Lelie tries to bust into 49ers’ receiving rotation

By Chris Cluff  |   Wednesday, August 22, 2007  |  Comments( 15 )

San Francisco 49ers
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It has been a long, winding road for Ashley Lelie, and even now no one knows where it will end.

From celebrated first-round draft pick to disappointing first-round bust to exciting new acquisition to third-stringer, the wide receiver has endured a star-crossed five years in the NFL. And he's still trying to get his stars uncrossed as he battles for a spot in the San Francisco 49ers' receiving corps.

After being picked in the first round by the Denver Broncos in 2002, Lelie failed to live up to expectations for four years. His best season in Denver was 2004, when he caught 54 passes for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns and led the NFL with an average of 20.1 yards per catch. But he regressed the next year, scoring just one touchdown on 42 receptions.

The Broncos got tired of waiting for him to become a consistent contributor, so they traded for Javon Walker before last season and planned to start the former Green Bay first-rounder opposite longtime veteran Rod Smith. That move angered Lelie, who then demanded to be released or traded so he could start elsewhere. The Broncos eventually complied, sending the underachieving receiver to Atlanta as part of a three-team trade before the season.

But even in Atlanta, which had one of the worst receiving groups in the league, Lelie could not unseat the top wideouts, Roddy White and Michael Jenkins. Lelie caught just 28 passes last season, and the Falcons let him walk.

So the former Hawaii star headed back to the Pacific coast. Intent on restaffing their receiving corps during the offseason, the 49ers made Lelie their first acquisition by signing him to a two-year, $4.3 million deal in March. At the time, many assumed he was slated to start opposite Arnaz Battle. But then the Niners obtained Darrell Jackson in a trade with Seattle in late April, and Lelie once again found himself sliding down a depth chart.

A strained quadriceps pushed the 26-year-old even farther down the receiving line as he missed most of the offseason program and began camp with the third unit.

But he finally is starting to work his way back up. The 6-foot-3 speedster has unique talents among the 49ers' receivers, and if he can display them regularly, he should be able to beat out Taylor Jacobs for the No. 3 spot.

Lelie took steps in that direction last Saturday when he finally hooked up with quarterback Alex Smith for a couple of big gains, catching passes of 20 and 14 yards against the Oakland Raiders. The quarterback also showed his lack of familiarity with the long-striding receiver, throwing behind him on one route.

"We have to get the timing down with Alex," Lelie told reporters. "We were a little off sync, but it'll come."

Matt Maiocco of the Press Democrat thinks Lelie needs more practice time with Smith.

"He gives the receiver corps an element that nobody else has," Maiocco wrote in his blog this week. "He is big and he's fast. He's a real vertical threat. I think the coaching staff has made a big mistake by not getting him on the field more with quarterback Alex Smith early in training camp. Lelie is so much different than all the other receivers."

Jacobs reportedly has looked better than any receivers in camp so far, so Lelie will have to remain healthy and produce when given the chance if he is to beat out the 6-1 Jacobs.

The 49ers figure to keep as many as six receivers. Jackson and Battle are locks, as are youngsters Brandon Williams and Jason Hill. That leaves Lelie, Jacobs and Bryan Gilmore fighting for probably two spots.

If Lelie can stay healthy and connect with Smith more and more over the next two weeks, he'll get one of those spots. And the receiver's long road will end, for at least this season, in San Francisco.
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About Chris Cluff

Chris Cluff spent 10 years as an editor and sportswriter for The Seattle Times. He was a key figure in the newspaper's coverage of the Seahawks, particularly during their Super Bowl run in 2005. He also has written two books on the Seahawks: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding,...
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