49ers mailbag: Will Taylor get a shot? Is a trade coming? Roger Craig, Hall of Famer?

The 49ers went shipping up to Boston over the weekend and came away with a big 33-6 victory over the New England Patriots, giving them their second straight win, a 4-3 record and a reference to the Dropkick Murphys.

More importantly, San Francisco is squarely in the playoff mix approaching the halfway point of the season, with a good litmus test coming on the road Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks and MVP favorite Russell Wilson. The 49ers are No. 9 in the NFC, a game behind the Cardinals (5-2) and Rams (5-2) for one of the final wild card spots.

But keeping in line with the rest of 2020, they couldn’t come away from the game without losing key players to injuries. Receiver Deebo Samuel strained his hamstring and is expected to miss the next two games. Running back Jeff Wilson Jr., who stormed through Gillette Stadium with 112 yards and three touchdowns, suffered a high ankle sprain on his third score and is expected to miss a month.

Let’s get to this week’s edition of our mailbag!

@LylesMovieFiles asks: Is there any chance Trent Taylor gets more involved with Deebo out?

There’s definitely a chance. Kyle Shanahan indicated as much Monday when asked why Taylor appeared in just three snaps against the Patriots, continuing his quiet start to 2020 after missing all of 2019 with a foot injury and resulting complications.

“Trent is healthy and I definitely could find more ways to (get him involved),” Shanahan said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Trent and I have a lot of confidence in Trent. I thought he got a couple more opportunities earlier on in this year, but we think (Kendrick) Bourne has played at a pretty high-level and we thought he played at a very high-level last year too. Once Deebo and (Brandon) Aiyuk got healthy and they got back, it was a tough decision. We didn’t want to have to take Bourne off the field.”

Taylor has just six catches on 12 targets for for 45 yards while appearing in all seven games. But his offensive snaps have been in the single digits over the last three games coinciding with Samuel’s Week 4 return from his broken foot. In that Eagles game, Taylor played a season-high 37 snaps (51%).

And he could be a valuable weapon for Jimmy Garoppolo given his knack for getting open in tight windows near the line of scrimmage. Garoppolo has thrown just 10 passes deeper than 20 yards down field, just over 8% of his overall attempts, according to Pro Football Focus.

Of course, what Taylor doesn’t do is contribute in the running game in the same way Aiyuk or Samuel will, which would force Shanahan to switch things up if Taylor were to become a featured part of the offense.

@LoMed1978 asks: I’ve accepted that Pettis is a bust, but how can a coach/play caller as good as Shanahan not get anything out of him? Is it really just lack of heart not talent for Pettis?

I don’t have a great answer here. Watching Pettis in practice, he never seemed to get on the same page with Garoppolo. The two rarely connected on explosive plays and just about every pass intended for Pettis with tight coverage seemed to fall incomplete.

And when Pettis struggled last year, the 49ers went out and got Emmanuel Sanders and then replaced Sanders with Brandon Aiyuk in the most recent draft. Surely Pettis has had plenty of opportunities to carve out a role while Aiyuk and Samuel have dealt with injuries, but he hasn’t taken advantage and found himself inactive the last three games.

I don’t think Pettis is very good at beating physical coverage, nor is he someone that’s proven to be reliable over the middle of the field, where Garoppolo throws a vast majority of his passes. It’s just not a good fit.

With the recent additions of Samuel, Jalen Hurd and Aiyuk, it’s clear Shanahan wants receivers who enjoy physicality, and Pettis hasn’t been that guy. I’m curious what he makes of his career if he ends up getting a change of scenery.

@PerinoMike asks: On scale of 1-10, chance of 49ers making a trade?

Seven?

They already made one, adding pass rusher Jordan Willis and a seventh-round pick for a sixth-round pick. It’s hardly a blockbuster, but Willis could add some much-needed depth on the edge starting this week if he’s available to play in Seattle.

Shanahan hasn’t denied the talks surrounding Pettis, so that one seems possible, although it’s hard to imagine San Francisco getting much in return for a guy who hasn’t made a catch this season.

And given their in the playoff hunt, might the 49ers try adding another pass rusher? It seems possible. Spotrac published a post of possible candidates that includes a handful of defensive ends that could fit, including Trent Murphy (Buffalo), Carlos Dunlap (Cincinatti), DeMarcus Lawrence (Dallas) and Ryan Kerrigan (Washington).

However, both Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have said the team isn’t in a spot to be giving away draft picks while adding hefty salaries given the expected salary cap drop next year. Maybe the team is waiting to see how Sunday unfolds before making that decision. A win would push the team to 5-3 and 2-1 in the division, giving them a great shot at a playoff spot.

@SeanTeramoto asks: Does Jalen Hurd, when healthy, have a chance next season of sticking with our team?

Absolutely. Watching what Chase Claypool is doing in Pittsburgh makes me think the 49ers are envious of having a 6-foot-4 receiver who happens to be excellent with the ball in his hands.

Could you imagine the 49ers having another receiver they could add to their creative running game that craves physicality, who could also make plays downfield and help create space for George Kittle? Shanahan has to love that idea. Hurd is a former running back, after all, and he’s probably the best blocking receiver the team has, which is clearly important for the outside running game.

But it’s hard to bank on anyone that’s missed two straight seasons. Last year it was a back injury, this year an ACL. The 49ers have to be operating as if getting Hurd healthy and available would be found money at this point. If can do it, look out.

@GabrielC209 asks: How can the Niners keep Tarvarius Moore out on the field? He looked really fast out there, would you consider trading Ward? Really wish we would have re-signed Sanders instead of Ward, just not a ball hawk safety what so ever.

I agree that Moore probably deserves more playing time. He’s the 49ers’ best defensive player that isn’t a regular starter or contributor.

But I disagree on your assessment of Ward. He plays one of the most important positions in the secondary on a defense that was the best unit against the pass in a decade. Part of the reason he doesn’t get a lot of opportunities to make interceptions is because he’s good at being in the right spot and forcing quarterbacks to look elsewhere. He might be the team’s best fundamental tackler, pound for pound. There simply haven’t been many coverage busts with Ward at free safety (he wasn’t at fault on third-and-15 in the Super Bowl, by the way).

The point on Sanders is valid. Though the 49ers decided Sanders wasn’t worth the going rate for a player his age given the team had looming contracts for Arik Armstead, George Kittle and eventually, Fred Warner. Sanders has been a mixed bag in New Orleans, though he’s come on of late, including 12 catches for 122 yards Week 5 against the Chargers, though he’s dealing with a recent stint on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Back to Moore, I wonder if his play could lead to being used more often on third downs like he was in the Super Bowl. Before starting in New England, Moore played 23 snaps combined over the previous six contests, including goose eggs against Miami and L.A. I think Moore could become a high level starter if he ever gets the chance. His play Sunday was promising.

@Random49ers asks: Why isn’t Roger Craig in the HOF?

The Hall of Fame isn’t my best subject, so I reached out to my friend Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area who is a Hall of Fame voter and presenter.

“The blue ribbon panel had RC as one of 20 finalists and did not include him in the 10 elected,” Maiocco said. “So that suggests, according to that group, he should be among the next 10 seniors candidates to gain induction.”

That’s a promising sign for Craig’s chances.

It’s worth noting Craig ranks 44th all-time in rushing yards and about half of the players above him have not gotten in. Of course, his case includes 5,000 receiving yards, leading the NFL with 92 receptions in 1985 and yards from scrimmage in 1988, and being part of one of the league’s signature dynasties.

Part of the Hall of Fame’s appeal is how difficult it is to get in (unlike, say, the basketball hall of fame), which means there are going to be some deserving players who have to wait a while or not get in altogether. It certainly adds to the intrigue of these conversations.

But hopefully for Craig, and 49ers fans, his inclusion will come soon enough.