LA Rams News: 12 package sets NFC West scrambling to duplicate

Find me, somebody, to play

The second team to add another veteran tight end is the San Francisco 49ers.  They have also jumped into the fray with the addition of former Washington Football team tight end Jordan Reed.  He becomes an automatic second tight end who brings a great deal of veteran presence to the team.  Is he simply leverage to get Kittle to sign an extension? Hardly.

Kittle has extended. The problem occurs when the 49ers look to their receivers. Lots of people there, few with any prior NFL success.  With so little training camp, and Deebo Samuel out with a foot injury, the 49ers passing targets are untested. They no longer have Emmanuel Sanders, Marquise Goodwin, and wide receiver Travis Benjamin has opted out. The 49ers need targets.

A solid vet, a minimal investment

They have brought in Jordan Reed to be a target in a two tight-end formation. The 2020 season was already boing to push rookie WR Brandon Aiyuk to the limit in terms of fast-tracking his development. With so much going one with the roster, the 49ers were heavy on rostered players,  light on NFL production.

Reed gives the 49ers a second viable target, amplifies their ability to run the ball, and can run a nice crisp seam route that is the equivalent of a slowly developing deep threat. He has played in just six NFL seasons, as he missed all of 2019 due to the NFL concussion protocol. He did come close to a 1,000-yard season when he missed it by 48 yards. He found the end zone 11 times that year. While he likely won’t come close to that production this year, he does give the 49ers a true two-tight-end formation option.