Veteran 49ers WR Could Be a Surprise Training Camp Cut Candidate

Getty San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan reacts after a flag is thrown during an NFL game.

The San Francisco 49ers will face many tough decisions when it comes to cutting down the roster during training camp, including possibly releasing veteran wide receiver Chris Conley.

Conley, 30, signed a one-year deal in April after stints with the Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars. He brings experience and reliability, but he is also on a close-to-minimum contract and facing an uphill battle for a roster spot.

Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings and Ray-Ray McCloud III appear to be locks for the 49ers’ first four WR spots, but the fifth and potentially sixth spots will be a free-for-all between Conley and a large group. Here are the rest of the 49ers wide receivers that Conley will be competing with:

• Isaiah Winstead
• Willie Snead IV
• Dazz Newsome
• Tay Martin
• Danny Gray
• Ronnie Bell

Seven players fighting for (potentially) two spots is a difficult position to be in, but Conley does have the advantage of hopping around several NFL rosters and making their final 53-man squads.

Chris Conley Looking to Impact 49ers WR Group

Conley is entering his 10th season in the NFL after entering the league with the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft. Conley spent four seasons with Kansas City before eventually taking a bigger role with the Jaguars.

Conley had the best campaign of his career in Jacksonville in 2019, bringing down 47 receptions for 775 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns.

However, the years since have been a steady decline in production and importance to his respective teams. He started only four games for the Jaguars in 2020 before being released the following offseason, leading to his only full season with the Texans. In 2022, Houston released Conley after two appearances and no registered stats, leading to a brief stint with the Titans. He caught only four passes in 7 games, amassing 46 receiving yards.

Conley is getting another chance with the 49ers, but San Francisco may already be committed elsewhere. Danny Gray was a third-round selection in the 2022 draft and then drafted Ronnie Bell in the seventh round of the 2023 draft.

The 30-year-old can certainly outperform those two and others to make a spot, but San Francisco may believe in investing for the long term when it comes to final roster spots. Either way, the clock is ticking for Conley to make an impression with the 49ers.

Deebo Samuel Not Happy With 2022 Season

While Conley faces a potential release, the 49ers’ No. 1 receiver is looking to put 2022 behind him. Deebo has been one of the most dynamic players in the NFL over the past few years, but 2022 was not the year he wanted.

Samuel regressed in almost every statistical category last season, as Heavy’s Lorenzo Reyna detailed. The former South Carolina star explained that he felt out of routine and that he never really got back in the swing of things.

“Oh, it was awful,” Samuel said. “Every aspect… I was kind of behind a ball a little bit as far as being in my routine that I’ll normally be in for the offseason, getting ready to play because like I said, a lot of distractions were going on. I kind of felt it, but I was just trying to will my way to help the team in every aspect possible.”

864 yards from scrimmage and 5 touchdowns is solid for most of the NFL’s pass-catchers, but Samuel had more than double those numbers in 2021.