Examining the fit: Trent Sherfield

By Scooter_McG

Amidst the big ticket signings through the early parts of this FA period, the 49ers made a low key addition with the signing of former Cardinals WR and STs ace Trent Sherfield. Sherfield, who played four years at Vanderbilt, was an UDFA of the Cardinals in 2018. Arizona opted not to tender him as a restricted FA this offseason, potentially hoping they could sign him for less than the RFA tender price. The 49ers had other plans, signing him for the vet minimum but guaranteeing $200K of this salary.

Sherfield was a dual threat QB and DB in high school and was originally recruited to play DB for Vanderbilt. However, he quickly switched sides and saw action as a freshman at WR. Through four years in college he accumulated 136 catches for 1,869 yards and 9 TDs, while also adding 284 rushing yards on 22 carries and 2 TDs. Sherfield was a deep threat WR for the Commodores while also offering toughness and reliable hands in traffic and a number of explosive plays on reverses.

After his Senior season, Sherfield (who is currently listed at 6’1’’and 219 lbs) caught the attention of scouts at the Vanderbilt pro day turning in a 40 time in the mid 4.4s, as well as a 125” broad jump and 6.9s 3-cone.

With the Cardinals, Sherfield saw limited action on offense, with his snap count declining each year (36.4% in 2018, 24.5% in 2019, 7.0% in 2020), but was a core STs player. He finished his time with the Cardinals having recorded 28 catches on 48 targets for 340 yards and 1 TD.

Sherfield will no doubt continue to be a core STs player with the 49ers. However, the 49ers are also expected to provide Sherfield with an opportunity to increase his role on offense, per Mike Garafalo: "Sherfield excels on special teams but the Niners like his skill-set at receiver and he’ll have a chance to grab a role there. Especially with Kendrick Bourne gone."

As a WR, Sherfield offers an interesting skill set for the 49ers. He provides a nice size/ speed combination that can be used to threaten teams deep while also offering a viable target over the middle of the field. He has also proven at Vanderbilt that he can be used in the running game, which is something that Bourne didn’t offer. However, he is still quite raw as a route runner which held him back with the Cardinals, and he does not provide quite the same savvy as Bourne in this regard.

With Bourne leaving the 49ers have a vacuum of reliable, proven talent behind Deebo and Aiyuk. While Sherfield is largely unproven as a WR in the NFL, the 49ers clearly like what Sherfield brings and giving him $200K guaranteed suggests they see him as likely making the 53-man roster. His experience on STs as well as athletic abilities makes him an ideal #4 or #5 WR for the team. He may also be given every chance to prove he can be a reliable #3 WR, however, I expect at least one more addition will be made (either through FA or the draft) to compete for the #3 WR role.