Deebo Is Back, and the 49ers Needed Him Yesterday

San Francisco signed Deebo Samuel to a one-year, $7 million deal on Thursday, and the timing tells you everything about the state of this receiving corps. Ricky Pearsall is facing what looks like a potential season-ending injury. George Kittle remains out. Mike Evans, the big offseason addition I noted back in July, is listed as questionable. The 49ers didn't bring Deebo back out of nostalgia — they brought him back because the cupboard got bare in a hurry.

Samuel spent last season with Washington, but he's a known quantity in Kyle Shanahan's system — the kind of multipurpose weapon the offense was built around during his first run here. The depth chart at receiver right now lists Colton Dowell, De'Zhaun Stribling, and Jacob Cowing at the top three spots, which is not a group designed to carry a passing game. The 49ers also signed two additional pass catchers on Friday, so this is a full-scale emergency replenishment, not a sentimental one-off.

The broader picture is uncomfortable. Shanahan is still recovering from a concussion after his car accident last month. The receiving corps is being rebuilt on the fly. Jordan James is an injury concern at running back. This is a lot of instability for a team that, frankly, won more games last year than its underlying performance probably warranted. There isn't much margin for the kind of attrition camp has already delivered.