2012 NFL Free Agents: San Francisco 49ers and Teams That Must Land Elite WR

Some NFL teams that did not do well last season need to acquire one of the prized free-agent wide receivers or they will not be heading to the playoffs next season.

The best looking of NFL free agency is arguably the wide receiver class, which boasts Mike Wallace, Dwayne Bowe, Marques Colston, Vincent Jackson, DeSean Jackson and Reggie Wayne, among others. It means it is a good time to stock up on talent at wideout and help a young or struggling quarterback in the process.

The teams that lacked reliable wide receivers were obvious to point out last season, and they will be active this offseason in trying to acquire one of these premiere playmakers. 

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers were arguably a wide receiver away from a trip to the Super Bowl, and there is zero doubt that they will take a receiver with their first-round selection in April.

In the NFC Title game against the New York Giants, Alex Smith had Michael Crabtree, Kyle Williams and Brett Swain to throw to—not enough, especially if Ted Ginn Jr. was the player they were missing.

Smith could not complete a pass, Williams fumbled the ball and the rest is history.

San Francisco is undoubtedly in the market for a wide receiver, whether it is from free agency or the NFL draft.  However, the answer is: both.  The 49ers must land two wide receivers if they want to be in contention next season like they were this season.

Mike Wallace or Marques Colston come to mind for San Francisco.  Wallace can stretch the field, which the 49ers do not have, and Colston is a big, physical wideout, which the 49ers do not have.  Both attributes are needs for this team if they want Smith to have that same season again.

Denver Broncos

It is no secret the Broncos need help at wide receiver to help Tebow succeed on an NFL field.  He had minor success with Demaryius Thomas toward the end of the season and into the playoffs, but that was about it as far as striking through the air goes.

Tebow needs help and a lot of it.  Adding an elite wide receiver only makes it easier for him to manage the game on the field, because we all saw that he clearly does not have the skills to play quarterback in the NFL just yet.  He has the drive, but the quarterback attributes are not there.

A go-to wide receiver may change that.

St. Louis Rams

Sam Bradford will be ready next season, but it is his battered body that has some doubting whether or not he has a chance to be an elite NFL quarterback.

Adding a premiere wide receiver to that team could lessen the burden of having the majority of the offense on his shoulders, although we can expect what we want from running back Steven Jackson in the backfield.

Bradford's stint in St. Louis has never been given a chance with the wideouts he has had.  Brandon Lloyd was a decent pick-up, but he is set to test free agency this offseason, as is Danny Amendola, Mark Clayton and Mike Sims-Walker.  After them, the Rams are left with Brandon Gibson.  Hardly a respected core of wide receivers.

Bradford needs help to compete in the NFC West with the 49ers, Cardinals and Seahawks.  Adding a wide receiver to go along with possibly drafting Justin Blackmon No. 2 overall in the NFL draft could turn a clear weakness at wideout to a strength in just a couple months.