2021 49ers offseason

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[Jikkle]

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I have so gripes about it but overall it's a pretty favorable schedule.

Back to back 10am road games to open the season sucks but at least it's against lesser opponents.

Not a fan of a week 6 bye especially how injured this team tends to get.

Having 5 prime time games is nice and playing the Packers for SNF in September is way better than playing them in December.

Overall our 10am games aren't against top tier teams and we'd be favored in every one of them if the season started today.

[Jikkle]

Thinking about it more lately I initially felt 2019 was going to be a more talented roster than this upcoming roster but now I actually feel 2021's roster is overall more talented on paper at least.

QB play probably won't be worse under Jimmy and could be better with him or Lance.

The stable of RBs I'd say is stronger than 2019

WR and TE I'd say is a little better than 2019 as I think I'd rather have Aiyuk over Sanders and if Hurd is healthy he could make for a quality #3

Offensive line is definitely better. Williams is better than 2019 Staley. Mack even at his age is better than Richburg. Banks has got to be better than Person. And McGlinchey will hopefully bounce back especially in a contract year.

Defensive line is where we're weaker though. Kinlaw will likely be better but he's still no Buckner and that's the only spot I'd say they are weaker at. Everything else is pretty much roughly the same as 2019 along the defensive front though.

Linebackers are about the same and maybe better since Greenlaw could be considered an upgrade over Alexander

Secondary is about the same and you could say it's better with Verrett over Sherman.

I'd say our biggest question mark right now is DeMeco Ryans as DC. He shouldn't have quite the learning curve that Saleh since the defense will largely be the same but he'll still have one. Mainly we simply don't know if he's the next brilliant DC that will be an HC soon or if he'll be in over his head with the job.

We also don't know how big of a loss the offensive coaches will be. Since Shanahan is the main brain behind the offense it's far less of an issue but losing quality coaches is never a positive.

[wco81]

Tough thing is that all the other division teams are on upswings.

49ers swept the Rams but they made it to the NFC Championship and now have a new QB.

Arizona probably improved through the draft?

I don't know what Seattle did exactly but despite the drama about Wilson, as long as he's able to make plays they will always be contending.

[CrimsonCrew]

Thinking about it more lately I initially felt 2019 was going to be a more talented roster than this upcoming roster but now I actually feel 2021's roster is overall more talented on paper at least.

QB play probably won't be worse under Jimmy and could be better with him or Lance.

The stable of RBs I'd say is stronger than 2019

WR and TE I'd say is a little better than 2019 as I think I'd rather have Aiyuk over Sanders and if Hurd is healthy he could make for a quality #3

Offensive line is definitely better. Williams is better than 2019 Staley. Mack even at his age is better than Richburg. Banks has got to be better than Person. And McGlinchey will hopefully bounce back especially in a contract year.

Defensive line is where we're weaker though. Kinlaw will likely be better but he's still no Buckner and that's the only spot I'd say they are weaker at. Everything else is pretty much roughly the same as 2019 along the defensive front though.

Linebackers are about the same and maybe better since Greenlaw could be considered an upgrade over Alexander

Secondary is about the same and you could say it's better with Verrett over Sherman.

I'd say our biggest question mark right now is DeMeco Ryans as DC. He shouldn't have quite the learning curve that Saleh since the defense will largely be the same but he'll still have one. Mainly we simply don't know if he's the next brilliant DC that will be an HC soon or if he'll be in over his head with the job.

We also don't know how big of a loss the offensive coaches will be. Since Shanahan is the main brain behind the offense it's far less of an issue but losing quality coaches is never a positive.

I think the offense should be better if they stay healthy, but that's a huge if.

Garoppolo should be good to go from day one rather than still recovering from ACL surgery. And if he goes down, Lance is a great backup plan, provided he's ready. But we won't sneak up on anyone this year as we did in 2019. We'll get teams' best every week.

As you say, the OL should be better, with Williams and Mack upgrades, and McGlinchey hopefully at least returning to form. I have some real reservations about Aaron Banks, but it would be hard to play worse than Person at the end of 2019. Tomlinson is more of a question mark. His play declined a bit last year, but hopefully he rebounds this year.

I am really excited about Aiyuk this year. He showed some real flashes last year, and I think he has true #1 receiver potential in this offense - particularly if Lance can get him the ball downfield at some point this season. Samuel can be a great complementary piece, but he's got to show he can stay healthy. And he should just be a more effective WR than he was in 2019. I'm pretty sure he ran the wrong route a couple times at the end of the SB, contributing to Jimmy's paralysis. And, of course, we have next to no depth, but we didn't in 2019, either. Again, health provided, Kittle will again be a beast, and Dwelley is a decent second guy, but we're in trouble if Kittle misses much time.

The RB group should be pretty nasty, whoever emerges from it. I think we've got six or seven guys who could start games for an NFL team. I'm actually pretty bummed about some of the guys we will have to cut, and hope we can stash one or two on the PS.

The defense is the real question.

Our LB group should be good, with Warner playing at an elite level and Greenlaw better than his rookie year - though he was very good that year, especially in big situations. I expect that unit to be better, especially than it was in the SB with Alexander flying by ball carriers without touching them.

Our DL suffers greatly from the loss of Buckner, which really cannot be overstated (good thing we blew huge chunks of our cap on Malcolm Smith, Weston Richburg, Jerrick McKinnon, etc.), but I think it's a deeper unit this year. I'm really hoping we'll see a jump from Kinlaw, who will benefit from playing alongside a healthy Bosa, though Bosa may not be himself right away. Jones and Kerr are a solid pair at NT. Armstead can hopefully kick inside to pass rush, and we have a better replacement plan for when Ford isn't available this year in Ebukam (though Blair was a decent option prior to injury in 2019). I'm cautiously optimistic that Maurice Hurd can have some impact as an interior pass rusher. He's definitely had some flashes, and Kocurek can work miracles. Less optimistic about Key, but there's really no downside.

The defensive backfield is more of a concern for me. We got some unusually good play out of that position group in 2019. Everyone remembers Sherman's lapses in the playoffs, but he was elite for most of that season. Moseley was great, and has arguably taken a step back. And Williams was healthy and two years younger. And Ward stayed healthy. Granted Tartt did not, and Moore struggled a bit in the SB in particular. We're in a similar position entering the year, with Verrett playing very well (if he can stay healthy), and Moseley theoretically (but arguably not in reality) better with more experience. I just think the likelihood is that this unit will not be as good.

Ryans is the real wild card. For all the flak Saleh caught at times, last year he made it clear that he knows his craft. I would expect growing pains.

And health. Our QB, several RBs, at least one starting WR (jury still kind of out on Aiyuk), our TE, you've got to say our best DL at this point, and basically all of our DBs except Moseley have lengthy injury histories. We've been at or near the top of the league in games lost to injury every year of this regime, and I don't expect that to change. We'll just have to hope they aren't season ending, and are to less pivotal players.

[CrimsonCrew]

Tough thing is that all the other division teams are on upswings.

49ers swept the Rams but they made it to the NFC Championship and now have a new QB.

Arizona probably improved through the draft?

I don't know what Seattle did exactly but despite the drama about Wilson, as long as he's able to make plays they will always be contending.

It's hard to see Seattle being on an upswing. A lot of their key players are getting older, and they have more than their fair share of holes on that roster. But you're right, Wilson always gives them a chance, especially throwing to Lockett and Metcalf. And Everett could be a real piece for them. That defense wasn't great last year, though - granted they improved dramatically as the season went on - and I don't really see a reason to think they've improved. They're almost certainly worse at CB, and losing Jarran Reed could hurt more than they realize.

I don't really know what to make of the Cards, but they've added a ton of pieces this offseason, so it's going to come down to how far Kingsbury and Murray can take them.

The Rams are a real wild card. Adding Stafford could be huge for them, but their OL and defensive backfield are pretty cobbled together at this point. And Stafford has struggled to elevate teams previously - granted always in less-than-stellar situations. I'm not sure they're going to be as good as a lot o people think, though I also wouldn't be shocked if they were SB contenders. That's likely all going to hinge on Stafford's adjustment to the offense and ability to keep clean and stay healthy.

[CrimsonCrew]

Anybody a member at the Athletic and want to post Adam Peters' interview with Barrows???

[Cactus Jack]

I don't know what Seattle did exactly but despite the drama about Wilson, as long as he's able to make plays they will always be contending.

It's hard to see Seattle being on an upswing. A lot of their key players are getting older, and they have more than their fair share of holes on that roster. But you're right, Wilson always gives them a chance, especially throwing to Lockett and Metcalf. And Everett could be a real piece for them. That defense wasn't great last year, though - granted they improved dramatically as the season went on - and I don't really see a reason to think they've improved. They're almost certainly worse at CB, and losing Jarran Reed could hurt more than they realize.

What's different? First, the team has a new OC. Shane Waldron was the Rams passing game coordinator & has worked under McVay. The offense got stale & too predictable under Brian Schottenheimer. He needed to go. There might be some growing pains initially with the new offense, but it should be a massive improvement in the long run.

As far as acquisitions go, the team had a huge whole at Guard. So they acquired Gabe Jackson (RG) from the Raiders. TE Gerald Everett joins Waldron from the Rams. Under Waldron, the offense is expected to use more 11 personnel. So they prioritized WR during the draft. Added D'Wayne Eskridge (2nd Round) & signed the top two UDFA's for needed depth.

On the defensive side, the pass rush is improved. Last year they had zero depth at DE. This year, they should have enough bodies. CB however is the biggest area of concern. Ahkello Witherspoon is currently the 2nd/3rd CB on the depth chart. So yeah, it's not great.

Fwiw the defense did significantly improve as the season went on. They we're statistically a top 10 defense during the second half with a healthy Jamal Adams.

Are they on the upswing? That's still tbd honestly. The team is betting on the change at OC to help take Wilson & the offense to new heights. Last year, the league adjusted midseason to what they we're doing. At that time, Russ reportedly wanted to have more influence over the offense & clashed with the OC (The Athletic article). The offense then struggled down the stretch & never made the necessary adjustments (Rams playoff loss). Which ultimately cost Schottenheimer his job.

[CrimsonCrew]

I don't know what Seattle did exactly but despite the drama about Wilson, as long as he's able to make plays they will always be contending.

It's hard to see Seattle being on an upswing. A lot of their key players are getting older, and they have more than their fair share of holes on that roster. But you're right, Wilson always gives them a chance, especially throwing to Lockett and Metcalf. And Everett could be a real piece for them. That defense wasn't great last year, though - granted they improved dramatically as the season went on - and I don't really see a reason to think they've improved. They're almost certainly worse at CB, and losing Jarran Reed could hurt more than they realize.

What's different? First, the team has a new OC. Shane Waldron was the Rams passing game coordinator & has worked under McVay. The offense got stale & too predictable under Brian Schottenheimer. He needed to go. There might be some growing pains initially with the new offense, but it should be a massive improvement in the long run.

As far as acquisitions go, the team had a huge whole at Guard. So they acquired Gabe Jackson (RG) from the Raiders. TE Gerald Everett joins Waldron from the Rams. Under Waldron, the offense is expected to use more 11 personnel. So they prioritized WR during the draft. Added D'Wayne Eskridge (2nd Round) & signed the top two UDFA's for needed depth.

On the defensive side, the pass rush is improved. Last year they had zero depth at DE. This year, they should have enough bodies. CB however is the biggest area of concern. Ahkello Witherspoon is currently the 2nd/3rd CB on the depth chart. So yeah, it's not great.

Fwiw the defense did significantly improve as the season went on. They we're statistically a top 10 defense during the second half with a healthy Jamal Adams.

Are they on the upswing? That's still tbd honestly. The team is betting on the change at OC to help take Wilson & the offense to new heights. Last year, the league adjusted midseason to what they we're doing. At that time, Russ reportedly wanted to have more influence over the offense & clashed with the OC (The Athletic article). The offense then struggled down the stretch & never made the necessary adjustments (Rams playoff loss). Which ultimately cost Schottenheimer his job.

I either didn't know or had forgotten that the Hawks have a new OC. That probably helps as a I was never much of a Schottenheimer fan (except when coaching for the Hawks, of course), but Wilson plays well in a run-heavy offense that takes deep shots. Assuming Waldron would implement something like what the Rams have run under McVay, I don't know how great a fit it is for Wilson. He's a phenomenal QB, but he's tended to be at his most dangerous out of structure. He's never been a guy who hits his back foot and throws in rhythm. I think that's part of why he's been so good late in games, because the team has to throw, and he can run around and get chunk plays deep. But the flip side is that he hasn't always been great earlier in games. But he's got tons ot talent and he has weapons.

That said, putting faith in Eskridge and the two UDFAs is a stretch. Eskridge is an unpolished receiver from a small school who many people thought was a reach in the second. As a gadget player, he's got some potential this year, but I wouldn't expect a significant impact as a receiver. Though maybe he can find a Deebo Samuel-type role as a rookie. The undrafted guys...it's just a lot to expect those types of guys to excel as rookies. Same goes for Watkins for us.

I just don't see it with the pass rush. I think you're overrating Hyder. He's a solid player, but he's not close to an impact pass rusher. Nkemdiche has some upside, but it's upside on basically nothing, and he'll almost certainly be a step down from Reed. They may be a bit better than last year, but not by much. In the backfield, Witherspoon could actually be really good in Carroll's system. He's inconsistent, but he's shown high level play. But he doesn't locate the ball well, and he can just collapse when things aren't gong well, which are not great traits in a starting CB.

As for the defensive improvement last year, it was dramatic - granted they were historically bad over the first half of the year. And getting Adams back coincided with that improvement. But it also happened during a relatively easy stretch of schedule. They played the Eagles, Giants, Jets, WFT, Niners, Cards, and played the Rams twice. Not exactly world-beaters on offense. The best offense they played (looking at points scored) was the Cards, who were 13th in points scored and suffered an offensive slide late in the season. The Niners and Rams were both bottom-twelve offenses, the Eagles and WFT were 8th and 9th-worst. The Giants and Jets were the two worst by a pretty good margin. So yes, the improvement was very impressive, but it could also be something of a mirage that won't persist this year. I don't expect them to be awful, but I also don't expect they'll be a top-10 unit.

Look, I don't mean to be **** on the Hawks at all. They won the division last year, and they look to be as good or better this year. But it turned out to be something of a down year in the division, and there are some questions about the team. It should be a really interesting division race this year.

[CrimsonCrew]

Marqise Lee in for a tryout. Not likely to turn into anything, but he fits the slot receiver need we have. Lots of folks on here liked him back in the day, as memory serves, though his NFL career hasn't exactly been smooth to date.

[Cactus Jack]

It's hard to see Seattle being on an upswing. A lot of their key players are getting older, and they have more than their fair share of holes on that roster. But you're right, Wilson always gives them a chance, especially throwing to Lockett and Metcalf. And Everett could be a real piece for them. That defense wasn't great last year, though - granted they improved dramatically as the season went on - and I don't really see a reason to think they've improved. They're almost certainly worse at CB, and losing Jarran Reed could hurt more than they realize.

What's different? First, the team has a new OC. Shane Waldron was the Rams passing game coordinator & has worked under McVay. The offense got stale & too predictable under Brian Schottenheimer. He needed to go. There might be some growing pains initially with the new offense, but it should be a massive improvement in the long run.

As far as acquisitions go, the team had a huge whole at Guard. So they acquired Gabe Jackson (RG) from the Raiders. TE Gerald Everett joins Waldron from the Rams. Under Waldron, the offense is expected to use more 11 personnel. So they prioritized WR during the draft. Added D'Wayne Eskridge (2nd Round) & signed the top two UDFA's for needed depth.

On the defensive side, the pass rush is improved. Last year they had zero depth at DE. This year, they should have enough bodies. CB however is the biggest area of concern. Ahkello Witherspoon is currently the 2nd/3rd CB on the depth chart. So yeah, it's not great.

Fwiw the defense did significantly improve as the season went on. They we're statistically a top 10 defense during the second half with a healthy Jamal Adams.

Are they on the upswing? That's still tbd honestly. The team is betting on the change at OC to help take Wilson & the offense to new heights. Last year, the league adjusted midseason to what they we're doing. At that time, Russ reportedly wanted to have more influence over the offense & clashed with the OC (The Athletic article). The offense then struggled down the stretch & never made the necessary adjustments (Rams playoff loss). Which ultimately cost Schottenheimer his job.

I either didn't know or had forgotten that the Hawks have a new OC. That probably helps as a I was never much of a Schottenheimer fan (except when coaching for the Hawks, of course), but Wilson plays well in a run-heavy offense that takes deep shots. Assuming Waldron would implement something like what the Rams have run under McVay, I don't know how great a fit it is for Wilson. He's a phenomenal QB, but he's tended to be at his most dangerous out of structure. He's never been a guy who hits his back foot and throws in rhythm. I think that's part of why he's been so good late in games, because the team has to throw, and he can run around and get chunk plays deep. But the flip side is that he hasn't always been great earlier in games. But he's got tons ot talent and he has weapons.

That said, putting faith in Eskridge and the two UDFAs is a stretch. Eskridge is an unpolished receiver from a small school who many people thought was a reach in the second. As a gadget player, he's got some potential this year, but I wouldn't expect a significant impact as a receiver. Though maybe he can find a Deebo Samuel-type role as a rookie. The undrafted guys...it's just a lot to expect those types of guys to excel as rookies. Same goes for Watkins for us.

I just don't see it with the pass rush. I think you're overrating Hyder. He's a solid player, but he's not close to an impact pass rusher. Nkemdiche has some upside, but it's upside on basically nothing, and he'll almost certainly be a step down from Reed. They may be a bit better than last year, but not by much. In the backfield, Witherspoon could actually be really good in Carroll's system. He's inconsistent, but he's shown high level play. But he doesn't locate the ball well, and he can just collapse when things aren't gong well, which are not great traits in a starting CB.

As for the defensive improvement last year, it was dramatic - granted they were historically bad over the first half of the year. And getting Adams back coincided with that improvement. But it also happened during a relatively easy stretch of schedule. They played the Eagles, Giants, Jets, WFT, Niners, Cards, and played the Rams twice. Not exactly world-beaters on offense. The best offense they played (looking at points scored) was the Cards, who were 13th in points scored and suffered an offensive slide late in the season. The Niners and Rams were both bottom-twelve offenses, the Eagles and WFT were 8th and 9th-worst. The Giants and Jets were the two worst by a pretty good margin. So yes, the improvement was very impressive, but it could also be something of a mirage that won't persist this year. I don't expect them to be awful, but I also don't expect they'll be a top-10 unit.

Look, I don't mean to be **** on the Hawks at all. They won the division last year, and they look to be as good or better this year. But it turned out to be something of a down year in the division, and there are some questions about the team. It should be a really interesting division race this year.

I respect the pessimism lol. I wouldn't expect anything else coming from a rival fan.

Look, I don't think they'll be juggernauts either. Especially in this division.

The biggest problem for Wilson & the offense as a whole, has been the over reliance on off script/"out of structure" plays. Under Schottenheimer they we're primarily an offense that was run first & then attack vertically. But when teams adapted midseason & took the deep ball away (2-deep coverage concepts), Wilson & the offense struggled mightily. They weren't set up to attack teams more horizontally. Which is why Waldron was hired. By running more wide zone & calling plays that gets the ball out of Wilson's hand quicker.

Eskridge will likely be the third receiver & kick/punt returner. He compliments Metcalf and Lockett & is a perfect fit for what they want to do.

Btw, Darrell Taylor is a name to watch.

[CrimsonCrew]

I respect the pessimism lol. I wouldn't expect anything else coming from a rival fan.

Look, I don't think they'll be juggernauts either. Especially in this division.

The biggest problem for Wilson & the offense as a whole, has been the over reliance on off script/"out of structure" plays. Under Schottenheimer they we're primarily an offense that was run first & then attack vertically. But when teams adapted midseason & took the deep ball away (2-deep coverage concepts), Wilson & the offense struggled mightily. They weren't set up to attack teams more horizontally. Which is why Waldron was hired. By running more wide zone & calling plays that gets the ball out of Wilson's hand quicker.

Eskridge will likely be the third receiver & kick/punt returner. He compliments Metcalf and Lockett & is a perfect fit for what they want to do.

Btw, Darrell Taylor is a name to watch.

Any time. Ha. I try to be as objective as possible, including with the Niners, but there's no doubt that a little wishful thinking creeps in both when I look at the Niners and when I look at their division rivals.

I agree re: out of structure plays, I just am not sure how much of that is the offensive structure, and how much is Wilson. He's never really executed a timing and rhythm based offense. That's not to say he can't do it. As said, I don't have a great sense of how much he was asked to do that sort of thing. But if he can combine that with the off-script downfield stuff, he will be incredibly dangerous.

The Hawks' top two receivers are better than what the Niners will be trotting out. Possibly even top-3 if we include the TE, though that's a closer call. And the Hawks almost certainly have better depth than the Niners. There's also a lot to like about Eskridge. But trusting any rookies to make a difference is a lot, and Eskridge has more question marks than many because of the team he's coming from. I'd imagine they have a sense of what they want to do with him, though, and will find a way to use him early on.

[CrimsonCrew]

DaeSean Hamilton tore his ACL. Only putting it here because there's chatter that the Niners were interested in trading for him. Funny. I literally saw he was being shopped earlier today and thought the Niners should inquire. Moot point now.

[Jikkle]

I see the Hawks being about roughly the same as they were last season and the season before that. You could make an argument they are a little better but you could make an argument they are a little worse.

The new OC and offense bears watching as it could be great or it could be a mess. I think it'll depend on how much Carroll has his hands in it. Because hiring a pass game coordinator and then wanting him to run the ball most of the time might not work out so great.

And it's worth watching to see how much Wilson will thrive in a short passing game because I've felt part of the reason he does have so many off schedule plays is his height working against him and needing to get some space to give himself some vision.

There is some concern with the short passing game when guys like Lockette and especially Metcalf thrive more when they can stretch the field. The big reason Metcalf has thrived is Wilson is a top tier deep ball thrower and all the off schedule plays benefit a supreme athlete like DK because when it's backyard football time it's an athletes time to shine.

But there are some positives to the short passing game especially with play action which defenses will bite on given how much Seattle will run the ball.

Defensively they probably aren't as bad as they were at the start of last season but they aren't as good as they were to end it as they really didn't play much in terms of offense during that stretch. So the truth likely lies somewhere down the middle. And I loved Ken Norton as a player and as an LB coach but the man just isn't much of a defensive coordinator and that will still be the truth next season.

I see the Seahawks being around 11-6 this upcoming season. I think they'll go 3-3 in the division as despite the fact they have a winning record against the NFC West as of late they've never particularly played the division well when it wasn't good and I don't see that changing now that everyone else is better.

Then they'll probably eat another 3 losses from the other teams on their schedule.

They'll have that one game they lose against a team they have no business losing too where Wilson has his one guaranteed terrible game a season.

And they'll lose another 2 to quality opponents. I mean the 1st 7 games is a pretty tough stretch for them with every team reasonably being able to beat them and I really only see 3 what should be slam dunk wins on their schedule in the Jags, Texans, and Lions. Maybe the Bears depending on how Fields is doing at that point since I'd bet he's in their by Dec 26th unless Dalton is having an amazing season.

[Scoots1994]

Not sure if this is the best place to post this, but Maiocco reviewing opponents this year:

https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/49ers/nfl-schedule-release-2021-49ers-opponents-breakdown-analysis

Outside the division, it's a pretty favorable schedule. Bengals, Texans, Falcons, Lions, Eagles, Jags. Lots of very winnable games in there.

The 49ers travel disadvantage doesn't get enough national coverage, but based on last year's records this schedule couldn't get much easier based on the current NFL scheduling rules. They play, I think, 6 of the 7 teams with the worst records.

[Scoots1994]

The only thing that strikes me about the NFC West is that all of the other teams are going for speed on offense and the 49ers are not really responding on defense ... that said the other teams are going to struggle against the 49ers power game (running and passing) if they swing too far to respond to the speed of the other 3 teams.

[CrimsonCrew]

Word is the Niners are signing Marqise Lee. Decent, low-risk vet pickup. He's not that old (29), and fits the slot role where we desperately need some depth. Though he's never been great (best season was 850 yards and three TDs) and has a long injury history. His last effective season was 2017. Though that's also true of Travis Benjamin, who is three years older and more of a speed guy (in my experience, speed receivers don't typically age well).

[Bingo_AlphaMan]

Word is the Niners are signing Marqise Lee. Decent, low-risk vet pickup. He's not that old (29), and fits the slot role where we desperately need some depth. Though he's never been great (best season was 850 yards and three TDs) and has a long injury history. His last effective season was 2017. Though that's also true of Travis Benjamin, who is three years older and more of a speed guy (in my experience, speed receivers don't typically age well).

MARQISE LEE
WR, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

49ers signed WR Marqise Lee, formerly of the Patriots.

New England released Lee this month after he opted out of the 2020 season. He didn't play a snap for the Patriots after playing five seasons in Jacksonville. Lee, 29, missed the entire 2018 season with a torn ACL and managed just six games in 2019. He hasn't played a full season since 2016, when he caught 63 passes for 861 yards and three scores -- a career year. The former second round draft pick will have a decidedly uphill climb if he's going to see regular usage in the 49ers offense this year.
RELATED: New England Patriots
SOURCE: Ian Rapoport on Twitter

May 17, 2021, 11:22 AM ET

[CrimsonCrew]

Not that far uphill. We only have two WRs who are even a little reliable. The depth chart is WIDE open after that.

[Jikkle]

Lee is a low risk signing and maybe it ends up like a Jason Verrett where the time off allows Lee to put the injuries behind and be at full strength or it doesn't and he ends up cut after training camp.

Helps that this probably is the best offense he'll have played under so maybe he'll thrive as a slot guy.