The Philadelphia Eagles released wide receiver Josh Huff on Thursday after he was arrested for carrying a small amount of marijuana and an unlawful possession of a gun.
Considering what they currently have in the cupboard, the San Francisco 49ers really have no other choice but to claim the wide receiver.
Listen, I don’t condone drug use or weapons. But a talented wide receiver just hit the market, Chip Kelly is familiar with him and this passing offense is ranked 32nd in the NFL. If the 49ers’s goal is to win professional football games, they really don’t have a choice here. They need to sign Huff.
Is Huff definitely a better player than Quinton Patton or Rod Streater? Who knows. Right now, Jeremy Kerley leads the team with 331 receiving yards, which ranks him 67th in the NFL. And remember, he was picked up in late August.
That’s exactly the point — the 49ers have nothing to lose because they aren’t getting production from anyone. Huff is 5-foot-11, 206 pounds and has 48 catches for 482 yards and four touchdowns in three seasons. He’s also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and has electric speed in the open field. He’s just 25 years old. He can potentially make plays happen.
The funny thing is that Chip Kelly told reporters Trent Baalke was not in the building Thursday because he’s out scouting college games. Kelly was with the Eagles when they drafted Huff in the third round out of, you guessed it, Oregon. The coach seemed uncomfortable talking about the potential roster move to reporters on the scene in Santa Clara.
#49ers Chip Kelly on recently released WR Josh Huff.. pic.twitter.com/S8x2825SPa
— Chris Biderman (@ChrisBiderman) November 3, 2016
Is Kelly done biting his tongue? Will he demand Baalke to get him some help on offense? How long is Jed York going to let Baalke get away with ignoring the current state of the roster? The trade deadline came and went on Tuesday; the 49ers did absolutely nothing. Other teams have talented young players still sitting on their practice squads, yet Baalke refuses to even promote his own promising linebacker Marcus Rush. If you make a mess, at least try and attempt to clean it up.
The 49ers abruptly cut Bruce Miller after an arrest prior to the season. I get it: you want to keep bad apples out of the locker room. Additionally, Huff’s comments about guns make people feel uncomfortable, especially in liberal California.
“I’m a professional athlete. What professional athlete don’t have a gun?” Huff said, according to Philly.com. “I have a wife and I have a son at home, and my job is to protect them at all costs. My job is to protect myself as well.”
I trust that Kelly knows whether Huff is worth the risk. This should be Chip’s call, not Trent’s.
The irony in all this? The Eagles cut Huff and promoted WR Bryce Treggs. The 49ers tried to practice squad him and lost him. Many, including myself, thought Treggs was the second best wide receiver on the roster in training camp behind Torrey Smith.