Bruce Ellington Reportedly Claimed by Jets After Being Released by 49ers

Wide receiver Bruce Ellington was claimed off waivers by the New York Jets on Friday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. 

Ellington spent the first three seasons of his career with the San Francisco 49ers after being selected in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft. He primarily played special teams with 50 kickoff returns and 42 punt returns in 2014-15. He was waived on Thursday.

A hamstring injury suffered during the preseason last year caused Ellington to miss the entire 2016 campaign. The 49ers waived him on Aug. 3, with head coach Kyle Shanahan explaining it was a difficult but necessary decision because of their depth at wide receiver. 

"I thought we were a little front-loaded with inside guys," he said, via Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. 

As a wide receiver with the 49ers, Ellington never really found consistency. His best season came in 2015 when he had just 13 receptions for 153 yards in 13 games. 

Moving to the Jets will give Ellington a new lease on life. He will also have a more stable quarterback situation than what he played with in San Francisco. Colin Kaepernick was never the most accurate passer, completing more than 60 percent of his passes just twice in five seasons as San Francisco's starter. 

Quincy Enunwa leads a wide receiver group that is still developing after recent departures from Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. With the offense looking for an identity and the quarterback situation still unresolved, Ellington gives the team another weapon to work with.

Even if Ellington doesn't develop his receiving skills, he still possesses the skills to be an effective return man.

Health will also be critical for Ellington moving forward. The former South Carolina standout has yet to play a full 16-game schedule in the NFL, missing at least three games in each of his first two seasons before missing all of last season. 

There is some upside for the Jets to bet on Ellington at this point in the preseason. He's got a valuable and versatile skill set that will play well in any offense, as long as his body holds up long enough for him to show off that talent.