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The San Francisco 49ers dodged a major bullet as Mike Evans continues to battle the Achilles soreness that caused him to sit out a Week 6 win over the Washington Commanders on Oct. 19.
However, this injury threat is leading to trade speculation about whether the Niners should look to add a receiver before the Nov. 10 deadline. The 49ers have dealt with injuries to their wideouts, including Demarcus Robinson, De’Zhaun Stribling, and Deebo Samuel Sr., in recent weeks.
Despite the need to bolster the group, 49ers reporter Grant Cohn doesn’t see the team making a move for a wide receiver in the coming days.
“My concern is I don’t think they’re going to trade a wide receiver,” Cohn said on the Oct. 20 edition of “49ers Collective.”
“I don’t think they will. I think they’re telling themselves, ‘Okay, let’s go 6-0. If we lose to the Falcons, so be it. Stribling will be back, Deebo will be back, Evans will be okay.’ I think they will talk themselves into bringing back reinforcements, and that really worries me.
Alex Boone believes the 49ers will trade for the wideout
Meanwhile, former 49ers offensive lineman Alex Boone believes San Francisco will make a move for a wideout at the deadline because the team needs to make sure Brock Purdy has receivers he can trust late in the season.
“I think we’re too early in the year, and Mike’s already hurt a little bit,” Boone said in the same episode. “Deebo’s kind of hurt. You have this bug injury going on where I think they’re in their own minds like, ‘Yeah, this is becoming a problem now.’
“Congrats to Brock Purdy for the record [of] being the most efficient quarterback. That’s great, and great efficiency. But sometimes, the people you throw have to be dudes [and] there are disputed catches. There are times when it’s like, ‘Hey, man, I have to trust that you’re going to do what’s best for this team.’ There aren’t many men like that available on the streets.”
What Will the Niners Trade Wideout?
So, what wideout could the 49ers pursue on the trade market? In an October 18 article, Zachary Rotman of FanSided listed the 49ers as a realistic landing spot for Jacksonville Jaguars Brian Thomas Jr.
As part of his trade idea, Rotman allowed the 49ers to give up a 2027 second-round pick for a former first-round pick, who was in his rookie contract worth $14.6 million.
“No team needs Thomas more than the San Francisco 49ers, who are without Ricky Pearsall for the year, De’Zhaun Stribling and Demarcus Robinson for a while, and Brandon Aiyuk for who knows how long?” Rotman wrote in his article.
“Not to mention Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel have banged up and are on the wrong side of 30. They need a receiver in the worst way.”
Thomas played 116 pass snaps for the Jaguars this season, leading to a 57.4 overall PFF grade. Additionally, he caught nine receptions on 18 targets for 105 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo