The best wide receiver still available to sign is Anquan Boldin, who hasn’t closed the door on returning to the San Francisco 49ers, but seems a bit more intrigued with what the Detroit Lions have to offer.
Bolding is visiting the Lions , meeting Jim Caldwell, the team’s head coach. Caldwell worked with Boldin in Baltimore as an offensive coordinator, also winning a Super Bowl ring together. After a year of quarterback turmoil in San Francisco, Bolding might enjoy playing with a more steady situation, as Matthew Stafford doesn’t have anyone breathing down his neck right now. However, things change quickly in the NFL if the season doesn’t kick off the right way.
The Lions have 11 wide receivers under contract, but not all of them are going to make the cut. Golden Tate is now the #1 guy (and has been even with Calvin Johnson on the field) and Marvin Jones is pegged to be #2. Behind them? Hard to see anyone Boldin should have a problem deposing on the depth chart unless his age is catching up with him. Boldin finished with 69 receptions for and 789 yards, catching four passes for a touchdown, all in 14 games. His yards per game average was his lowest since 2010, but it had a lot to do with the 49ers struggling to get anything out of Colin Kaepernick, and then switching to Blaine Gabbert.
Boldin could go back to the 49ers, but probably isn’t a big fan of playing on a team with zero prospects of winning this season. The Lions aren’t exactly looked at as serious contenders heading into the 2016 NFL Seasons; other candidates to sign Boldin could pop up, with plenty of teams (Bengals, Steelers, Colts, Chiefs, and Giants) looking for help in the wideout section. But right now, the Lions provide the best option for Boldin to sign a new deal, as he doesn’t plan on retiring after 13 NFL seasons.
Boldin has been in the NFL since 2003, making the Pro Bowl three times. He has seven 1000+ receptions yards seasons, the last of them in 2014. He’s 12th on the all-time receptions list, 17th on the all-time receiving yards list and 33rd on the receiving touchdowns list with 74. He has 14 playoff appearances, winning a Super Bowl ring in 2012 with the Baltimore Ravens, playing against his team of the last three years, the 49ers.