The 49ers aren’t typically big spenders in free agency due to the inherent nature of free agency. Why get into bidding wars and pay above market value for players whose own teams, the very teams that had access to every practice and every workout of said player, felt they weren’t worth what the player wanted. Usually when the 49ers make a move in free agency, it’s all about value.
The obvious wide receiver free agent candidates that every fan base wants their team to go after would be Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, and Randall Cobb. However, I don’t think the 49ers will go after any of them. All three would be great fits in San Francisco and would add a deep threat the 49ers haven’t had in years. If they could land one of these three receivers their offense would take an enormous step forward and would also allow them to focus their early draft picks on positions other than receivers. But I don’t think any of these three are realistic options for the 49ers.
A receiver that might be able to add slightly better value is Jeremy Maclin. He’s not the pure deep threat the 49ers might be looking for but he runs a full route tree and he runs those routes well. If they were able to add Maclin along side Anquan Boldin, whichever young receiver they end up drafting, and Quinton Patton they’d be a hard group of receivers to account for. The problem with Maclin will be that he likely won’t make it to free agency. If he’s willing to take a good deal it’ll most likely be to stay in Philadelphia.
With this draft class being as deep as it is with wide receivers and the big three wide receivers who might hit free agency, it becomes a simple game of supply and demand. There will be more serviceable wide receivers available than there are teams with glaring needs at that position. One of the receivers that might slip through the cracks and be forced to take a deal lower than anticipated is Torrey Smith. If he’s available at a good price I think he’s the wide receiver that would be the best fit for San Francisco. He’s the exact type of wide receiver they’ve been missing for a long time. With his speed and Colin Kaepernick’s arm, it would be quite the combination. Smith is the first receiver I think the 49ers should bring into the building. Also, the Ravens might have a hard time bringing Smith back due to their limited cap space.
Two other receivers the 49ers should target are both from the division rival Seattle Seahawks; Ricardo Lockette and Jermaine Kearse. Lockette was on the 49ers just a few seasons ago and has an extremely good relationship with Kaepernick. He’s also the fastest guy on the field almost at all times. Kearse isn’t quite as fast as Lockette but is really good at catching the deep ball. Neither one would be very expensive but neither one would be the focal point of the passing game. These guys are ancillary pieces but would be important nonetheless. An added bonus for getting either of these two is that taking guys away from the Seahawks is always fun if you’re a 49ers fan.
As I said before, most people are going to be yelling for the 49ers to workout Cobb, Bryant, or Thomas right away but that’s typically not their style. If that’s what you’re expecting then you’re setting yourself up for disaster. The best fit for the money for the 49ers might be Torrey Smith. If he makes it to free agency he has to make a trip out to Santa Clara for a workout. Jeremy Maclin, Jermaine Kearse, and Ricardo Lockette are all others who would work well in San Francisco. Once free agency starts it’ll certainly be interesting to see where everyone lands.