A San Francisco 49ers Trade For Antonio Brown Benefits George Kittle The Most
San Francisco 49ers' George Kittle (85) celebrates his touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third quarter of their NFL game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2017. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Image Source: Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group
Let’s say the San Francisco 49ers are able to land Antonio Brown. That’s going to be one nasty offense in the Bay Area. With Jimmy Garoppolo coming back, they’ll have an outstanding QB/WR combo. The biggest beneficiary of this could be George Kittle. He’ll be feasting on the double team’s caused by Brown.
Kittle had a breakout 2108 season for the 49ers. He led all TE’s in receiving yards. What’s more impressive, he did this pretty much without Garoppolo. Teams doubled Kittle at times, because the 49ers really didn’t have a consistent threat at WR.
If Brown becomes a 49er, George Kittle will get far less attention. As it’s well known, Brown is a dynamic player. He’s probably the NFL’s best at the WR position. You don’t fare very well giving him single coverage. This opens up the door for Kittle to cash in big.
A lot of Kittle’s yards come in close situations. He caught 18 passes and amassed 260 yards when the 49ers are behind by 1-8 points. With Antonio Brown at WR and Jimmy G. back, the 49ers will be playing close games all season.
While those stats might not seem like a big deal, think of how many times the 49ers were within 8 points. Kittle is the security blanket for the 49ers QB’s. He’s the one they rely on. Seeing as his stats drop significantly in the second half ( as teams develop a better gameplan for him), it makes sense why the 49ers struggle so much to get back into the game with him as a non-factor.
You can see how integral Kittle is to the 49ers. Brown will force the opposing team’s to adjust their gameplan. No longer does Kittle become the sole focus of the defense. This means he’ll go for more yardage during the second half and big situations.
Assuming Brown gets to San Fransisco, and Jimmy G. stays healthy, the 49ers won’t be playing from behind nearly as much. The offense will produce a lot more on the field than it did last season. There will probably be additional reps on the offensive side of the ball. That means more targets for Kittle to eat up.
Antonio Brown is key to the San Francisco 49ers. If they can land him, the team is an instant contender. Not only because of his presence, but the George Kittle factor as well. We’ll see an entirely different team if a trade were to go down. The 49ers would be plain stupid to not make this scenario become a reality.
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
