Getty Former Seattle Seahawks WR Malik Turner.
The San Francisco 49ers are bringing in a new pass-catcher and his name is one that Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks fans know well.
The 2022 NFL draft may be arriving in less than three weeks, but NFL teams are still adding in free agency and setting up their rosters for OTAs and camp. For the 49ers, that means signing two receivers in the same day in the form of Malik Turner and Marcus Johnson.
Heavy has already covered the initial reports of Marcus Johnson signing with the team, but Turner’s arrival in Santa Clara, California was announced by the team on April 11.
Besides signing Johnson and Turner, the team also announced that they reworked their situation with defensive lineman Maurice Hurst.
“The San Francisco 49ers announced that they have signed WR Marcus Johnson and WR Malik Turner to one-year deals,” the 49ers’official release reads. “The team also released and re-signed DL Maurice Hurst to the same one-year deal he signed on March 10, 2022.”
San Francisco needs the depth at receiver, and they’ve now got it with their two new receivers. While both have some NFL experience, Turner’s time with the Cowboys and Seahawks is a bit more notable.
Turner Stars NFL Career with Seahawks, Cowboys
Turner arrived in the NFL out of Illinois, where he didn’t make a ton of noise but was a consistent producer for the Illini. In 40 college games played, Turner put up 1804 yards and 10 touchdowns.
After going undrafted in the 2018 NFL draft, Seattle signed Turner, who eventually made his NFL debut that November. After just two catches in 2018, injury and other factors created opportunity for the 26-year-old, who started three games in 2019.
However, his 245 receiving yards and touchdown that season didn’t convince Seattle to keep him, and the Green Bay Packers signed him in the fall of 2020, before releasing him in September.
Dallas took advantage and signed him off waivers, but was a healthy scratch for the majority of the 2020 season. Similar to his time with the Seahawks, his second year with the Cowboys saw a serious uptick in production.
In 14 games, Turner caught just 12 passes but they went for 149 yards and three touchdowns. As @oursf49ers_ put it, Turner is “shifty” and can make a big play with the ball in his hands.
Newest #49ers WR Malik Turner is shifty 👀
Turner’s Place on 49ers
Johnson and Turner are both going into the spring with the 49ers with something to prove. With the presence of Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings, San Francisco has their top three receivers established. The spots after that, however, are up for grabs.
The two receivers mark the fifth and sixth new receivers general manager John Lynch has signed to the 49ers this offseason. The full list is now:
- Marcus Johnson
- Malik Turner
- KeeSean Johnson
- Connor Wedington
- Ray-Ray McCloud
- Austin Mack
Of those six, only two or three receivers will likely fit in besides the initial top three pass-catchers. Turner has an interesting background as a player who has flashed when given a chance, but Johnson and McCloud both have advantages as Johnson has more experience and production while McCloud is a top punt and kick returner.