NFL free agency: Jeremy Kerley signs 3-year deal with 49ers
By Matt Conner
Jeremy Kerley, one of the wideouts targeted as an under-the-radar possibility for the Chiefs, has instead re-signed with the 49ers.
The NFL free agent market has yet to open but the San Francisco 49ers have struck early to retain Jeremy Kerley, a veteran wide receiver who was named as a hidden gem for teams like the Kansas City Chiefs.
One WR off the market: Jeremy Kerley and 49ers agree on a 3-year, $10.5 million deal, per @caplannfl and me.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 4, 2017
The 49ers landed Kerley in a trade last year for guard Brandon Thomas, a rare straight up swap of players in the NFL. Kerley thrived in his new environment, away from the bright lights of New York and on a team that could use playmakers at wideout. Kerley responded to his new environment with his best season since 2012, setting career highs for targets (115) and catches (64) to go with 667 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns.
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Kerley was set to compete with other veteran options like Andrew Hawkins and even Victor Cruz, but he apparently likes what he sees in new head coach Kyle Shanahan. If the 49ers are able to bring in a new quarterback like Kirk Cousins or even a rookie atop the draft, it’s going to be vital to bring in even more playmakers alongside Kerley since the cupboards at skill positions in San Fran are quite bare.
The Chiefs have Tyreek Hill, Jeremy Maclin, Chris Conley and Albert Wilson at wide receiver at this point, but Wilson is a fringe player who could be easily replaced and a nice veteran would fit in well among this lot. Conley has yet to break out and, while there are only so many catches to go around, Hill is also still developing. A dependable pass catcher should be on John Dorsey’s radar, even if he waits a few weeks for the dust to settle on the initial free agent frenzy.