These are the veteran wide receivers who the San Francisco 49ers should target this offseason in 2018 NFL Free Agency.
The San Francisco 49ers have already taken care of their first priority this offseason, locking quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo up to a five-year, $137.5 million contract. At $27.5 million per year, Garoppolo has the highest annual salary of any player in NFL history, at least until Kirk Cousins signs in a month or so.
Giving that kind of contract to a guy who has only started seven games in his career may seem crazy, but Garoppolo was absolutely incredible for the 49ers down the stretch last season with little help around him. With a true franchise quarterback in the fold, the 49ers must surround him with legitimate talent on the offensive side of the ball.
The 49ers’ roster as a whole needs plenty of work. They have obvious needs at offensive guard, cornerback, edge rusher and as we will look at in this post, wide receiver. Despite having many obvious needs, the 49ers are in great shape to fill their roster with big-time NFL talent.
After signing Garoppolo to his big extension, VP of football operations Paraag Marathe told the media that the San Francisco 49ers still have $62-$63 million in cap space. That gives them among the most cap space in the NFL this offseason. The 49ers will undoubtedly have enough room under the cap to fill a couple of those major needs in free agency.
The wide receiver class in the 2018 NFL Draft leaves plenty to be desired. If the 49ers want to give Garoppolo immediate pass catcher help, it will likely have to come via free agency, where there are many intriguing options.
Which free agent wide receivers make the most sense for the San Francisco 49ers? Let’s take a look.