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Nate Burleson is really curious to see what the Jacksonville Jaguars do this season. The Emmy-award-winning analyst feels they could be better than most anticipate, even with a new quarterback in rookie Trevor Lawrence. He believes they have some potential at other key spots.
But that's not why you're here.
Burleson also named another team that is almost flying under the radar — the San Francisco 49ers. Yes, everyone expects them to be much-improved compared to last season, when the squad managed just six wins. That may have been an outlier, though. No team endured as many injuries as that one, and it still has much of its Super Bowl-caliber roster intact, with many of those rehabbing players set to return.
"I'm really curious to see what Kyle Shanahan is going to do in San Francisco because I really do give them a pass for last year," Burleson told Rich Eisen on the Rich Eisen Show. "They dealt with the most (injuries). They had the most guys on IR, and still, they were fighting throughout the season."
The team's best pass-rusher, Nick Bosa, missed 14 games last season after suffering a torn ACL in Week 2. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo missed 10 games. Tight end George Kittle missed eight. The list goes on and on. However, those players are on track to return and make an impact in 2021.
Oh, and San Francisco added depth at quarterback with the selection of Trey Lance.
"Now, you're getting all these guys back healthy," Burleson continued, "but what's going to happen at the quarterback position? I'm fascinated by that. That Trey Lance selection, even though we kind of thought that Kyle Shanahan had the guts to do it, still, you have Jimmy Garoppolo getting paid over $100 million and took his team to a Super Bowl, and you go with Trey Lance? What does that tell you? That tells me that he's ready to move on from Jimmy G."
Many felt that would happen this offseason, perhaps before or during the draft. Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch repeatedly stated that the plan was to keep Garoppolo in 2021, giving the rookie quarterback the time he needs to sit and learn the offense.
"But Jimmy G didn't get traded, which I thought it would have been a great landing spot in New England if they would have worked that out," Burleson added.
There is some skepticism surrounding whether that was actually the plan, or if the 49ers might have tried to gauge interest in Garoppolo. Regardless, the veteran quarterback remains on the roster, and the plan is to have him start Week 1 against the Detroit Lions with Lance waiting in the wings. And that fascinates Burleson.
49ers hosted Clemson CB Nate Wiggins on pre-draft visit
By David Bonilla
19 hrs
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that former Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins was among the draft prospects the San Francisco 49ers hosted on Top-30 visits.
Cornerback stands out as one of the 49ers' primary needs heading into the draft. The team has been striving to solidify the outside spot opposite Charvarius Ward for years. Doing so this year would allow Deommodore Lenoir to transition to the slot position permanently.
Wiggins is one of several cornerbacks the 49ers have welcomed for visits. Andru Phillips of Kentucky, Decamerion Richardson of Mississippi State, and Chau Smith-Wade of Washington State are among the recent visitors to the team's Santa Clara
Why one analyst is worried for Brock Purdy if 49ers trade Brandon Aiyuk
By David Bonilla
Apr 18
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy achieved a remarkable feat in 2023, setting a single-season franchise record with 4,280 passing yards. This accomplishment is noteworthy, considering the illustrious quarterbacks who have graced the organization's history.
A significant portion of those yards came from wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who amassed a career-high and team-leading 1,342 receiving yards. Most of his 75 catches originated from passes thrown by Purdy.
Amidst significant offseason chatter surrounding the 49ers' star receiver, including several unsubstantiated trade rumors, Aiyuk's future remains uncertain. Former NFL player James Jones, now an analyst, expressed concern for Purdy should Aiyuk's tenure in the Bay Area come to an end.
"I
5 reasons why 49ers QB Brock Purdy will be better in 2024
By Marc Adams
Apr 20
The San Francisco 49ers appear to have found their quarterback. It was a bumpy road on the journey to locate him, too. There was the up-and-down tenure of Jimmy Garoppolo, whose relationship with Head Coach Kyle Shanahan seemed dysfunctional, at times. Then there was the short-lived Trey Lance experiment.
Garoppolo and Lance are no longer being with the team, and one major reason is the emergence of Brock Purdy as the team's QB. Purdy finished his second season with a trip to the Super Bowl, after having a Pro Bowl season in which he finished with 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns. He also led the league in multiple statistics, including passer rating (113.0) and QBR (72.8). Additionally, Purdy finished fourth in NFL MVP voting.
But a year ago, no one knew what to
49ers sign WR Trent Taylor, reuniting with former draft pick
By David Bonilla
Apr 16
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
