49ers To Sign Torrey Smith: Grade and Analysis

From the very beginning the San Francisco 49ers made clear what their primary goal was going into the off-season.  That was to find more speed at the wide receiver position.  It’s why they haven’t made any efforts to retain Michael Crabtree.  Now the reason why is clear.  They have eyes for Ravens free agent Torrey Smith.

The allure is obvious.  Smith was a reliable deep threat for Joe Flacco in Baltimore, able to create separation and stress defenses down the field to the point where it opened up the field for the running game and the tight ends.  For his career, he’s averaging 16.9 yards per catch.

Still, the 2014 season was a down one for him.  He finished with just 767 yards on 49 catches, both career lows, though he did set a career-high with 11 touchdown catches.  The 49ers are clearly banking that a change of scenery and a dedication from the offense to throw to him will get Smith back to his customary status as a dynamic, big-play threat.

Grade:  A-

In terms of need, the San Francisco 49ers hit it out of the park.  They wanted a speed threat and they got the best one on the market outside of Randall Cobb.  Torrey Smith however isn’t going to save their passing game by himself.  They have to find another option in the NFL Draft, even going with their 1st round pick as many people still believe they will.  That would give Colin Kaepernick weaponry he’ll need to play against those tough NFC West defenses.

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