There’s a reason why the San Francisco 49ers have been active with new additions, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and his team opened training camp Saturday, a welcome sight for San Francisco fans after a long and disrupted offseason.
However, one player who wasn’t able to practice with the team was wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who suffered a jones fracture this past June.
While it’s not surprising that the receiver wasn’t on the field for practice, Shanahan did give a mixed point-of-view in terms of the dynamic offensive threat’s return for the 49ers’ opening game.
While it’s not a major statement from Shanahan in terms of knowing exactly when the 49ers will see the former South Carolina Gamecock return, it’s still not the type of update San Francisco was looking for ahead of the 2020 season.
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Samuel’s Impact in 2019
From the jump, Samuel brought a new dimension to the 49ers’ offense, perfectly sliding into Kyle Shanahan’s offensive scheme as a quick and elusive offensive threat.
With 14.1 yards per reception, Deebo was consistently making plays and racking up yards after the catch, with 473 of his 802 regular-season receiving yards coming after quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo completed the pass.
This is not to mention the ways that Shanahan likes to use Samuel as a way to diversify the 49ers’ rushing attack, with the receiver making the most of his touches with 159 rushing yards on just 14 attempts while adding 3 rushing touchdowns to boot.
The simple fact of the matter is that Samuel allows the 49ers to maintain an element of trickery and surprise. While tight end George Kittle is understandably the cornerstone of the team’s passing attack, Samuel contributes to both sides and is constantly used in several different ways by Shanahan.
It only makes sense that the team would bring in veterans like former Dallas Cowboy Tavon Austin and Las Vegas Raider J.J. Nelson. Their skillsets are similar and can help bring that ingenuity while also being able to teach Samuel and the 49ers’ other young receivers the details of playing in the NFL.
Samuel’s Possible Time Out
49ers fans don’t have to think far back to know the potential frustration of a jones fracture, as receiver Trent Taylor missed the entirety of 2020 due to setbacks after suffering the same injury.
Shanahan and San Francisco will not rush Samuel back, instead trusting in their offensive system and new additions to help bridge the gap. This is not only cautious, it may as well be necessary, considering how important Deebo is to the 49ers.
Instead of hurrying Samuel back on the field, the 49ers will look to adapt and ensure that when the sophomore receiver is healthy, he’ll be at 100 percent and confident that he won’t aggravate or cause himself further injury.
Sadly, that doesn’t make his potential absence any less ideal, and it’ll be curious to see how it affects Garoppolo and the rest of the 49ers offense should he not return in time.
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Evan Reier is a sportswriter covering the San Francisco 49ers for Heavy.com and local sports for the Montana Standard in Butte, Mont. Reach out to him on Twitter at @evanreier and join our 49ers community at Heavy on 49ers on Facebook.
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49ers Offense ‘Not Counting On’ Versatile Weapon for Week 1