SANTA CLARA -- Coach Kyle Shanahan might have felt less urgency for the 49ers to add a wide receiver this year, so it is clear what the organization is thinking with the acquisition of Emmanuel Sanders on Tuesday.
“I think it says that we’re competing this year to try to get in the playoffs,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said on Wednesday.
“I think that’s pretty obvious with where our record is at right now, but we’re not even halfway through this year. I know we’ve got a long way to go, but this is a decision you’ve got to make before next Tuesday.”
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The 49ers are 6-0 entering their Week 8 game Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. They acquired Sanders and a fifth-round pick from the Denver Broncos for third and fourth-round draft selections in 2020. The deal was completed a full week ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
“With where we’re at right now, we wanted to see how much better we can make our team and I think we did as good as we could in that area without really truly making a huge risk on the future,” Shanahan said.
Sanders is signed through only the remainder of the season before he is scheduled for unrestricted free agency.
“We feel he’s a guy who can come in and help us a lot this year and we’ll see where it goes for him after that,” Shanahan said. “We’re very well aware that he’ll be a free agent at the end of this year and we’ll see how this year goes, and hopefully we’ll be able to keep him here.”
San Francisco 49ers
Shanahan said he has coveted Sanders since he signed with the Broncos as a free agent following four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers after entering the league as a third-round draft pick from SMU.
“We were looking into all possibilities, we didn’t know if any of them would go through,” Shanahan said. “I have felt less urgency than we have in year’s past. I feel good about our group, but we do have a better team right now and we were able to make it better yesterday and pumped he’s here.”
Shanahan said he believes Sanders is moving better this year than a year ago before sustaining a torn left Achilles in early December. Sanders also underwent offseason surgery on his right ankle. He has 30 receptions for 367 yards and two touchdowns in seven games with the Broncos this season.
Sanders (5-foot-11, 200 pounds) has the versatility to play all of the receiver positions in the 49ers' offense. Shanahan is likely to keep the Panthers guessing on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
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“I think he’s always been very good at separating,” Shanahan said. “He’s wired in a certain way where he can get downfield, he also can break you off inside. Not the biggest guy, but he plays big. He’s hard to get your hands on. He can push through things and he plays very aggressive.
“The game is not too big for him. He can go over the middle and not flinch. He catches the ball and gets up the field hard. He’s a very good football player, plus still a very good talent, also.”