The Chicago Bears are set to release wide receiver Taylor Gabriel and cornerback Prince Amukamara according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. With a relatively unproven receiving corps going into the 2020 offseason, Gabriel is the kind of free agent the 49ers could target in a year where they have some holes to fill and not a ton of money to spend.
The speedy wide receiver played only nine games last season while battling injuries, but prior to that had put together a few productive years in the NFL. He got his start in the pros as an undrafted free agent with the Browns in 2014 when 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was the offensive coordinator in Cleveland.
Gabriel had a strong rookie campaign in Shanahan’s offense with 36 catches for 621 yards and one touchdown. His 17.3 yards per reception was the highest mark of his career.
He didn’t see that same success in 2015, the year Shanahan left Cleveland to become the Falcons’ offensive coordinator. Gabriel caught 28 balls for 241 yards and no touchdowns in 13 games. He revitalized his career the following season by reuniting with Shanahan when the Falcons claimed Gabriel off waiver from Cleveland. In 2016, Gabriel had 35 catches for 579 yards and a career-high six touchdowns. His production again fell off the next year when Shanahan left to become the 49ers’ head coach.
Through his first four seasons, Gabriel had 71 catches for 1200 yards and seven touchdowns in two years with Shanahan, and 61 catches for 619 yards and one touchdown without him.
The Bears signed Gabriel in 2018 to a four-year deal worth $28 million. Head coach Matt Nagy got big-time production from Gabriel in their first season together. The receiver set career highs with 67 receptions and 688 yards. Injuries last season limited him to just 29 catches for 353 yards, but he did score four touchdowns in nine games.
Chicago is only working with about $18 million in cap space going into the offseason according to Over the Cap, and releasing Gabriel saved the Bears about $4.5 million in cap space.
He was due $6.5 million this season, which is in the range where the 49ers might be able to afford to add a productive receiver to their roster, assuming he commanded that same type of deal on the open market. San Francisco can clear some of that space if they release Marquise Goodwin at a savings of $3.6 million.
Gabriel offers the speed element that stretches defenses vertically, but he’s also shifty enough to create space in the short and intermediate areas of the passing game. The 49ers badly need an additional speed element in their receiving corps, and Goodwin’s last two seasons haven’t been consistent enough to rely on him for a significant role in the passing game. Gabriel’s history in Shanahan’s offense, and his strong 2018 season, provide optimism that he can step in right away and make the 49ers’ receiving corps better.
The 49ers won’t have a ton of cash to go out and spend in free agency, but smaller, prudent moves to tweak the roster are necessary, and Gabriel certainly fits that mold.
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