Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee argues that the San Francisco 49ers probably will not be serious players for Steelers wide receiver and restricted free agent Mike Wallace. The idea is that, because Wallace would cost the 49ers serious money and a draft pick, the price is too high.
In the end, the 49ers would not only give up the first-round pick but also some of the cap space earmarked for free agents. Wallace is good. But is he better than two players — say Pierre Garcon and Mohamed Sanu, or perhaps Janoris Jenkins and Vincent Jackson or Rueben Randle and Marques Colston — the 49ers could add this offseason?
Barrows points out that this year’s draft has a ton of wide receivers. The 49ers won’t be able to pick Justin Blackmon, and they probably can’t get Michael Floyd or Kendall Wright either. But there’s a ton of late-first-round or second-round talent out there — Sanu, Alshon Jeffery, Dwight Jones, Randle, Nick Toon, Marvin McNutt, and so on. So it might make more sense for the 49ers and other teams to look at other free agent options that won’t come with the cost of losing a draft pick.
Via Jim Wexell, via David Todd.