49ers Position Breakdown: Wide Receivers
Michael Crabtree
Even with a holdout that kept him out of training camp and the first five weeks of the season, the talented receiver was still able to catch 48 balls for 625 yards, and validate that he was worth the 11th overall pick the 49ers used on him. This time last year was all about getting paid for the young man, this year has been all about hard work. It was well before OTAs started that Crabs and Alex Smith were hard at work trying to build chemistry and develop a rhythm. Crabtree is dedicated to becoming an elite pass catcher, “I’m working hard to be a big part of this offense, and I even take my playbook to bed,” Crabtree said. “Me and Alex are really going to get it in this off-season. We’ve got a lot of things ahead of us.” If Crabtree is working as hard as it appears then the 49ers will have the weapon that they have been lacking since T.O left.
Josh Morgan
One reason for Crabtree’s success is the selflessness of Josh Morgan. Last year during the bye week Morgan sacrificed his off days to help Crabtree learn the offense. During his two seasons, Morgan has shown flashes that he could be a productive receiver in the NFL. Overall his receiving skills are lacking, he’s never the fastest player on the field and won’t physically dominate cornerbacks. Morgan has kept his strangle hold on the second receiver spot by doing all the right things. I don’t like when people talk about players wanting it more, but its clear that Morgan is more willing to do the things to win than most of the receivers in the league. A great way to see this would be to watch some Frank Gore highlights because almost anytime Gore breaks a 30+ run you will find Morgan driving a cornerback down the field. This is going to be Morgan’s third season and if his receiving skill progresses like they should, he will make the perfect Robin to Crabtree’s Batman.
Ted Ginn Jr.
The 49ers had to add speed to their offense this off-season. You wont find too many players faster then Ted Ginn. Most of the talk around Ginn has been about his kick/punt returning ability, but it if we can get value out if him as a receiver then our offense will be dangerous. The former top 10 pick didn’t live up to his potential in Miami. His best year was 2008 when he amassed over 700 yards receiving. Ginn has had a very similar career to Alex Smith, both of them came in with high hope but weren’t able to get the results that they were looking for. Both of them were put into situations that didn’t highlight their strengths. Ginn is a deep ball receiver and when he came into the league he was paired with a QB who was notorious for lacking arm strength. The Dolphins, Ginn’s former team, wanted to run the ball and manage the game, that doesn’t exactly bode well for a guy who needs to receive the ball 30 to 40 yards down the field. Lets hope that this will be the year when Ginn can become the elite receiver people thought he was going to be when he was drafted.
Jason Hill
After the 2008 season everyone was excited about Hill but after a poor camp, injuries and an inability to get on the field last year, Hill might not make the roster this in 2010. Hill has some value on special teams as a gunner but with only 9 catches and 90 yards in 2009, Hill will need an amazing training camp to extend his stay with the 49ers.
Kyle Williams
The bandwagon for Williams is starting to pick up speed. It seems like this guy is a player. Williams is leading the competition for punt returner after the OTAs, but what stuck out most was just how excited this kid got when he was given an opportunity to play some wide receiver. Williams brings a combination of speed and agility that teams look for in a slot receiver.
Brandon Jones
When the 49ers signed Jones he was developing into a solid wide out, once he got here it was a different story. Jones suffered an injury before last season and never recovered. He was at least supposed to be our third receiver, but with one catch last year he will need a strong training camp to make the squad.
Dominique Ziegler
Ziegler hasn’t caught a ball since 2008. I don’t expect Ziegler to be on the practice squad or roster.
The 49ers have three undrafted free agents at the wide receiver position. These guys could push for a practice squad spot:
Jerred Perry
Bakari Grant
Scott Long
AND….
Leroy Van
We could put Leroy on this list because if he makes the roster with his return skills he could be used to create mismatches on the offensive side of the ball.
(If anybody has a picture of Vann can you post it? I don’t have the rights to any at this time and I feel like everybody loves this kid so a picture would be nice.)
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