Shanahan: I think the Patriots offered more than we did
The New England Patriots acquired Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon in a trade Monday afternoon Authentic Richard Sherman jersey , sending a conditional 2019 fifth round pick to Cleveland. If Gordon is active less than ten games, the Browns will send back a seventh round pick, and if Gordon is active ten or more games, the deal stands as is.The San Francisco 49ers called the Browns about Gordon, according to general manager John Lynch. Both Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan talked about doing due diligence whenever a potentially quality player is available.Shanahan met with the media Monday afternoon to wrap up Week 2, and he was asked about Gordon and if it was tempting to see if he could fit into what the team is doing.He was specifically asked if the price was too high for the 49ers, to which he said, “Yeah, I’m not going to get into exactly what. But, I think they did more than we did.”Adam Schefter reported that the deal was originally going to be for a sixth rounder, but the Patriots did not have one in the 2019 draft. The 49ers do not have a pick in the fifth round due to the Laken Tomlinson trade, and do not have have a pick in the seventh round due to the Shon Coleman trade. That means either they would have had to offer up a fourth round pick or a sixth round pick.If the 49ers had gone with a fourth round pick, they probably could have worked out a deal for some pick in return. But, the team did not do a deal Youth Weston Richburg jersey , and naturally that has some folks upset about it.I get why people are upset. Josh Gordon at one point was an immensely talented player. In 2013, even after a two-game suspension, he put up a league-leading 1,646 receiving yards with 87 receptions and nine touchdowns. It’s hard for people to forget about those numbers, even five years later. And if the 49ers got even half that production, a fifth round pick would be a bargain.At the same time, there’s no guarantee the 49ers would get half that production, or even any of that production. Since 2013, Gordon has appeared in 11 total games. he was suspended for 11 games in 2014, suspended all of 2015 and 2016, and reinstated for the finalfive games of the 2017 season. He played one game this year before injuring his hamstring and then getting traded.Hypothetical Gordon would have been an upgrade over several of the 49ers current wide receivers. Reality Gordon is harder to determine. Gordon has said he has been working hard to stay sober and stay on the football field. I don’t know what to buy about the Browns deciding now was the time to unload him. When it comes to the Browns, nothing is ever quite what it seems.And yet, the 49ers decided it was not worth it. The entire wide receiver corps has been overhauled by Lynch and Shanahan. They have repeatedly said they like what they have. It would seem at first glance like they decided Gordon was not worth the price given what they have and the concerns surrounding him.Kyle Shanahan worked with Gordon for one season in 2014, when Gordon played in five games and had 24 receptions for 303 yards. Gordon was suspended the first ten games of the season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He was reinstated for Week 12 and played through Week 16. He was then suspended by the team in Week 17 for missing a Saturday walkthrough. There was some talk that part of this suspension was due to the Browns wanting to avoid him getting a sixth game for purposes of accruing a season towards free agency http://www.49ersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-kyle-juszczyk-jersey , but I have not found further confirmation on that.All of that is to say, Shanahan has at least a little bit of experience with Gordon. Shanahan and Lynch talk about their partnership and being on the same page. It is possible Shanahan pushed for the 49ers to acquire Gordon and Lynch did not want to do it, but given what we know about this partnership, my guess is they were in agreement on this.Was it the right decision? Hindsight is 20/20, and that will be particularly the case with this decision. If Gordon balls out for the Patriots, there will be plenty of second-guessing of the decision. Given the context of Gordon, I don’t exactly blame the 49ers for not making the move, but I will understand the second-guessing if he plays well for the Patriots the rest of the season.In the end, it all comes down the risk/reward evaluation. The 49ers decided it was not worth trying to match or beat the Patriots offer. What kind of deal would you have been willing to do to get Gordon, if at all? The San Francisco 49ers released their final injury report for Week 9, and some big names will not be playing. The team formally ruled out safeties Jaquiski Tartt (shoulder) and Antone Exum (concussion), and also linebacker Reuben Foster (hamstring). As expected, quarterback C.J. Beathard is listed as questionable and the team will decide on Thursday if he can play.The absence of Tartt and Exum means Tyvis Powell is likely starting at strong safety, next to free safety Jimmie Ward. The team is expected to activate rookie Marcell Harris from the NFI list to provide depth at strong safety. Robert Saleh said Powell would get another opportunity to prove himself if Tartt could not play Pierre Garcon jersey , but we’ll see on Thursday who of Powell or Harris gets the nod.The absence of Foster means the team is likely activating Dekoda Watson from injured reserve. Malcolm Smith has been playing SAM linebacker, but will move to Foster’s WILL spot. Watson is primarily a SAM guy, so he can slot right back into a role that is fairly limited given the 49ers extensive use of nickel.Head coach Kyle Shanahan said that if the game was Wednesday, Beathard would not have been able to play. However, the more rest he gets, the better his chances of playing. He has struggled gripping a football, so if he can grip and throw on Thursday, he will play. If he cannot, Nick Mullens will get the start.The 49ers are dealing with banged up running backs as well. Matt Breida and Raheem Mostert are both questionable with ankle injuries. Earlier on Wednesday, Shanahan said that Breida did not have any setbacks against the Cardinals and expects him to play vs. the Raiders. Mostert is banged up as well, but again, it sounds like he’ll play. Shanahan said, “he’s not as healthy, but our guys will be ready for this game.”49ers final injury reportOut: S Antone Exum (concussion) Authentic Laken Tomlinson jersey , LB Reuben Foster (hamstring), S Jaquiski Tartt (shoulder)Questionable: QB C.J. Beathard (right wrist), RB Matt Breida (ankle), WR Pierre Garcon (shoulder, knee), RB Raheem Mostert (ankle), C Weston Richburg (knee), CB Richard Sherman (calf, heel)Raiders final injury reportOut: T T.J. Clemmings (knee)Questionable: CB Gareon Conley (foot), G Kelechi Osemele (knee), CB Daryl Worley (shoulder)