"And this is who you should want to pay," Rapoport told Laura Britt of NBC Sports Bay Area. "Homegrown talent. ... You guys remember when he first got there, I wasn't sure this was going to work out. It didn't seem like [head coach] Kyle Shanahan was that thrilled. He has worked his way toward being one of the best receivers in the NFL.
"And contracts are always a battle, obviously, as we saw with the [DE] Nick Bosa one this year. These are the guys that you should want to pay. And I do think the 49ers will eventually."
Britt also asked Rapoport about Chase Young's situation. The 49ers acquired the pass rusher this season via a trade, knowing that he was in the final year of his contract. Young is slated to become a free agent in March.
"That's going to be an interesting one because he's got a big name, he's got a lot of talent," Rapoport shared. "Not so sure it's all gone exactly as he hoped. So could he be someone who would take a one-year deal to kind of prove it and go in and kill it the next year? That's certainly a possibility. And maybe it's with the 49ers.
"Now, I think there's been some ups and downs with the Niners. I think that's pretty clear. But very, very talented, and if someone can harness that talent, I think he's going to be a really good player."
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