Post Draft: Who do you want at WR2 / X Receiver?

[skinsnut]

Originally Posted by MTK

Let's not forget about Chig Okonkwo, I think we can pencil him in for 60+ catches. Also JD made an average cast outside of Terry look pretty good in his rookie year. Ultimately they're not done, when Aiyuk becomes available it just makes too much sense not to take a shot on him.

Good point on Chig, but he is just replacing Ertz.

If u look at 2024, we had 2 guys in Zacheus and Noah Brown who were historically 500nyard guys, and they ended up being our guys. The current roster has no one who has hit that mark once, except Jefferson one time years ago. That is my concern.
Plus we also had BRob in his prime and Eckler who was great. I am not sure we have adequately replaced any of these regardless of bar level. Where we are stronger is the online, except center. And Terry is 2 years older post injury too. We are at best the same level as then when we needed 6 miraculous comebacks winning by a point or two and frankly often chucking it up for grabs. Of course we had fun and most knew it was not sustainable. I remember we hadn't beaten a team with a winning record until after the Kliff Cliff, when Jayden made the world turn into candyland for a couple months of magical bliss.

We all drank the kool aid, the team ignored the pass rush problem, and didn't really do much other than speculate on reclamation projects of ex 49ers. I mean, I liked what Deebo did, I love Tunsil, and they did try at CB and missed, but the edge and WR situation got out of hand quickly. Plus every year a new need arises, which was lbs, and safety declined too.
So I am quite happy they focused on line and front 7 and middle first, but we definitely need a WR who is someone other than a 200 yard guy, which is all we have except Terry and maybe our draft pick who needs to learn how to catch his first NFL pass against crazy NFL disguised defenses.

So Peters is probably hoping to get lucky with another 500 yard castoff or two and pray Jayden and Terry NEVER get hurt.

I personally have never seen a magical year like 2024 before and taking the same approach trying to duplicated it may take another 50 years, because that's how long I've been watching this team. Miracles generally cannot be duplicates.

Talent wins in the NFL, without it, even HOF coaches lose, look at Belechek, and even Gibbs 2.0. Even Gibbs who could get 3 more wins out of an lame team cannot win consistsantly to overcome a limited roster with only one or two weapons that can be isolated.

I do believe we need a legit NFL starter opposite Terry
Whether that is Deebo again or Jennings or Diggs or a functional Aiyuk. We need more than a 2024 Noah Brown out there. Slot is easy, we have a ton.
I just don't see anyone other than our rookie as having top upside, and for the first month, he should be slot in space. We need someone who can beat man outside, who has done it from game one, and that may disqualify Aiyuk due to 49er pettiness or his unknown football shape

So yeah, Diggs, get him, or trade for someone soon. I see Jennings as choice 2 and Deebo as #3 from the outside

[MTK]

Chig is a far different style of TE than Ertz though. He can get down the field where Ertz was just an underneath dump off target.

[MTK]

Jennings to the Vikings on a one year deal

[AnonEmouse]

I'm actually kinda glad he's signed elsewhere. I mean would he have been a bad signing here? Maybe not, but neither would he have been a great signing and $13M isn't chicken feed for at best a #2 WR. I'm left thinking they must be weighing up Diggs as a possibility but they're still more interested in Aiyuk. Risks with both.

[skinsnut]

I'm not buying the Chig is the solution to our lack of legit #2 problem.
At best he is better than Ertz, which is a tall ask but likely. Yes he can attack the deep middle which is nice, but so can any slot guy, so they'd be splitting catches there. The problem occurs is there is no threat outside the numbers and particularly deep outside the numbers. Otherwise, you just shift support towards Terry and cover the middle zone and thin out extra support on the opposite side by just covering the Z guy with man, like every play. If our current 2 cannot beat man, and this is arguably a legit concern, one side of the field is shut down by a single defender, unless we flood that side with motion and stacks, which to me is a backup plan. Can you win that way? Yes, but it's more 3 yards at a time Deebo style. And if that's the case, why not just bring back Deebo. The fact that they haven't shows there intent is NOT to start the season without some sort of one on one beater opposite Terry. There is frankly no one available who can do that with any confidence other than Diggs.
Aiyuk may be a flabby shell of himself as far as we know and Deebo could arguably be replaced with our big #5/6 guy, Treylon Burks.

I say, get Diggs, let the Aiyuk thing go at this point, one head case is enough, but Diggs can produce, we know that for a fact, plus he's available without trade cost, which is rare for a 1000 yard guy. I bet he cost 15M though, but that is still cheaper than Deebo last year who we traded a pick for.