49ers coach Kyle Shanahan loves him with a few tight ends.
They are essential to how you prefer to execute your offensive. With players lining up on the line of scrimmage who can assist in both running and passing, Shanahan can disguise any given move without offering any clues prior to the opposing defense. 49ers tight end George Kittle is the best example of that type of player, and clearly Shanahan has used him quite effectively.
The 49ers operated with 21 employees, a formation with two running backs, two wide receivers and one tight end, 28 percent of the time last season, which was much more frequent than any other team in the league. San Francisco also used 22 people, two running backs, one catcher and two tight ends, on 11 percent of his plays; Only the Baltimore Ravens ran more plays from that formation.
Therefore, it is not surprising that Shanahan places a high value on the tight end position. That explains why the 49ers reportedly sought to sign Austin Hooper in free agency even though they already had Kittle on the list.
Hooper was apparently not alone.
Athletic’s Matt Barrows reported Wednesday that the 49ers had “soft conversations” with free agent Delanie Walker in the spring, citing sources. Additionally, San Francisco has “shown a similar level of interest” in former Washington football team tight end Jordan Reed.
Walker previously played for San Francisco, and Reed played with Shanahan when he was the offensive coordinator for Washington. So in both cases, there is a level of familiarity.
That said, don’t expect the 49ers to sign any of them. They’re limited in salary space, and with Kittle, Ross Dwelley and recently signed sixth-round pick Charlie Woerner completing the depth chart it doesn’t seem to be necessary.
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Of course, if Dwelley proves unable to take more load off Kittle’s shoulders and / or Woerner struggles to adapt to the NFL game, all of that could change.
Until then, however, they expect the 49ers to trust their internal options.
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