Veteran wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders is the 49ers' top offensive free agent.
Sanders should be one of the top receivers on the NFL free-agent market, which unofficially begins Monday with the two-day opening negotiating period before the new league year starts on Wednesday.
Dallas’ Amari Cooper is the top receiver scheduled for free agency. Cincinnati’s A.J. Green, who missed all of last season with an ankle injury, and Robby Anderson of the New York Jets should also receive a lot of attention, if they make it to free agency.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
The 49ers might deem Sanders too expensive to re-sign. If he gets away, the 49ers could look for one of several lower-priced options. The 49ers could also look to add an interior offensive lineman in free agency.
Here are five offensive free agents who could be good fits for the 49ers:
Geronimo Allison, WR, Green Bay
The 49ers did not get a lot of production from their slot receiver in 2019, and that is one area in which the team can give quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo some help. Allison is a four-year veteran who started six games last season and caught 34 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns.
San Francisco 49ers
Allison can step into a situation with the 49ers where he is competing for a job. The 49ers should have some insurance in case Trent Taylor does not make a strong recovery from missing the entire season due to complications following foot surgery.
Chester Rogers, WR, Indianapolis
In addition to being a slot receiver, Rogers also has skills as a punt returner. Richie James was solid in that role last season, but he did not do enough on offense to work his way into a role on that side of the ball.
Rogers should be a low-priced option after he ended the season on injured reserve with a fractured knee. Rogers had a good season in 2018 with 53 catches for 485 yards and two touchdowns.
Taylor Gabriel, WR, Free Agent
When the 49ers signed Marquise Goodwin on the first day of free agency in 2017, coach Kyle Shanahan envisioned using him in a role that was similar to how he used Gabriel with Cleveland and Atlanta.
Gabriel is a free agent right now after the Chicago Bears released him last month. He does not count against the compensatory formula for any team that signs him.
Goodwin is not likely to be back with the 49ers this season. Gabriel finished the season on injured reserve due to a concussion. If his health is in order, Gabriel could be an option to sign once there’s clarity with Sanders’ situation.
Michael Schofield, G, L.A. Chargers
Guard Mike Person missed time late in the season with a neck issue. The 49ers could look to tighten up that position with Schofield, who is a good pass-protector and has the athleticism to get out in the team’s zone-blocking scheme.
Joe Staley, Mike McGlinchey, Laken Tomlinson and Weston Richburg, assuming he’s healthy, will be the starters at the other four spots on the offensive line. Person and Daniel Brunskill are in line to compete for the job at right guard – unless the 49ers add a starter in free agency.
[RELATED: NFL prohibits visits with draft prospect due to coronavirus outbreak]
Delanie Walker, TE, Free Agent
The 49ers have a pretty good tight end. And Walker is a 14-year NFL veteran who has been struggling on an ankle that has not been right since he sustained a severe injury in 2018.
Walker is on the market now after the Tennessee Titans released him on Friday. Walker failed his physical. Walker does not figure to find a new home anytime soon, as teams will want to check him out physically before taking the next step.
If Walker continues to play, it would serve him well to take on a part-time role. His ability in the passing game, along with his blocking, would make him a nice accessory for a year behind or alongside George Kittle.