By Brian Murphy
Presumed Chicago Bears fan Ferris Bueller is the guy who gave American pop culture the catch phrase “life comes at ya fast” — but even the rascal Bueller can’t imagine the speed of change in NFL free agency.
Like, “Maxx Crosby is a Raven and then a Raider comes at ya fast”, or “Bryce Huff retiring to get into a business to reduce fire risk in lithium-ion batteries comes at ya fast.”
Try that on for size in terms of life speed, Sausage King guy.
And Jock Blogs analyzing the state of the 49ers come at ya fast. By the time I’m done pecking this thing out, three more seismic moves could have occurred and—
Oh, hey, Dre Greenlaw! Welcome the heck back!
See what I mean?
I had intended to Jock Blog about the add of Mike Evans at wide receiver and Osa Odighizuwa when all of the above happened.
And yet my takeaway is still the same: I am more bullish on the 49ers than I was a week ago, that’s for sure.
Last week’s JB addressed the uncertainty of the 49ers vibe. And while the Trent Williams situation remains unsolved, the 49ers took a sharp turn off the Uncertain Highway and are now merging on to the Much More Promising Thoroughfare.
It starts with Evans, and adding so much gravitas to the receiver room.
I saw and heard the glass half-full crowd, and I’m here to fill up their cup. Like most football fans, I have long been a Mike Evans admirer, and paid him the ultimate compliment the last ten years — scratching and clawing to get him on my fantasy football team.
Whether it’s the eleven consecutive seasons with 1,000 or more yards — a mark that ties him with Jerry Freaking Rice — or the fact that his 108 career receiving touchdowns and more than 13,000 yards receiving are second most among active wideouts (he trails Davante Adams in TDs, DeAndre Hopkins in yards), Evans is the closest thing to a sure bet as there is in NFL pass catching circles.
Size, hands, a red zone killer instinct — Evans is the best wideout Shanahan has had since arriving in the 408.
I also reject the claims that his 33rd birthday in August will coincide with a downturn in production. Now, I can’t promise complete and total health, as I was just saying to my local substation goblin hanging out in the trees in Santa Clara. But outside of last year’s clavicle fracture, concussion and hamstring injury that limited him to eight starts, Evans started no fewer than 14 games in each of the last five years.
The immediate comp that came to mind in terms of body, strength and durability was Anquan Boldin, who came to the 49ers at his age 33 season in 2013 and immediately posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Jerry Rice was intergalactically great at 33. Larry Fitzgerald, too. Davante Adams caught 14 touchdowns last year at age 33. So, it can be done. Save the Geritol arguments until further notice.
Evans’ introductory presser today with 49ers media was a four-star advertisement for the team, with Evans gushing over Kyle Shanahan, team culture and the Niners’ Super Bowl chances. Evans said the team is “one piece away, and I’m that piece” — and did so in a way that still preserved his no-diva status, showing elite social skills. Amazingly, he never mentioned state taxes, massively dismaying some corners of the Interwebs.
I’m all in on Mike Evans, sports fans.
Now, losing Huff to the lithium-ion battery fire protection world was not ideal, or expected — unless you were on psychedelic mushrooms and could have totally predicted that. So, John Lynch and Shanahan must find an edge rusher, all of a sudden.
That said, the trade of a third-round pick to Dallas for Odighizuwa was another big win in my eyes. Not a Mike Evans-level win, but a huge need-fill with QB pressure stats to back it up at the defensive tackle position. The third round pick is a notable price, but Odighizuwa is a notable player. Just ask distressed Cowboys fans.
All that and the return of Dre Greenlaw?
49ers life came at us fast this week. And most of it was really good. Plus, I now know a guy who can make sure my lithium-ion batteries don’t catch fire, so let’s call it a win-win.
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