Bay Area native Davante Adams is available.
And the price is right for the three-time All-Pro wide receiver. The New York Jets released him Tuesday, so it will not cost his new team anything.
However, Adams still will want to get paid like a top-flight wide receiver.
Adams, 32, still has something in his tank, so there is no reason for him to play on the cheap.
Adams played for two miserable franchises last season. And between his three games with the Raiders and 11 games with the New York Jets, he still managed to catch a combined 85 passes for 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns.
Adams has registered six 1,000-yard seasons in the past seven years. The one time he failed to reach that threshold was in 2019, when he had 997 receiving yards in just 11 games with the Green Bay Packers.
Would the 49ers be interested in adding Adams to their roster? You betcha.
The 49ers have enough question marks at wide receiver that they should be looking to add a veteran player.
After all, Brandon Aiyuk’s status remains uncertain as he returns from a torn ACL that ended his 2024 season after just seven games. Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall are back. And the 49ers are hoping for a big leap in production from Jacob Cowing, who had just four receptions for 80 yards as a rookie.
The 49ers agreed over the weekend to trade wide receiver Deebo Samuel and his $17.55 million salary to the Washington Commanders this week. So, there is an opening on the depth chart.
But general manager John Lynch also made it clear that the franchise must reduce its spending to keep their salary cap in order for future seasons. The 49ers’ cash spending of $334.5 million in player compensation last year was well over the $255.5 million per-team cap.
Therefore, Lynch spoke at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last week about the need for the team to “recalibrate.”
So the question becomes whether the 49ers will want to extend financially to the level it would take to attract Adams to return to the Bay Area. Adams went to Palo Alto High and attended Fresno State before the Packers chose him with the 53rd overall pick in the 2014 draft.
He was scheduled to make $35.64 million in base salary from the Jets, a figure that never seemed remotely justifiable.
The 49ers have a little money to spend. They have more than $30 million in cap space, but a top priority is a new deal this offseason for quarterback Brock Purdy.
Adams would have to be flexible and work with the 49ers on a contract structure in order for the sides to get serious about teaming up in 2025.
Yes, that appears unlikely, but it’s definitely worth the conversation.