Farewell, Marqise Lee, we barely knew you. Less than a week after the 49ers signed him, Lee was waived by the team injured, leaving more question marks at the WR position. The 49ers made a corresponding move to replace him with FA WR Bennie Fowler, a journeyman backup WR who played for the Saints last season.
The team clearly recognises a need for depth and competition heading into the offseason program and training camp, with considerable uncertainty regarding the WR group after Deebo and Aiyuk. And for the time being the team appears content to bargain hunt.
Fowler is a bigger bodied WR at 6'1" and 210lbs. He comes to the team having played in 68 career games over six seasons, with 97 total catches for 1,101 yards and 6 TDs. His best season was in 2017 at the Broncos when he grabbed 29 catches for 350 yards and 3 TDs. However, since then he has largely bounced between the 53 and practice squad rosters for the Giants and Saints, and last year also missed a large part of the season with a shoulder injury. Fowler's primary contribution has come on special teams coverage units.
Fowler brings a veteran presence to the 49ers WR group that could potentially be an option as a 5th or 6th WR, or on the practice squad. However, at nearly 30 years old Fowler is not a player for the future or someone that is likely to take the next step. This signing looks very much like a minicamp/ training camp body signing that became necessary after Lee was waived. I suspect the team will be continuing to look at options to add to the WR group.
Scooter
ReplyDeleteGood write up on Fowler. I agree, to me he looks to be a
camp body.
I'd still like the 9ers to sign free agent WR Golden Tate if the price is right. May JL can work something out before the regular season starts.
9er 2021 undrafted rookie TE Josh Pederson Looks like he could contribute as a receiver, but will likely be on practice squad for 2021. I haven't found much tape on him from playing at Louisiana-Monroe.
what is your opinion on him, if any?
Sorry, just saw this question GEEP. I'll be honest, haven't seen much of him. So at this stage I just see him as a camp body.
Delete
ReplyDeleteThree free agents I'd like to see the 9ers sign for the 2021 season
1) CB Steve Nelson: Sine for 1 year plus incentives contract Competes for starting CB position, back up for Verrett or Moseley if either is injured.
2) WR Golden Tate: At 33 Y/O he could be 3rd WR if the 9ers sign him at the right price.
* EDGE Melvin Ingram: 32 Y/O, Would like the 9ers to sign him, but salary demand likely too expensive $9-$10 Mil.
3) EDGE Justin Houston: 32 Y/O with 8 sacks for 2020 season.
Sign for one year, at $4.5 Mil., with $1.5 Mil in bonuses,
Jesus, I don't get why they don't sign Houston or Vernon.
ReplyDeleteI think they've got some good competition for that 3rd wide receiver position already on the roster.
Razor
DeleteOliver Vernon tore his Achilles late in the 2020 season and his recovery for 2021 may be in doubt? Have you heard anything on how his recover is progressing?
Unclear whether he'll be ready but it's a 4-6 month recovery time. Doing the math, July makes 6 months.
DeleteI think even if he is "healthy" he won't be 100%. I'd look at Houston or Ingram before Vernon.
DeleteScooter
DeleteI agree and went with Houston, who I believe the 9ers could sign for less
Such a disapointing end to the Warriors season, and a very poor showing by Steve Kerr.
ReplyDeleteIt's not hard to understand why a team who's rotation goes only 8 deep would run out of gas in back to back play-in games. For me it was a very predictable ending. Steve Kerr did not give the Warriors their best chance to win, and that's a shame considering the kind of season Steph had. Kevin Looney is not an NBA caliber Center, so how can Steve not use Eric Paschall or Jordan Bell in either of those play-in games? For my money, that was an epic miscalculation on Kerr's part, and his legacy should suffer because of it!
49Reasons
DeleteWasn't there some thing about the Warrior not winning more than 39 games (so they weren't in the top 10). Now they'll keep their first round draft pick, rather than losing it to the Oklahoma City Thunder? I don't remember the details, but something about trading for Ok City's Kelly Oubre Jr.
The Warriors put together a nice second half of the season to put themselves in playoff position.
DeleteBut ultimately, they didn’t have enough fire-power down the stretch and their penchant for turnovers eventually caught up to them.
If Klay can come back and Wiseman puts on some muscle and works on his inside game they should be back in the playoffs next season.
Btw, great year by Curry and Green.
Hey GEEP, I think they end up with a high chance of a top 6 pick from Minnesota, in addition to their own pick. I think they have a 70%-ish chance of being top 6, or could end up being top 8, somewhere in there.
ReplyDeleteI just don't understand why Steve Kerr wouldn't go deeper than a 8 man rotation, this late in the season? Steph has been pushing hard, and Steph is gassed from carrying that team like the league MVP, all season!
No healthy Eric Paschall? AND no Jordan Bell? .... Say what he will about Bell not living up to his draft status, especially as a scorer, but he's always been a good rebounder and defender. Two key players in a rotation, and that changes things. Gives Steph, and Poole, and Wiggins a chance on the boards, and allows for more energetic rotation.
Let's face it ..... Kevan Looney is not first team Center material! Nice guy but he's severely lacking offensively, and he's inconsistent defensively. So you're basically just giving up too much on the inside defensively band offensively. JaVall Mcgee was far superior big man for the Warriors.
Again though, Eric Paschall has to play!! Sorry I am repeating myself. ,
Bell is a banger, while Paschall is more consistent rebounder/scorer.
Also, I thought the pick is coming from the Andrew Wiggins - DeAngelo Russell trade, and is a non-player asset or something like that.
DeleteAnd one point, late in the season, it wasn't looking like very good odds that the pick would be a top 6 pick for the Warriors, but hey, it worked out.
I'll have to look into it further.
49Reasons
DeleteI couldn't remember the details It was bugging the $#it of of me, so I Googled it......
Warriors officially keeping this year's first-round pick.
https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/2021-nba-draft-warriors-officially-keeping-first-round-pick
The Warriors fared better with Looney as the Starter than with Wiseman.
DeleteBut that said, we all know that Wiseman is viewed as the Center going forward. He will need to focus on becoming a better insider scorer, rebounder and shot blocker. I believe that he can achieve that, but he can better accomplish this with weight room time.
Toscano and Poole are keepers and everyone else including Obrae will need to fight for a roster spot next season. With Klay’ return, Obrae might be expendable although the team would be better served to look for a trade partner in his case.
The Lakers window is closing as Commissioner LeBron starts to age and Davis seems to find his way to the bench for a couple of weeks out of the season.
I would be very disappointed if the Warriors don’t have an extended playoff run next year.
49Reason
ReplyDeleteAlso, Klay Thompson returns for the Dubs from his ACL, Achilles tendon injury. Assuming he's anywhere near the same player, should make them contenders.
Also, James Wiseman and Minnesota's 2021 first-round pick, (which is top-three-protected this year and becomes unprotected in 2022), are players they could deal to bring in another high-profile piece to join Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Thompson?
QUESTION: What's your opinion of Kelly Oubre Jr? He's an unrestricted free agent this summer. After getting off to a bad start, he's played well for the Warriors over the last six weeks of the season. Oubre is now familiar with the Warriors' offense and the on-the-fly intricacies of playing next to Curry...Keep him or let him go?
49Reasons
ReplyDeleteNorth Carolina Center Day'Ron Sharpe, announced that he is entering the 2021 NBA Draft. Sharpe joined the NC program last year as a five-star with top-20 credentials. The kid's only a freshman, but should go late round one NBA draft. Should the 9ers try to draft him?
I thought Richie James would step up this year, BUT....
ReplyDeleteWhy Richie James Jr. will have a Breakout 2021 Season
This opportunity is overdue.
GRANT COHN MAY 22, 2021
GUESS WHO JUST JINXED IT.....
So now the 49ers are betting favourites to land Julio. What exactly are they giving up to get him, and how they fit him in the cap I don't know, but that would certainly address the WR issues.
ReplyDelete"..betting favourites to land Julio..."
DeleteLike they were in March to land the other Jones? I'll bet the FO are in discussions with Falcons. Wonder what the terms will be. A conditional second (or an outright third round pick in 2022) with Falcons swallowing a third of Julio's salary for 2021? Blank likes Julio and may do him a solid by compromising on terms that will allow Julio to be traded to a team where he wants to go.