Signing Dez Bryant Makes No Sense for the 49ers
During the past week, the 49ers have been hit with two significant injuries to their wide-receiver group. Deebo Samuel suffered a Jones fracture in his foot and Richie James suffered a broken wrist the following day.
Samuel’s timetable to get back on the field is in the ballpark for a Week 1 return, or possibly a few weeks later. James was already on the roster bubble, and now with a broken foot, his chances of making the squad when the team breaks training camp are not great.
Because the injury bug already hit not one but two receivers on the 49ers — a common theme has been the thought of signing someone who’s currently a free agent. One of those names is former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant.
And it’s not just the fan base who’s pleading its case for Bryant — Kendrick Bourne also is among those who want to bring in the former all-pro pass-catcher.
Bryant also acknowledged the tweet.
Bryant was once a highly regarded wide receiver in the NFL and while it may sound like a nice alternative while Samuel and James presumably get back to a full bill of health, there are several reasons to pivot elsewhere.
The majority of the 49ers receiving core brings just small doses of experience to the table. If they do want to add a receiver in the meantime, they will need someone who can come in and interpret Kyle Shanahan’s offense rather quickly. But here's the thing with Bryant: He hasn’t taken an NFL snap in two and a half years.
Bryant tried to make a comeback most recently with the New Orleans Saints, but prior to him seeing action in a game, he tore his Achilles' tendon just two days after finalizing a contract with the team.
The 49ers already have injuries at the position -- they don’t need any more. Experience is something they lack and could certainly use at this time, but in doing so, it would be wise to shy away from aging veterans whose trajectory is aiming downward.
In addition, Bryant's track record contains characteristics of being extremely vocal when not getting the football enough to his liking. The 49ers locker room is in a good place — the team appears to have a strong bond. Cementing Bryant into the equation could potentially shake things up a bit with his outlandish personality. Also to note, Shanahan's offense isn't about getting the ball in the hands of one pass catcher. He spreads the ball around to several receivers more often than not.
If the team does want to add a replacement in order to have insurance in case Samuel's injury lingers longer than expected, Taylor Gabriel could be an option. Gabriel recorded six touchdowns under Shanahan in 2016 as part of the Atlanta Falcons. Could they reunite in 2020?
Seems more likely than the 49ers signing Bryant.
