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ESPN pushed out its NFL preview via a few features, including its
latest power rankings — the San Francisco 49ers ranked No. 3, by the way. The site also released previews for each NFL team and made several
2020 NFL season predictions.
49ers beat writer Nick Wagoner made his bold prediction for 2020 within the
49ers season preview. It is that pass rusher
Nick Bosa improves upon his NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign and racks up 16 sacks in his second season.
"A full offseason training with his brother Joey, a chance to start the season healthy and a training camp spent squaring off with Williams have Bosa primed for the leap to superstardom," wrote Wagoner. "The breakthrough season vaults Bosa to a top-five finish in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting."
While Wagoner is predicting a big year for Bosa, ESPN analyst Mike Clay is projecting about 11 sacks for the second-year defender, which is still an increase over his nine from last season.
Clay picked his breakout fantasy football star for the team — rookie wide receiver
Brandon Aiyuk. That's based on the impressive training camp the No. 25 overall pick had before being sidelined with a hamstring injury. Head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers remain hopeful that Aiyuk is ready to go for Week 1.
"That coupled with
Deebo Samuel's injury may have the rookie positioned for a Week 1 starting gig," wrote Clay. "Aiyuk, who averaged more than 10 yards after the catch last season at Arizona State, may struggle for consistency in the 49ers' run-heavy offense, but he has a path to WR3 numbers if he emerges as the team's early-season No. 1 receiver."
Fellow ESPN analyst Mina Kimes also expects big things from Aiyuk. She picked the wideout as the rookie who will end up with the most catches in 2020.
"Aiyuk, who was a yards-after-catch monster at Arizona State, is a perfect fit for Kyle Shanahan's offense," notes Kimes. "I'm picking him because San Francisco needs him to thrive, given how injured its receiving group has been."
In a not-so-bold prediction, Kimes and writer Matt Bowen each picked the league's best and highest-paid tight end,
George Kittle, to be the most productive tight end in the NFL.
"In Kyle Shanahan's heavily schemed passing game, the 49ers can create both matchups plus catch-and-run opportunities for Kittle as a volume target," wrote Bowen. "In his past two seasons, Kittle has averaged 8.2 yards after the catch, tops among tight ends. He's a physical route runner with an extremely aggressive play style that leads to production on deep crossers, seams and unders."
Added Kimes: "When you factor in his coach, Kittle might be the most dynamic weapon in the NFL. He led all tight ends in both yards after the catch and yards per route run last season, and I see no reason why that changes."
Clay's statistical projections, however, have Kittle finishing second to Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs in receptions and receiving yards.
ESPN analyst Matt Miller understands the perspective of San Francisco 49ers fans. After all, he has been a fan of the team since he was a kid. Seeing any of your favorite players leave and put on another uniform is tough.
It's also difficult to pay everyone, and Miller knows that. It's not a formula for successful roster building, including paying two wide receivers top dollar.
The 49ers are trying to negotiate a contract extension with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. The team invested heavily in another receiver, Deebo Samuel, just two years ago. Is allowing each of them to consume a significant chunk of the salary cap feasible for a team that hopes to continue being competitive and win Super Bowls?
"I have to separate the fan part of my brain, who
It's evident that the San Francisco 49ers engaged in long-term financial planning. Much discussion has centered around the feasibility of the team committing significant financial resources to two wide receivers, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. Some skeptics question the wisdom of such heavy investment in a single position, especially considering that the 49ers handed Samuel a substantial three-year extension merely two years ago.
Adding complexity to this debate is the impending contract extension for quarterback Brock Purdy, positioning him to become the highest-paid player on the team. He will likely even become one of the NFL's highest-paid players. Where he ranks in average salary will depend upon whether he can replicate the stellar performance of his Pro Bowl 2023
John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have made it clear that they want WR Brandon Aiyuk to be a part of the San Francisco 49ers for the foreseeable future. It appears Aiyuk also wants to get something done, but all indications are that he isn't willing to take a hometown discount and the likelihood of playing on the last year of his deal without a holdout or trade request is slim.
Simply put: Aiyuk wants to get paid.
It's hard to blame him. A player's time in the NFL can be short and it takes just one hit to end a career. So, whether it's with the Niners or another team, Aiyuk will squeeze every penny out of what will most likely be his most lucrative professional contract. But is spending that much on a receiver a wise move for the franchise?
There are a
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
