Morgan distancing himself from 49ers’ receivers

By Brad Wilbricht  |   Thursday, June 18, 2009  |  Comments( 2 )

San Francisco 49ers
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The San Francisco 49ers currently have an abundance of wide receivers, but Josh Morgan is beginning to take the reins as their top target. Morgan has been tremendous during minicamp and organized team activities while his fellow wideouts have seen limited action. Barring a step back, Morgan should be a starter heading into the 2009 campaign.

Morgan was mentioned as a possible breakout performer as a rookie, but injuries and inconsistent play from the 49ers’ quarterbacks prevented that from happening. However, after staying healthy for the duration of the offseason, Morgan is beginning to prove why the San Francisco faithful are so high on the former Virginia Tech Hokie.

As training camp and the preseason near, the emergence of a full-time signal-caller could be the only thing holding back Morgan’s development. As long as he’s able to develop a sufficient rapport with the 49ers’ starter under center, Morgan’s abilities are likely to be on full display in 2009.

Morgan’s talents have been well documented across the league, but the acquisition of incoming rookie receiver Michael Crabtree will certainly divert attention from the second-year wideout. That scenario is expected to work in favor of Morgan, who will be able to avoid the spotlight and the constant pressures that come along with it.

Another promising aspect of Morgan’s surge has been his ability to play a variety of positions on the perimeter. Crabtree is expected to be the team's “X” receiver (otherwise known as split end) and there was concern that Morgan’s skill set was also best suited for that role. However, Morgan has also been lining up as the “Z” receiver (or flanker), giving hope that both young receivers can coexist effectively on the field.

Outside of veteran Isaac Bruce, the receiving corps in San Francisco was quite pedestrian a year ago. Morgan, Jason Hill and Arnaz Battle were all clumped together on the depth chart. The 49ers were hopeful at least one of the aforementioned players would break away from the pack, and Morgan has assumed that role so far.

Many believed that Bruce and newcomer Brandon Jones would begin the year as starters, only to eventually relinquish those duties throughout the season. That process looks to have already started and Morgan’s progression has positioned him at the front of the line.
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About Brad Wilbricht

Brad Wilbricht covers numerous sporting events including the NFL, NFL Draft and college football. His analysis is simulcast through several media outlets across the country. Additionally, Brad is a regular guest on a variety of talk radio shows and can be frequently heard on the airwaves. To ...
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