NFL Media contributor and writer for Backyard Banter, Matt Harmon, was on NFL Network on Wednesday to break down San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and look at his "Next Gen Stats." Harmon believes the 49ers offense could be vastly improved in 2018 and explained why.
In 2017, Garoppolo thrived in the short passing game, surpassing the league-average passer rating among quarterbacks. Where he could improve is on passes of 20 yards or more, according to Harmon.
| Passer rating | Garoppolo | NFL average |
| 10 yards or fewer | 112.7 | 90.8 |
| 20 yards or more | 24.3 | 78.1 |
49ers wide receiver Pierre Garçon will be an added weapon. He did not have an opportunity to play with Garoppolo because he suffered a neck injury the day before the quarterback was traded from the New England Patriots to San Francisco.
Harmon looked at some of the impending free agent wide receivers that could be added to improve Garoppolo's arsenal and help the quarterback more effectively get the football downfield. While he mentioned Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson – a name that has been mentioned as a potential 49ers target – Harmon believes Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Paul Richardson would be a good fit as well.
Below is a look at some of the notable wide receivers entering free agency and each's percentage of yards gained on deep passes.
| Pct. | |
| Allen Robinson (JAX) | 50.7 (in 2015) |
| Mike Wallace (BAL) | 41.8 |
| Paul Richardson (SEA) | 39.1 |
| Donte Moncrief (IND) | 36.8 |
| Sammy Watkins (LAR) | 24.5 |
| NFL Average | 22.1 |
"One guy I wanted to highlight right here is Paul Richardson," said Harmon. "Actually, he plays in the division for the Seattle Seahawks. But the good thing about Paul Richardson is not only does he win deep passes, he wins in tight windows. He actually averaged 27.3 yards per reception on tight-window throws. Next Gen Stats shows us that's exactly what we saw on the film. Those are the types of things that the 49ers need to work on.
"So I think they can look at a player like Paul Richardson. Just because they paid all that money to Jimmy Garoppolo doesn't mean there's not a little bit left over to get a wide receiver for their big-time quarterback."
Harmon was asked what he thinks the 49ers offense will look like in 2018 – maybe with someone like Richardson on the roster.
"We've got maybe a Paul Richardson coming in," Harmon said. "We've got Pierre Garçon coming back, George Kittle at tight end could take another step. I think this is a top-10 offense. We saw those boot-action plays that Kyle Shanahan likes to run. Jimmy Garoppolo mastered that offense even though it's normally one that quarterbacks take a while to get accustomed to. I think this is a top-10 offense and I think they could go from worst to first in this NFC West."
Click here to watch some of the film review by Harmon, which looks at Garoppolo's efforts hitting receivers deep.
