The San Francisco 49ers’ recent moves at wide receiver have started to look less like depth building and more like a scramble.
Their decision to work out Dee Eskridge is the latest eyebrow-raiser. Eskridge was once supposed to give the Seattle Seahawks a burst of speed and quickness when they took him late in the second round after his long run at Western Michigan. Instead, he became one of the more disappointing picks of the John Schneider era, and the idea of the 49ers even looking at him was enough to give some Seahawks fans a laugh.
Seattle ultimately did not sign Eskridge. Instead, it brought back Deebo Samuel after a one-year breakup. But the fact that Eskridge was even in the conversation says plenty about where San Francisco’s receiver situation stands right now.
Eskridge’s NFL start went sideways almost immediately. He suffered a concussion in his debut, then later got hit with a six-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
The Seahawks eventually moved on and waived him before the final year of his rookie contract. He left Seattle with 17 catches for 122 yards and one touchdown, and that lone score came against Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers.
San Francisco’s own injury situation has only added to the urgency. Ricky Pearsall is dealing with yet more knee issues, Christian Kirk has a calf injury, and Mike Evans is, well... 32 years old.
That’s why the Samuel move stands out. The same team that walked away from him after an injury-riddled season - one in which he admitted to being overweight - is now back in business with him. If he was the answer, the obvious question is why the reunion waited until training camp.
The 49ers also used an early second-round pick on De’Zhaun Stribling, one of the more polarizing choices in the draft. There hasn’t been much buzz around him, and the lack of noise suggests he may not be close to being ready if the team is still searching for help at the position.
For now, San Francisco appears to be leaning on names more than certainty. Banking on Samuel to stay healthy is a risky bet, and the offense never got much going against Mike Macdonald’s defense last season anyway.
Still, the Seahawks can’t afford to get casual about any of this, especially against a division opponent with a bright offensive mind running the show. Even so, the 49ers’ recent flurry of moves has the look of a team trying to patch holes late - and maybe showing just how desperate it is for help.
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