The San Francisco 49ers took full advantage of attacking the free agent market. In two moves, general manager John Lynch landed veteran wide receivers Mike Evans and Christian Kirk. In the last couple of seasons, the team dealt with injuries to starters. Now, head coach Kyle Shanahan will work with two new weapons in the passing game. The head coach offered his opinion on his two newest wideouts.
Why 49ers Coach Kyle Shanahan Loves His New Wide Receivers
In the first couple of waves of free agency, the 49ers landed two starting wide receivers. Evans just left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Kirk left Houston for Santa Clara. Shanahan believes the 49ers had a specific advantage.
“Very similar to Mike, [Kirk] could have gone some other places too, but he wanted to be in the right situation and he liked our place.”
From a franchise standpoint, San Francisco is one of the more stable franchises for a variety of reasons. First, at the top, general manager John Lynch has held the position since 2017.
That indicates he enjoys the full backing of the team’s owners, the York family. Following that, players voted the 49ers as one of the better organizations in the NFL.
Next, Shanahan himself enters his 10th season on the sidelines as head coach. Additionally, the quarterback room remains solid.
For example, Brock Purdy started just nine games last year, but veteran Mac Jones stepped in to fill in for the other eight. The duo combined for 4,318 yards and 33 passing touchdowns. Jones returns to the roster to provide injury insurance.
The duo signed what appear to be below-market deals. Evans agreed to a three-year, $42.4 million contract, while Kirk put pen to paper for one year and $3 million. This fact is compounded by the fact that each player left two states with no income tax for the state with the highest.
For the second time in three seasons, running back Christian McCaffrey played at least 16 games. Additionally, his 2,126 yards from scrimmage provide balance that could prevent defenses from playing too far away from the line of scrimmage. Meanwhile, on defense, the unit allowed 21.8 points per game despite recording just 20 sacks and six interceptions.
The 49ers, in recent history, have profiled as a team that consistently makes the playoffs. The franchise advanced to the postseason in four of the last five seasons. That includes three trips to the NFC Championship.
In contrast, in eight seasons, Kirk has only played in five postseason games, winning two. In contrast, Evans sports a Super Bowl ring.
The head coach saw both players in opposing uniforms for years.
“Always been a huge fan of Christian since Arizona. I feel lucky to get both of those guys.”
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The signings signal a departure from how recent 49ers teams were constructed. For instance, Deebo Samuel served as a dual-threat receiver, capable of carrying the ball out of the backfield. On the other hand, neither Evans nor Kirk has a similar skill set.
Evans will most likely serve as the lead receiver. Despite playing only eight games, he occupied the No. 65 spot in the PFSN NFL WR Impact Rankings. Will the new additions be enough to push the 49ers back into the Super Bowl?
