teams. Patrick is an ideal target for accurate quarterbacks as he always provides at least a small area where the ball can be thrown to him. As a result, besides being a deep threat, he can immediately become a weapon in the red zone in Year 1 of his NFL career.