Death and taxes seem to be the the most certain things in life, but Matt Maiocco’s podcasts with great guests are beginning to make a third certainty. At least for fans of the San Francisco 49ers.
This week he had Greg Cosell from NFL Films. Cosell has spent his life watching NFL film and if anyone can give an unbiased, outside looking in analysis of the 49ers roster and organization it’s him.
One of the many questions was on the 49ers wide receivers and what the 49ers could expect to get out of them. Cosell noted the fact they don’t have a legitimate No. 1, but really didn’t think it was needed:
“I think the knee-jerk response would be they don’t have the one star, the so-called, ‘number 1 receiver’ that theoretically every team would like to have. I’m not saying the Niners don’t want that guy, everyone wants a great player, but I think the feeling would be that within the context of that offense and how well constructed it is and how well designed it is and well schemed it is, they can still function very effectively in the pass game without having the DeAndre Hopkins, the Julio Jones, the Antonio Brown receiver on the outside.”
Would having one of those receivers he mentioned be nice? Absolutely. But it looks like the 49ers will be just fine without. The 49ers may have the No. 1 already on the roster, they just need some more development. It could be Kendrick Bourne or Dante Pettis for all we know. Antonio Brown was a sixth round pick in 2010 and finished with 167 yards his rookie season. Now he’s one of the best receivers in the league. These things take time, but even if the 49ers can’t find that game-changer, Shanahan’s offense is still functional enough they can be efficient.
Below are the time stamps to Cosell’s appearance on the podcast. You can either listen to it using the widget above or go here.
02:00 - Fan expectations and hype for the season
03:00 - What will the Minnesota Vikings do to hone in on Jimmy Garoppolo
04:05 - How Jerick McKinnon fits into Kyle Shanahan’s scheme
05:43 - Dante Pettis
07:02 - What the 49ers can get out of the wide receivers
07:50 - The most impressive thing of Garoppolo’s five starts
09:18 - Garoppolo’s release/accuracy despite tendencies to bad footwork
10:20 - Garoppolo’s deep throw issues
13:00 - The future of the NFC West with the four quarterbacks in mind
14:30 - The opportunities for slot receivers/tight end
15:47 - The 49ers defense
17:45 - 49ers pass rushers outside of DeForest Buckner
18:50 - Reuben Foster’s transition to the NFL
19:52 - Surprised by the optimism heading into year two?