Getty The 49ers celebrate a third quarter touchdown on Monday, November 21, 2022.
Now that Thanksgiving has passed, and how the San Francisco 49ers looked more high-powered than ever before in their dominating offensive showing against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday, November 21, many still wondered if the Niners looked more appealing than ever for a high-profile free agent.
But it’s looking more like three-time Pro Bowler Odell Beckham Jr. won’t be adding to the newfound firepower on the 49ers offense.
OBJ’s List of December Visits Revealed
Per CBS Sports NFL insider Josina Anderson on Thanksgiving day, Beckham has narrowed down his future visits to the following three teams: The New York Giants, the Buffalo Bills and the Dallas Cowboys.
Anderson later unveiled that there are two other potential players for Beckham: The Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens — both of whom Anderson reports are having continuous conversations with the five-time 1,000-yard wide receiver.
But not listed in the list of December visits? The 49ers.
Of the teams listed per Anderson, one had a representative confirm they’re in talks with Beckham when talking to reporters after their Thanksgiving game: The Cowboys, with general manager and owner Jerry Jones telling reporters the franchise and OBJ have had conversations. ESPN Cowboys reporter Ed Werder, though, shared how Jones wouldn’t dive into specifics about the chat between Dallas and Beckham.
“He would not characterize their conversation and said he was unsure whether Beckham will be healthy enough to play this season until he is more informed about his recovery from ACL surgery,” Werder posted following the Cowboys’ 28-20 win over the New York Giants on Thanksgiving.
The 49ers, in the past, had representatives blurt out their intrigue in having OBJ before Anderson’s Thursday report. General manager John Lynch was one during a November 4 one-on-one interview with Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
“Look, we never say no,” Lynch said to the columnist and insider. “We’re always looking to get better. And it’s a rarity when you have a player of that ilk and some other names out there that still might be available. And we always will look.” Though Lynch added in that same interview “We like our team as it’s constructed right now.”
Head coach Kyle Shanahan was another who spoke about OBJ — three days before Lynch’ interview and included how he was always a fan of Beckham.
“You don’t have to worry about the trade deadline with him because he’s out there and he’s available. I’ve always been a fan of Odell, like I feel like most people are. He’s that good of a player,” Shanahan said per KNBR’s Murph and Mac Show.
However, the sixth-year head coach included “But I’m definitely very happy with our receiver group right now and love the receivers that we have.”
49ers WR Production & Current Paces
Through the chatter of OBJ being a possible add-on, the 49ers wideouts has witnessed this kind of production during their 6-4 start:
Young WR on pace for career year: Brandon Aiyuk currently has a team-best 46 catches for 587 yards and has six touchdowns. At this pace, the 2020 first rounder could hit 80 receptions or higher and put together his first 1,000-yard season in his young career.
All-Pro still productive: While he’s second to Aiyuk in every receiving category, Deebo Samuel still adds his part on the aerial side — averaging 4.1 catches per game with 52 receiving yards per contest. Though he’s been limited to eight starts, he’s in a position where he can attempt to match last season’s 77-catch total.
Re-signed veteran has improved one area: While not a household name and not a wideout who’s considered the focal point of the air attack, Jauan Jennings has improved his average yards per reception at 12.2 (averaged 11.8 yards per reception in 2021). At 18 catches through 10 games, he’s on his own pace to better his 24 catches from a year ago.
Of course, the presence of George Kittle and the addition of Christian McCaffrey adds the extra layers of explosion for the 49er offense especially through the air.