The San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday agreed to a deal with the Indianapolis Colts to acquire veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen, giving the 49ers some much-needed veteran depth in its receiving corps.
According to the Ringer's Tom Pelissero, San Francisco parted with a 2027 sixth-round pick in the deal.
This is a good deal for the 49ers as they hunt for quality WR depth in a banged up receiving corps. Allen, 34, is past his prime, but has still been a productive receiver for a largely ineffective Colts offense this season. In eight games he has 40 receptions for 351 yards and a touchdown.
Allen gives San Francisco some flexibility and versatility in how he can be used. He's past the point of being a No. 1 or No. 2 receiving option on a team hoping
to win a Super Bowl, but he's good enough to help keep their offense afloat while Mike Evans and De'Zhaun Stribling work their way back from injuries.
He's an immediate upgrade for the 49ers over players like Brandin Cooks, Demarcus Robinson and Jacob Cowing, who played a combined 87 snaps in San Francisco's Week 9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Once Evans and Stribling are back in the fold he'll help round out the receiving corps as a high quality third or fourth receiver alongside Evans, Stribling and Deebo Samuel.
It would've made sense if the 49ers swung for the fences with a trade for a wide receiver, but instead they settled for a quality plug-and-play veteran who lifts their floor at the position rather than their ceiling.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Instant analysis: Why did 49ers trade for 34-year-old Keenan Allen?
