Any time Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke took over in S . fransisco, the organization was in desperate need of big-play ability at the wide receiver position. In 2010, former 49ers head private coach Mike Singletary fielded Ellie Crabtree, Josh Morgan, Ted Ginn and Dominique Zeigler on the weekly basis.
This four-man rotation led to among the list of NFL's worst passing disorders. At the end with the 2010 NFL season, the Niners were end of it of the league when it comes to completion percentage, first downs through the air and quarterback status.
Not a single wide receiver relating to the roster that year had around 55 catches and 741 gardens receiving. Pro Bowl tight end Vernon Davis led the 49ers in every single receiving category including receptions, yards and touchdowns.
Your subpar play didn't sit down well with Harbaugh along with Baalke. So they made it a point during the 2011 offseason to increase new players to that mix while coaching the group of wideouts that had held roster blotches previously.
Unfortunately, San Francisco's lone big-name 100 % free agent signing at broad receiver fizzled out prior to a end of the 2011 season. Braylon Edwards only appeared in nine games for any 49ers. Aside from the point that Edwards didn't score one particular touchdown, he only captured 15-of-32 targets for 181 meters.
Even though Davis xmas trees the team in receiving touchdowns for the second-straight season, Crabtree showed significant progress by stepping up and amassing more receptions and yards than No. eighty five.
As you can think about, Harbaugh was still desire for more production because of his wide receiving corp. As an alternative to signing often-injured playmakers prefer Edwards, the organization went an alternative route. They made it a point to sign players who had been productive on an twelve-monthly basis.
This notion produced the signings of five-time All-Pro diverse receiver Randy Moss and additionally Super Bowl champion wide receiver Mario Manningham. Yet, those two free-agent acquisitions were only inception. Baalke and the 49ers' front office had an additional trick up their sleeve on draft day.
With the 30th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, Bay area selected University of Il wide receiver A. L. Jenkins. Coming out of college, Jenkins was considered as an ultra-productive receiver who showed good foot speed in the NFL combine.
He also showed enough flexibility with the collegiate level to manifest as a threat in the slot and on the exterior.
His lofty draft status didn't immediately result in playing time, as your dog was only active for three regular-season games within 2012.
With a already stacked roster relating to the offensive side of that ball, his limited wide variety of snaps throughout the 2012 season came as no great surprise. Crabtree, Moss, Manningham, Ginn and Kyle Williams all of logged more snaps as opposed to the 23-year-old rookie wideout.
The fact is, there were only four offensive players total exactly who recorded fewer snaps as opposed to Jenkins. Two of all of them were reserve running backside, one was a footballer who primarily played defense plus the other was a player who had previously been promoted from the team's practice squad.
Aside from using a stacked roster, some of could very well be wondering what other things factored into the scarce playing time. For starterst, San Francisco acknowledged that Jenkins was because of shape at last May's novice minicamp (h/t Matt Maiocco concerning Twitter).
Secondly, he wasn't motivated to create a change. Hall of Fame extensive receiver Jerry Rice provided to personally help Jenkins lose weight after his less as opposed to impressive showing at minicamp. A rookie declined (per Federal Cohn of the Santa Rosa Mass media Democrat).
Jenkins' poor options and showings forced Private coach Harbaugh to publicly look after him before training camp out had even started. Here's what exactly Harbaugh told Doug Farrar associated with Yahoo! Sports:
A. J Jenkins was a highly skilled football player when he got here. His progress may be very, very good, and exceeded expectations.
For some of those -- the scribes, pundits, so-called experts -- who have gone so far as to say that he will be a bust, must just stop. I propose that because they're making on their own look more clueless as opposed to they already did.
I'll go on record: A. J. shall be an outstanding football gamer. So far in camp out and what he's done inside offseason has led us to believe nothing but he'll be a highly skilled football player in this National Football League.
Whether Harbaugh really felt in that position or not is next to the point; San Francisco's head discipline was simply protecting considered one of his players. Jenkins wasn't the first, nor will he become the last player he widely defends.
Will there be room for Jenkins in the 49ers' 53-man roster as soon as light bulb finally is going off? After a disappointing rookie campaign don and doff the field, the immediate answer looks no.
Let's not forget of which San Francisco's front office environment didn't do Jenkins any favors in the offseason. They traded away some sixth-round pick for Baltimore Ravens broad receiver Anquan Boldin and they drafted Louisiana Tech diverse receiver Quinton Patton.
Furthermore, Coach Harbaugh is "fired up" around wideout Ricardo Lockette (via Matt Maiocco of CSN Clean Area). The two offseason moves, coupled with the high-level involving praise for Lockette, don't exactly bode well for ones former first-round pick.
Right after training camp concluded with 2012, the 49ers kept six wide receivers on their 53-man roster. If this same sentiment rings a fact in 2013, Jenkins will be fighting for among the list of final roster spots from his position.
As it sits right now, Crabtree, Boldin and Manningham are ahead of Jenkins on the depth chart. He shall be battling Williams, Patton and Lockette for any sixth and final roster identify at wide receiver. Chad Arena, Marlon Moore, Chuck Jacobs and Joe Hastings all are generally long shots at perfect.
With that being talked about, Jenkins appears to be taking his 2013 offseason more seriously than his 2012 offseason.
As reported by Eric Branch of sfgate. com, Jenkins put in time training with quarterback Colin Kaepernick inside February.
Building a rapport with San Francisco's signal caller will be his only saving love during training camp. If he and Kaepernick showcase a solid one-two push, his roster spot can be all but guaranteed are provided September.
After all, most head coaches together with general managers won't give up a Day 1 pick after 12 months. However, Harbaugh and Baalke drew up Jenkins. These two men rarely follow the standing quo amongst league communities.
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