The San Francisco 49ers have one of the best tight ends in football in George Kittle. Even with him, they want to provide depth by adding another tight end.
The 49ers are interested in a trade with the New York Giants for Evan Engram, according to Vincent Frank of Forbes.
Not sure about Burton for the 49ers. Will say they have sniffed around for a TE2 behind Kittle and have shown interest in Evan Engram trade. Whether draft, trade or FA, 49ers will add a TE.
— Vincent Frank (@VincentFrankNFL) April 17, 2020
Engram would be a backup for George Kittle, replacing Ross Dwelley (current Niners backup tight end. Last year, Dwelley had 15 receptions for 91 yards and two touchdowns.
Engram, who was drafted by the Giants in 2017, would be an upgrade for the 49ers. However, he is known for his receiving ability, as opposed to his blocking. As a result, that could create problems in a run-heavy offense such as San Francisco’s.
Another issue with Engram is his health. Injuries have plagued Engram in the last two seasons, including only eight games a year ago. In 2019, he had 44 catches for 467 yards.
When healthy, Engram is one of the top ten tight ends in the NFL. His 72 receptions, 831 yards, and six touchdowns would have put him in the top six among tight ends in the league last year, according to Jordan Cohn of WFAN.
The biggest question surrounding Engram is can he stay healthy? The Giants don’t think that he can stay healthy and that he’s a candidate to be traded, according to Matthew Berry of ESPN.
In addition to Engram, the 49ers have been connected with Jordan Reed. Trey Burton who was released by the Chicago Bears could be another option. The 49ers could also draft a tight end with prospects such as Cole Kmet, Harrison Bryant, Hunter Bryant, and Thaddeus Moss to choose from.
However, there’s a certain risk factor to relying on a draft pick to turn the offense around.
The 49ers should just trade for Engram, as he is one of the best tight ends in the league. On top of that, he’d be a major upgrade over Dwelley. Adding Engram would make the Niners offense scarier.
The 49ers made it to the Super Bowl last year and, with Engram, they could make it to multiple Super Bowls and win multiple titles if he stays healthy.
If the 49ers want to add more than one tight end, then they should go with Trey Burton. Burton would be a good fit for the Niners but if they don’t get him and want another tight end then they should draft one.
