The Marqise Lee experiment was brief, but the 49ers are now in contact with another former Jaguars wide receiver in their quest to bolster their depth at that position. NFL insider Josina Anderson on Monday reported San Francisco had preliminary talks with free agent WR Dede Westbrook.
Westbrook is returning from a torn ACL he suffered in late October last season, and expects to be ready for at least some of training camp after surgery in November according to Anderson.
The pickings at receiver are slim at this point, and Westbrook had fallen out of favor in Jacksonville last year after a couple strong seasons in 2018 and 2019. He was inactive for the Jaguars in five of the team’s first seven games, and managed just one catch for four yards before his injury.
His two years prior to that were strong enough though to warrant a look from the 49ers. Westbrook in 2018 and 2019 combined for 132 catches, 1,377 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 31 games.
