The 49ers have already added Emmanuel Sanders in a trade this season. But is that enough?
The New England Patriots have shown us throughout the 21st century that you can never have enough talent, even if it comes with some baggage.
Michael Floyd. Kyle Van Noy. Aqib Talib. Josh Gordon.
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These all are talented players who were acquired midseason by New England and were undervalued by their previous employers due to performance or off-field concerns.
Being aggressive in player acquisition doesn’t always work in such a team-oriented sport like the NFL, but Van Noy now has started in three consecutive Super Bowls and Gordon was a key cog on a championship Patriots squad in 2018.
With Gordon’s controversial tenure in New England now seemingly headed for cessation, there likely will be a flurry of teams interested in bringing in the star wideout despite him possessing a significant amount of baggage.
General manager John Lynch, coach Kyle Shanahan, and all of 49ers management is clearly invested in winning this season, given that the team already parted ways with a pair of draft picks to bring Sanders in from Denver.
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However, if signed, Gordon immediately would be the second-best receiver on San Francisco’s roster behind Sanders, and would provide the team a big-play threat that doesn’t currently exist in the 49ers receiving core.
While Sanders is an elite player with undeniable, breakaway speed, his 5-foot-11 frame doesn’t allow for a lot of wins in 1-on-1 jump balls, something that helps out young quarterbacks like Garoppolo immensely.
Gordon’s 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame makes him a mismatch for just about any cornerback who lines up across from him.
While some other teams in the NFL -- like the Green Bay Packers, for example -- might have a more pressing, immediate need for an impact receiver like Gordon, the 49ers don't exactly have the healthiest unit of pass-catchers in the NFL.
While the 49ers had previously hoped wideouts Jalen Hurd and Trent Taylor would be able to return off injured reserve when cleared, Shanahan told reporters Wednesday that both had suffered setbacks in their recoveries, and that he is now less optimistic about their potential return in 2019.
Rookie Deebo Samuel did return to practice Wednesday, but the South Carolina product is another 5-foot-11 target who can’t make nearly the same impact on the outside that Gordon could.
Gordon’s very public past with substance abuse issues did flare up during his time with the Patriots, but New England stuck by him and continued to keep him on the roster and active until his recent injury.
Add in the fact that San Francisco is dead-last in the NFL with just 49 catches by wide receivers in 2019, and it’s clear that Sanders alone isn’t enough to give the 49ers offense a boost.
[RELATED: Why Sanders trade lets Shanahan open up 49ers playbook]
Robert Saleh’s defense won’t be able to pitch a shutout every week, and Jimmy Garoppolo will have to throw the ball consistently if the 49ers want to be true Super Bowl contenders. Teams will focus the majority of their attention on stopping George Kittle, so the team will need another guy who can create big plays in the passing game.
If the 49ers are as committed to winning a title this season as they claim to be, they should take a flyer on Gordon upon his release. When he’s fully healthy both physically and mentally, Gordon is more talented than 95 percent of NFL receivers and could be the piece that propels the 49ers to the Super Bowl.