Photo courtesy of the San Francisco 49ers
ESPN says Jason Verrett should be in the Comeback Player of the Year conversation, predicts 6-10 record for 49ers
Nov 12, 2020 at 9:12 AM
•
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
In a nightmare of a season, cornerback
Jason Verrett has been a pleasant surprise for the San Francisco 49ers. Some questioned the team's decision to keep the oft-injured defensive back on the roster. Heading into Week 10, he is playing like one of the best cornerbacks in the game.
Pro Football Focus ranks Verrett as the fourth-best cornerback in the league. When Richard Sherman finds his way back from a calf injury, San Francisco will probably have to find a way to keep Verrett on the field at the same time.
ESPN believes that Verrett has played so superbly that he deserves to be in the conversation for Comeback Player of the Year.
"After playing just 67 defensive snaps total since the start of the 2017 season,"
wrote ESPN via a feature from Pro Football Focus. "Verrett has found himself in a prominent role in San Francisco with the injury to Richard Sherman, and he has run with it. His coverage grade of 77.6 ranks sixth at the cornerback position, allowing just 141 yards in 228 coverage snaps. It seemed unlikely Verrett would ever get back on the field as a starter -- let alone be a good one -- but here he is."
So what is next for the injury-ravaged 49ers roster? Sitting at 4-5, how many of the seven remaining games can the team possibly win? ESPN says just two. Although, it doesn't say which two. Two NFC East teams remain on the schedule, though.
Beat writer Nick Wagoner was asked to predict San Francisco's final record.
"6-10,"
he responded. "Finding many more wins for the 49ers as currently constructed is a difficult exercise given that five of their seven remaining games are against teams with winning records and playoff aspirations. At some point, the Niners will get some key players back from injury, but probably not enough to push them back into playoff contention."
Before the season, no one could have foreseen this for the 49ers. Injuries and a run-in with COVID-19 issues last week have seemingly destroyed what was to be a promising season. San Francisco has $80.8 million worth of salary-cap space on injured reserve, according to
ESPN Stats & Information.
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
No Huddle Podcast: 49ers Draft Plans With ESPN's Matt Miller
(Episode 329) — Al Sacco is joined by ESPN NFL draft analyst and insider Matt Miller to discuss the best prospect fits for the 49ers, his connection to the 49ers, how the 49ers improve their receiver corp, the state of QB play in the NFL, and more.
The audio for the show is embedded above. Remember to subscribe!
You can watch the interview below.
You can listen to the latest "No Huddle Podcast"
ESPN analyst on Brandon Aiyuk: 49ers shouldn't pay two receivers top dollar
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
ESPN analyst weighs in on 49ers potentially drafting a wide receiver
The San Francisco 49ers will likely add a rookie wide receiver via the draft, and it has nothing to do with Brandon Aiyuk's current contract situation. Deebo Samuel is about as physical a player as you'll find at the position, so wear and tear, along with his significant salary, has to be a concern. Jauan Jennings is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next year.
The 49ers have tried to address the position recently, drafting Ronnie Bell in the seventh round last year and Danny Gray in the third round in 2022. While it's too early to judge Bell, Gray has played only 87 offensive snaps as a pro. His career stat line is unimpressive, recording only one reception for 10 yards on seven targets.
One ESPN analyst and 49ers fan, Matt Miller, admits to being
Should the 49ers be worried about Christian McCaffrey's workload?
It's not an exaggeration to say that RB Christian McCaffrey is coming off one of the best individual seasons in the history of the San Francisco 49ers.
In his first full year in red and gold, McCaffrey led the NFL in rushing yards (1,459), total yards (2,023) and total touchdowns (21) on his way to becoming Offensive Player of the Year. His yards on the ground were the fourth most ever for a Niners running back and his 21 touchdowns trailed only WR Jerry Rice's team record of 23, which the Hall of Famer accomplished in just 12 games in 1987. McCaffrey was also prolific in the passing game, hauling in 67 receptions and often providing a safety net for QB Brock Purdy.
Because McCaffrey has meant so much to Kyle Shanahan's scheme, it's easy to see why the offense
