The 49ers just lost a promising young wide receiver.
They let Richie James Jr. sign with the New York Giants. James isn't a starting-caliber wide receiver, but he's a legitimate deep threat who averaged 18.1 yards per catch for his career and is merely 26.
Granted, James spent last season on the Injured Reserve List, and has caught just 38 passes in his career since the 49ers drafted him in Round 7 of the 2018 draft. But the 49ers never gave him the opportunities he deserved on offense -- he had to take a back seat to Dante Pettis, who wasn't as good as James -- plus James was a bad fit with Jimmy Garoppolo, who's a check-down machine. James needs a quarterback who will throw the ball down the field.
And that's why I'm surprised the 49ers let James go.
They originally drafted James to return punts and kickoffs, and he was a disappointment on special teams. He averages a lowly 7.3 yards per punt return for his career, and his kickoff return efficiency dipped three seasons in a row from 2018 to 2020.
So the 49ers signed Ray-Ray McCloud to replace James as the primary returner. And McCloud certainly is a better return than James. But James is a better receiver. McCloud averages a measly 6.1 yards per catch for his career. He mostly catches screen passes and runs reverses. He is not a deep threat.
And that makes McCloud a strange fit with Trey Lance, who supposedly will become the 49ers starting quarterback this season. McCloud is a much better fit for Garoppolo, who throws a ton of screen passes because he seems afraid to throw down field.
James would have been a terrific fit with Lance.
The search for a legitimate deep threat continues.
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