The San Francisco 49ers seemed set at the receiver position with WR Braylon Edwards and WR Michael Crabtree as the projected starters in 2011. Edwards got injured, never fully recovered and was cut eventually. WR Josh Morgan was emerging as a slot receiver when a leg injury ended his season prematurely. WR Ted Ginn Jr. was hampered by injuries as the season went on and had to sit out a couple of games without making much of an impact in the passing game. WR Kyle Williams played remarkably well but does not have the potential to be a starter yet. WR Brett Swain and WR Joe Hastings were called up as stand-ins and were just that.

The 49ers have an effective receiver corps to work with but the depth is thin and it lacks playmaking ability. This became painfully obvious during the loss to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship game, when Michael Crabtree was the only wide receiver to catch a pass, though it only gained three yards.

Josh Morgan and Ted Ginn Jr. are free agents and may or may not be on the roster in 2012. Morgan is an internal priority to be re-signed. He may not fetch much interest on the free agency market, as he didn’t get enough opportunities to perform due to the early season-ending injury. Ginn Jr. took a pay cut in 2011, though he had an incentive-laden contract. He is an important returner on special teams but is used as a diversion rather than a weapon on offense. Re-signing him will be a question of his asking price.

Should the Niners lose Ted Ginn Jr. they will likely look for a wide receiver in the upcoming draft in April, who can return kick-offs and/or punts. Some six weeks earlier, on 13 March to be precise, the 49ers can add free agents to their roster, who are currently with another team. It is to be expected that the Niners will make some serious inquiries and add depth to the position through free agency. Here is a list of the most talented receivers available:

Dwayne Bowe (27 years, Kansas City Chiefs) had 81 receptions for 1,159 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2011. Bowe earned $2.76m last season and is in for a pay rise, as the Chiefs would give him the franchise tag if this is what it takes to keep him. D-Bowe is a strong receiver who can make difficult catches. He is tough to tackle and able to gain yards after the catch. He is a red zone threat and would help the Niners greatly, though chances seem slim to land him.

Deion Branch (32, New England Patriots) recorded 702 yards on 51 receptions in 2011 and scored 5 touchdowns. He is past his peak and makes less of an impact compared to previous years. He can beat the zone coverage but age and injuries have slowed him down. Branch earned $2.2m last season and won’t be able to demand more money going forward. His lack of blocking ability may put head coach Jim Harbaugh off but Branch’s experience and success could benefit Michael Crabtree and help Josh Morgan’s transition into a number-two.

Plaxico Burress (35, New York Jets) scored 8 touchdowns last season but it is safe to say that he won’t return to the Jets. Burress is a dangerous receiver in the red zone and could help the Niners, who have struggled to score touchdowns from 20 yards or less. On the other hand, Burress hasn’t always been a positive influence in the locker room and his gun shot incident is legendary. Burress would also have to settle for less money because it is doubtful anyone would pay the $3.017m he made in 2011.

Marques Colston (28, New Orleans Saints) caught 80 passes for 1,143 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2011. The Saints let it be known that they want to bring him back, whether they’ll succeed is a different story. Colston is a big physical receiver in his prime and will try to cash in on his next contract. If the Niners were ready to open up the passing game Colston would be an ideal fit, though his price tag might scare them off.

Early Doucet (26, Arizona Cardinals) had 689 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns in 2011. Doucet is physical and a good blocker but his lack of speed doesn’t make him a deep threat. He is also affordable in terms of salary. Midway through the season I considered him an interesting free agent but as the number-three receiver in Arizona he would hardly become a starter in San Francisco.

Pierre Garcon (25, Indianapolis Colts) missed the 1,000 yard-mark by 53 yards last season and scored 6 touchdowns. The Colts are rebuilding and Garcon will certainly explore the free agency market. Pierre Garcon is an all-around receiver with adequate speed and would be an upgrade for the Niners and pretty much any other team as well. Considering that he earned just $555k last season he will look for a considerable pay rise. The Niners should talk to him, as he might still be affordable regardless.

DeSean Jackson (25, Philadelphia Eagles) scored 4 touchdowns and compiled 961 yards on 58 passes. The Eagles aren’t yet decided on bringing him back. There is no doubt about his talent. He is fast, athletic and has playmaker ability. There are doubts about his attitude, though. Like Garcon he only earned $555k last season and is most definitely after a whole lot of money. It is doubtful that he would fit into Harbaugh’s team-first philosophy. Turning the team into the DeSean 49ers would be the more likely scenario and I don’t think the Niners need another T.O.

Vincent Jackson (29, San Diego Chargers) caught 60 passes for 1,106 yards and 9 touchdowns. He is one of the most athletic wide receivers and is very capable of gaining yardage after the catch. V-Jax and the Chargers have a love-hate relationship and both have indicated that they would like to come to an agreement. Jackson is after a long-term contract and an increase of the $1.14m he was paid in 2011. The Buffalo Bills are reportedly interested in him. Consistency is an issue with Jackson, which makes it doubtful the 49ers would participate in a bidding war.

The wide receiver tweeted the news early this morning: “I was released today by the 49ers due to my injury that required more time to rehab and hasn’t allowed me to re-sync with the offense....”

The release may be a bit of a surprise, considering the Niners are getting very thin at the receiver positions. They lost WR Josh Morgan (broken leg) to a season-ending injury in week 5, WR Ted Ginn Jr suffers from an ankle injury and WR Kyle Williams (concussion) and TE Delanie Walker (jaw) sustained injuries in last week’s game at Seattle. WR Michael Crabtree, WR Brett Swain, TE Vernon Davis and TE Justin Peele are currently the only healthy receivers remaining.

The 49ers have two wideouts on their practice squad, WR Joe Hastings and WR John Matthews, but it looks more likely that the team will look outside the organization to fill the void.

Braylon Edwards came to the Bay Area to challenge Michael Crabtree for the number 1 spot on the roster but injuries and performance in games and practice saw his playing time decrease. The receiver hurt his knee against the Dallas Cowboys in week 2 and missed the next four games. He also suffered a shoulder injury in week 9 at the Washington Redskins and never fully recovered from both injuries. He was inactive against the St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers in week 13 and week 15 respectively.

The former number 3 pick in the 2005 draft played 9 games for the 49ers and started 5 times. He caught 15 passes for 181 yards and no touchdown. Edwards signed a one-year contract this offseason worth $1 million plus $2.5 million incentives, based on receptions and Pro Bowl appearance.

After having made the necessary roster cuts, the San Francisco 49ers are working on signing players to their practice squad. Here is a list of players who were signed. You will notice that all of them were initially released by the team on Saturday. There is one more spot to fill:

RB Xavier Omon, WR Joe Hastings, TE Konrad Reuland, C Chase Beeler, T Derek Hall, LB Monte Simmons, CB Cory Nelms

Here is a reminder in terms of practice squad eligibility from SBNation.com’s Brian McIntyre:

"Eligibility for the practice squad is limited to players who do not have an accrued season in the NFL, or were on an active list (53-man roster) for fewer than nine games during their only accrued seasons. Players that have served two seasons on a practice squad are eligible for a third season only if the team has at least 53 players on its active/inactive list for the duration of that player's employment.

A player will be considered to have served on a practice squad in a season if he were a member of a practice squad for three regular or postseason games during his first two practice squad seasons, or for one regular season or postseason game during a third practice squad season.

The minimum weekly salary for practice squad players in 2011 (and 2012) is $5,700, an increase of $500 over the 2008-2010 rate. There is no limit to how much a team can pay a practice squad player. Several teams have enticed players with offers of increased pay, usually a few thousand dollars extra, to join or remain on their practice squad."

The 49ers claimed rookie quarterback Scott Tolzien off waivers and cut LB Keaton Kristick. Tolzien finished the preseason with 25-of-40 for 302 yards for the San Diego Chargers. He also threw 1 touchdown and 1 interception for a passer rating of 83.5. San Francisco got a good look at Tolzien during Thursday’s preseason game, when the quarterback completed 16 of 23 pass attempts for 226 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, but was also sacked 5 times.

San Francisco also signed LB Tavares Gooden, which means the 49ers have to cut another player to make room for him. From 2008-2010 Gooden accumulated 70 tackles in 26 games for the Baltimore Ravens.

The San Francisco 49ers finished trimming their roster from 80 players down to 53. These are the players who were cut today:

QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson, QB Josh McCown, RB Xavier Omon, FB Jack Corcoran, WR Joe Hastings, WR Chris Hogan, WR Ronald Johnson, WR Lance Long, WR Dominique Zeigler, TE Nate Lawrie, TE Konrad Reuland, C Chase Beeler, G Tony Wragge, T Derek Hall, T Kenny Wiggins, DT Brian Bulcke, NT Sealver Siliga, LB Alex Joseph, LB Kenny Rowe, LB Monte Simmons, CB Phillip Adams, CB Phillip Davis, CB Cory Nelms, S Chris Maragos, S Curtis Taylor, DB Anthony West

If you count only 26 players, that’s because tight end Nate Byham was placed on the injured reserve list.

San Francisco has currently 10 rookies on the team. Bear in mind that this is not the final roster. A lot of changes are still going to happen. By releasing Josh McCown and McLeod Bethel-Thompson, the 49ers will most certainly look to add another quarterback to their 53-man roster. The search is back on.