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The San Francisco 49ers currently have a laundry list of injured players, including superstar running back Christian McCaffrey, All-Pro tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
With McCaffrey still on injured reserve and both Kittle and Samuel unlikely to be ready to return by Week 4, Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder thinks the Niners should add a WR to the offense, stat. His choice? Darius Slayton of the New York Giants.
“The 49ers have been bitten by the injury bug recently with key skill players Christian McCaffery and Deebo Samuel going down. Slayton could help replace the wideout as he ranked fifth on B/R’s latest NFL Trade Block Big Board,” Holder wrote on September 23.
The folks at Bleacher Report sure believe Slayton would be a good fit in San Francisco. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report ranked Slayton high on the trade block big board for multiple reasons, also naming the 49ers a perfect trade partner.
Would a Trade for Giants WR Darius Slayton Make Sense for the 49ers?
Probably not at this juncture, but it could be an option in the future if Samuel’s injury lingers and Brandon Aiyuk continues to struggle.
“The San Francisco 49ers might want to kick the tires on Slayton now that they’re set to be without receiver Deebo Samuel for the immediate future,” Knox wrote on September 18, adding:
“While Slayton never quite filled New York’s need for a true No. 1 receiver, he has topped 700 receiving yards in four of the past five seasons. He’d be a fine complementary option in another offense, and his experience could allow him to contribute early. Slayton could help San Francisco navigate an upcoming stretch that includes games against the Rams, Patriots, Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks.”
Slayton, 27, was a fifth-round pick for the Giants in the 2019 NFL draft. Now in his sixth season, the veteran WR has played in 79 games (54 starts) for New York. He had one of the best seasons of his career in 2023, catching 50 passes for 770 yards and 4 touchdowns in 17 games (13 starts).
But would Slayton really help fill the void left by Samuel? Not really. Prior to the start of the 2024 season, Samuel has averaged 824.2 yards receiving every year. Slayton has averaged 664.8 yards per season.
While that’s not a huge difference, a significant difference is Slayton’s inability to contribute to the run game the same way Samuel does. Samuel has 20 rushing TDs over his career; Slayton has none. Samuel has over 1,000 career rushing yards. Slayton has rushed for -14 yards in his career. While Slayton is a reliable receiver, he’s no Deebo replacement.
49ers Coach Kyle Shanahan Comments on Team’s Recent Injury Issues
With both McCaffrey and Samuel out, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan says the team has had to make multiple adjustments to its scheme.
“I’d say, we still have the same amount of plays,” Shanahan said on September 8. “Just somewhat different styles of plays, different people in different spots. You eliminate some special things that you would only do for those guys, but the number doesn’t change. Just, there’s things those guys do very well. Nothing other guys can’t do. But there’s kind of different percentages on how much you call them and things like that.”
“Injuries are always a part of it,” Shanahan said later, on September 23. “We’ve had to deal with it a number of years, sometimes more than others. I think last year just mainly with some of our main guys, we were very fortunate. They didn’t miss too many games. This year has been totally different to start out. So that’s been real tough.”
With Samuel injured, receiver Jauan Jennings had a career day Week 3, finishing with 11 catches for 175 yards and 3 TDs. Perhaps Jennings can continue his hot streak while Samuel is out. Either way, don’t expect San Francisco to make any big trades just yet.
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49ers Encouraged to Trade for WR to ‘Help Replace’ Deebo Samuel