Braylon Edwards Injury: WR out Indefinitely, What Should San Francisco 49ers Do?

The San Francisco 49ers will be without wide receiver Braylon Edwards for the near future. The first-year Niner underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Wednesday, after injuring himself catching a pass during the team’s 27-24 loss at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. No timetable has been laid out for Edwards’ return.

The absence of Edwards is significantly magnified given the lack of healthy wide receivers for the 49ers. Third-year wideout Michael Crabtree has seen limited action this season, playing in the season opener but missing last week’s contest. He was still not fully healed from a foot injury sustained during the summer, but looks to be back in the lineup for Sunday’s game at home against Cincinnati.

While Crabtree’s return is a welcome sight for a slightly battered receiving unit, the loss of Edwards certainly will have an affect on the continuity on offense for quarterback Alex Smith. What seems like a seamless swapping of injured wideouts actually is worsened by the fact that it is uncertain how long Edwards will take to recover.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh acknowledged that Edwards will be absent for “a little bit.” But his ambiguity may suggest that it is an indefinite injury that could last beyond a few weeks. Though Edwards is in his first season with San Francisco, he is also the most seasoned veteran among wideouts. His experience and playmaking ability were welcomed by the otherwise youthful receiving corps.

Simply plugging in Crabtree will not make up for losing Edwards, however. Crabtree’s ailments began during the offseason, and he saw limited action during the preseason while he recuperated. While he does have the talent, he does not have the reps under Harbaugh’s new offensive system. If the Niners as a team are to meet their playoff aspirations, it is imperative for Crabtree to be as close to 100 percent healthy as possible for the remainder of the season. Especially if Edwards is out until, say, November.

With the revolving door at wide receiver, questions abound about what San Francisco should do in the interim. For an impatient team that is eager to win sooner than later, there is talk that a roster move needs to be made in order to bolster the wide receiver position; maybe not for the entire season, but at least for the time being.

Should they sign Dominique Zeigler, who was one of the last players cut during the preseason? Maybe the Niners acquire a big-name free-agent receiver for the short term? Some have suggested that they bring back Terrell Owens. The problem with signing a big-name player like Owens or Moss is that they already owe Edwards $1 million for the season.

For now, the 49ers will have to just wait until Edwards can play again. Hopefully for San Francisco, the team won’t have to recover from a losing record once Edwards has recovered from his injury.