The San Francisco 49ers already made one big move before the Nov. 10 trade deadline — reacquiring Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner from the Indianapolis Colts during their Week 8 bye — and they might be eyeing another move.
The receiver room is a mess.
General manager John Lynch said Mike Evans (Achilles) and Deebo Samuel (hamstring) are likely to miss Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Ricky Pearsall (knee) is out for the season. And rookie De’Zhaun Stribling (ankle) is still “probably over a month away.”
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday that “receiver is still something we’re looking into,” and Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle has a familiar name in mind for San Francisco should it turn to the trade market.
Keenan Allen-49ers Trade Proposed by Team Insider
The 49ers’ first choice at receiver was a reunion.
Fox’s Jay Glazer reported that San Francisco had a deal in place with the Minnesota Vikings to bring back Jauan Jennings. Shanahan confirmed most of that report. But the deal fell apart when Jennings told the 49ers he’d rather stay in Minnesota.
With SF looking elsewhere, Branch pointed to a past deadline deal as the blueprint: the 2019 trade for Emmanuel Sanders, a veteran who stepped right in and helped San Francisco reach Super Bowl LIV.
Now, Branch thinks the 49ers could opt for a similar move for a player in that same role in Indianapolis Colts wideout Keenan Allen.
“A logical fit: Indianapolis’ Keenan Allen, 34, a six-time Pro Bowl selection who has 36 catches for 325 yards and a touchdown in seven games this season,” Branch wrote. “Allen, who attended Cal, is known for his elite route-running ability.
“Lynch just worked with Colts interim general manager Ed Dodds on the deal that netted Buckner. Indianapolis (2-6), in rebuilding mode, also traded All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson to the Seahawks last week.”
The 34-year-old Allen is also just one year removed from an 81-catch, 777-yard, four-touchdown season with the Los Angeles Chargers. He has more than 1,000 career receptions, and he’s hit the 1,000-yard mark six times in his career.
Evans (420 receiving yards) is still the 49ers’ top target when healthy. But Allen would give quarterback Brock Purdy a reliable chain-mover until the rest of the WR room gets healthy.
What Allen Would Add to the 49ers
There is one big hurdle with any receiver trade this late in the season: learning Shanahan’s offense.
When he was asked how hard it is for a receiver to pick up the 49ers’ system in November, Shanahan replied: “Yeah, big time.”
That’s where Allen’s experience could come in handy. A 14-year veteran who wins with technique rather than speed should have an easier time getting up to speed than a younger, rawer option.
Shanahan also made it clear that San Francisco won’t stop looking.
“It’s what personnel people do,” Shanahan said. “They look every week to see who you can add week in and week out and it gets bigger as the trade deadline comes. Receiver is something we’re still looking into, and so is every other position.”
The price shouldn’t be steep either. Allen signed a one-year deal worth up to $8.32 million with Indianapolis in August, so he’d be a pure rental. The Colts are already in sell mode too.
They fired general manager Chris Ballard after a 2-5 start. They then shipped Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks and Buckner to the 49ers. A fifth-round pick seems to be the consensus return for the veteran WR.
That’s certainly a price worth paying for a 6-1 49ers team that’s currently the Super Bowl favorite.
49ers Linked to Unexpected Trade for 6-Time Pro Bowl WR