San Francisco 49ers: Can Jerome Simpson emerge as third receiver?

The San Francisco 49ers’ acquisition of wide receiver Jerome Simpson was met with much criticism during the big offseason. However, since the 49ers have lost Michael Crabtree in free agency, they’ll need to find a third option to accompany Anquan Boldin and new acquisition Torrey Smith. Could Simpson fit that bill despite a troubled past?

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Back on March 5th when Simpson was signed with a two-year contract, the 49er faithful’s hatred toward Jed York and Trent Baalke was still fresh. It’s not often that the general manager has to speak out and defend the signing of a player.

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Why did he have to? Simpson’s sketchy history in drug dealing and a DUI. His townhome in Kentucky was eventually searched by police, who found six pounds of marijuana, scales, and empty packages similar to the one they found that had 2.5 pounds of marijuana. No arrests happened then, but just six months later, he was indicted with a felony and eventually sentenced to 15 days in jail.

After another great season in 2013, Simpson ran into more trouble with a DUI in November of that year. He was eventually suspended for three games in 2014, and the Minnesota Vikings ended up releasing him before the ban was over. Taylor Price of 49ers.com reported on Baalke explaining back in March that they believed through their sources they made the right choice, and related it to Perrish Cox’s situation.

"“Every situation is different,” Baalke said. “We not only spoke with a lot of people that worked with him, we spoke with people that played with him, and we also brought him in here. (He) met with us for a full day before we made that decision, very similar to what we did with Perrish when we brought him in here.”"

Baalke was referring to Cox’s accusation of sexual assault back in December of 2010 in Colorado. Roughly 13 months later, he was eventually found not guilty. Cox was released by the Denver Broncos after not making the cut for the second season.

While Simpson is a repeat offender, this could mark a great chance for him to turn things around. There’s a lot of potential for a guy with great years in 2011 and 2013. In those years, he’s averaged 49 catches on 103 targets and recorded 725.5 yards. He had four touchdowns in 2011 and one touchdown in 2013 (eight total in his career).

Grant Cohn of Bleacher Report has high expectations for Simpson. It’s all or nothing for the receiver — he doesn’t play special teams and would likely be cut if he didn’t become the third option. He predicts Simpson will win it and how the receiver was overlooked.

Jun 11, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jerome Simpson (14) during minicamp at Levi

"But Simpson is underrated. In 2013, he caught 48 passes and averaged 15.1 yards per catch. That same season, 49ers current No. 2 receiver Torrey Smith caught 49 passes and averaged 15.7 yards per catch for the Baltimore Ravens."

The good news is Simpson has made the most of OTAs. During the sessions, Colin Kaepernick has hit Simpson on some home run passes, including a 60-yard touchdown in the second week.

In an update from 49ers.com, safety Anthony Bethea talked about the new acquisitions and Quinton Patton, and how they could aid in restoring Vernon Davis’ return to prominence and newcomer Reggie Bush.

"“Having those guys on the outside, Torrey Smith, Jerome Simpson, Quinton Patton – they’re going to stretch the defense,” Bethea said. “That’ll give Vernon (Davis) ample opportunities to make plays. That’ll allow guys like Reggie Bush to be able to hit those holes.”"

Speaking of Patton, both him and Bruce Ellington could be the biggest competitors for the third spot down the stretch. Both players have shown great potential, but weren’t able to showcase it much in the 49ers’ extremely dismal passing offense last year.

Considering Simpson’s more productive history, assuming he stays out of trouble, it’s hard to not see him as a favorite to aid the team in receiving next season.

Next: Expectations for Torrey Smith

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