Why the 49ers Will Likely Hold off on Signing Mohamed Sanu

Wide receiver Mohamed Sanu is now a free agent after the Patriots released him on Wednesday.

The 49ers could very well have Sanu on their radar. It was only just last season around the trade deadline that the 49ers were inquiring with the Falcons about a trade. Obviously, the 49ers missed out on him to the Patriots and ended up with Emmanuel Sanders, who the 49ers were better off with anyways.

Now the 49ers have a chance to get Sanu without having to forfeit any draft capital. Kyle Shanahan is fond of Sanu and the wide receiver position is taking a hit with injuries.

However, I believe the 49ers will most likely hold off on signing Sanu.

For starters, it looks as if Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk are on track to be active for Week 1 against the Cardinals. With the return of these players, the receiver group gains solidification. Even if Samuel and Aiyuk were still shaky to return for the season opener, I do not believe they would immediately sign Sanu.

Shanahan and the coaches really love what they have at wide receiver. Trent Taylor is once again balling out in training camp and Dante Pettis has made a strong case to be in a rotation again.

Not many fans and pundits out there really believe in the wide receiver position of the 49ers. That is mainly due to the fact that no one wants to wait for these guys to showcase their abilities and develop.

Is receiver lacking? Sure, right now it is.

But that is because these players need to get out there and show how far they have come. Too often in sports there is this demand of wanting a finished product when the reality is that is not common for young players. There is such a thing as development and coaching needed to get these guys where they need to be.

Plus, Shanahan is constantly touted as a phenomenal play-caller and scheming players open. So why is it the 49ers desperately need a wide receiver? The current group is more than enough for the 49ers to get by.

Now of course, they can prove to be underwhelming like they did last season, which is why the 49ers were interested in acquiring Sanu and ended up with Sanders in the first place.

That is when the 49ers will assuredly look to sign Sanu if their young receivers are failing to step up. I do not think it will get to that point because there is a lot to like about the receivers. Just watching them in progress in training camp has been a treat and if they can translate that to game day, then this whole "receiver is lacking" notion will be buried in the mud.

Sanu will certainly be on the list of priority signings for the 49ers, but not on the immediate signings list.