Former San Francisco 49ers wideout Jauan Jennings finds himself in trade speculation conversations ahead of the deadline on Nov. 10. From a receiving perspective, the signing doesn’t look like one that’s working out, but perhaps the Minnesota Vikings are valuing the blocking that he’s bringing.
Jennings has recorded two catches for nine yards in four games, so perhaps any team looking to bolster their wideout group could be calling the Vikings to see if they’d be keen on trading the veteran.
While trade speculation involving the 49ers is running wild, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan doesn’t see Jennings returning to the Niners despite the team needing help at the receiver position.
“I can see where Jauan Jennings would be frustrated,” Lee Chan said in an Oct. 14 video on her YouTube channel. “Now, Jauan Jennings, though, just isn’t involved in the receiving game, not involved in the passing game. He has been on the field a ton.
“Seventy-four percent of the offensive snaps, Jauan Jennings has been on the field, not on special teams. Seventy-four percent of the offensive snaps with Jauan Jennings on the field for the Minnesota Vikings, so I just don’t think that he’s on the trade block. The Minnesota Vikings needed help getting their run game going. They’ve had injuries to their offensive line.
“They’ve had injuries to their tight end. T.J. Hockenson is in the protocol. It’s a tough go for the Vikings, even though they are 5-0. They’re dealing with some injuries, too. So, I just don’t think the Minnesota Vikings are going to sell Jauan Jennings when they’ve been using him 74% of the time.”
Vikings Signing OBJ Doesn’t Mean Jauan Jennings Trade Will Occur
Moreover, Lee Chan notes that because the Vikings signed Odell Beckham Jr., that doesn’t mean Minnesota is looking to offload Jennings because of the lack of production in the passing game.
“Yes, they got Odell Beckham Jr., but when you look at it, it’s just like how the 49ers got Brandin Cooks on the practice squad,” Lee Chan added. “They didn’t think they were going to use him. He was inactive the first week. Yes, they want him. They know he’s a veteran guy.
“He can do a lot of things on the field. Brandin Cooks just started to get involved in the offense in his third week with the team. So I don’t think that OBJ is going to make that big of a difference with the Vikings. Now, it could end up that that is what happens. I just don’t think it is.”
Jauan Jennings Wouldn’t Fill 49ers Need
Meanwhile, KNBR’s Larry Krueger isn’t jumping so quickly on the idea of San Francisco going after Jennings.
“I wouldn’t do a third-round pick for Jauan Jennings,” Krueger said on the Oct. 13 edition of “49ers Collective.” “I’m not even sure if he’s what they need. I think they need more of a threat. I would say the guy that I would try to get is Wan’Dale Robinson out of Tennessee because he’s younger, and he’s still very productive.
“He still runs the right routes and does all the right things. He caught 90 balls last year from Jaxson Dart. He’s on a team that’s going nowhere. I think if I have to move a third- or fourth-round pick, I’d rather do it for a Wan’Dale Robinson, a Brian Thomas Jr., somebody a little bit on the younger side.”
49ers Insider Has Clear Message on Jauan Jennings Trade Speculation