The 49ers have signed Detroit Lions unrestricted free agent tight end to a $12 million offer sheet. He’s not officially on the team yet. We now wait for the April 3 deadline to see if the Detroit Lions to match the offer.
It’s safe to assume that Wright will be trading in the blue and grey for red and gold. NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco pointed out that the 49ers don’t make an offer like this unless they felt the Lions wouldn’t match it. In other words, the 49ers aren’t going to start the negotiating game with Detroit over a restricted free agent.
And for all intents and purposes: This is an upgrade. The guy is a potential YAC monster (7.1-yard average) and a decent blocker. The tight ends behind George Kittle had a total of four catches for 45 yards combined. So this gives the 49ers help they need for the run game, and a toy to play with on a second tight end receiving threat
But that also makes us wonder what has happened with their 2023 tight end prospect, Cameron Latu.
Latu was drafted in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Not necessary an awful grab, but underwhelming. Latu was thought of as the help George Kittle could get, but he (Latu) tore his meniscus in the preseason and was placed on injured reserve.
In 2024, Latu will be coming back to compete for a roster spot, but it’s obvious Wright was brought in not just because of Charlie Woerner’s departure to the Atlanta Falcons, but because there’s not much there behind Woerner. Aside from Latu, the 49ers also used a 7th round pick on Brayden Willis in the 2023 draft. Willis suited up for games, but that’s pretty much about it as he has no receiving stats to his name and one tackle.
The tight end position opposite George Kittle got a potential upgrade, but it’s also frustrating that two picks from just a year ago may remain where they were a year later. Are you concerned with the two tight ends behind Wrigh
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The Detroit Lions have become one of the best offenses in the NFL, raising offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s profile as a head coaching candidate in kind. There is room for improvement in some areas (the dreaded third quarter swoon was a consistent thing last season), and looking at the roster right now there is room to add a weapon, possibly with an early pick in the d
General manager Brad Holmes made a big trade up in the first round of the 2022 NFL, going from No. 32 to No. 12 to get wide receiver Jameson Williams. Last year, he moved down from No. 6 overall and got running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Sitting at No. 29 overall this year, it feels unlikely Holmes will just stand pat there. There should be opportunities to move up. Failing that, another team may want to get into the late first-round and the Lions would then trade out of Day 1 completely.
On the idea of trading up, perhaps significantly again, Christian Booher of SI.com recently offered a trade proposal that would make the Lions’ offense “unstoppable” with another high-end weapon that fits the profile of a big-bodied receiver they’re lacking.
“That solution is tight end Brock Bowers, who offers a do-it-all skill set. The Lions currently hold the 29th pick, and the chances of Bowers being available at that choice are quite slim.”
