Another veteran wideout is heading to San Francisco. After signing Tavon Austin and J.J. Nelson, the 49ers agreed to terms with Jaron Brown, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
This will mark Brown’s third NFC West team. The 6-foot-3 target spent the first seven years of his career in Arizona (from 2013-17) and Seattle (2018-19). Brown, 30, worked out for the 49ers on Tuesday.
The 49ers’ receiving corps has encountered multiple setbacks, with a reported Jalen Hurd ACL tear following Deebo Samuel‘s offseason foot fracture. Still, the 49ers boast a crowded group. Brown, Austin and Nelson join the likes of first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk, Trent Taylor, Kendrick Bourne and 2018 second-rounder Dante Pettis. How the 49ers determine roles for their as-of-now Samuel-less operation will be interesting as the season approaches.
Brown saw action as a Seahawks auxiliary weapon in 14 games last season, catching 16 passes for 220 yards. His best season came in 2017 with the Cards, when he hauled in 31 passes for 477 yards.
Bourne went undrafted not drafted in the first round
Sam didn’t say that Bourne was drafted in the first round. Reading is FundaMental
Pettis has every opportunity to prove everyone wrong and show he belongs in the league. He won’t do it.
I’m a fan of Trent Taylor given he stays healthy for once!
I think the 49ers will give their draftees a chance to crack roster before the veterans. Bourne, Aiyuk, and Taylor are locks as the top three. Pettis should be safe, but really needs a strong season after a disappointing sophomore campaign.
That leaves Jennings, James, Austin, Nelson, and Brown to battle it out for what will likely be two remaining spots. Jennings showed some promise at Tennessee and Austin has some versatility out of the backfield as a special teams weapon, so their chances seem the strongest. James would be superfluous with Austin on the roster, while Nelson and Brown are just veteran retreads.
Any 49ers fans have some insight for me?
I think Taylor will breakout. Bourne too. And Jennings’ size could lead to him being Hurd 2.0. Im not gonna count on pettis for much. I’ll trust your assessment of newly signed. Pettis could get in good graces as a returner. His strength in college
It’d be worth a try for him, but it’d be an uphill battle. The 9ers have several guys who can return and several others who are known as route runners (which Pettis is supposed to be able to do). The 9ers have loaded up on receivers with similar skill sets, making Pettis expendable. Still, I agree with you guys that they’ll give him one more year to salvage the pick-and with the uncertainty of this season, Pettis’ knowledge of the system will be valuable. With the free agents they signed, the 9ers are likely giving Pettis his best opportunity to succeed this year.