49ers expected to sign Tavon Austin, J.J. Nelson; Deebo Samuel’s status in question

The 49ers have a significant need at wide receiver ahead of next month’s season opener, and it appears they just found their solution.

With Emmanuel Sanders leaving in free agency, Deebo Samuel injured and new Niner Travis Benjamin opting out, San Francisco is turning to former Rams top pick Tavon Austin and ex-Raider J.J. Nelson.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Friday that the 49ers plan to sign the two receivers after seeing them work out this week.

Austin was the Rams’ first-round (No. 8 overall) draft pick in 2013, but he has never lived up to the speed-demon promise he showed at West Virginia. He spent the last two years with the Cowboys after a trade from the Rams.

Nelson spent 2019 with the Raiders after the first four years of his career in Arizona. He caught only four passes last season in Oakland, and his career high in receptions was 34 in 2016.

The 49ers are preparing for the possibility of not having Samuel when they open the season against the Cardinals Sept. 13. General manager John Lynch said last month that he expected Samuel to miss a few games as he recovers from a fracture in his left foot.

Kendrick Bourne and first-round pick Brandon Aiyuk are the projected starters at wide receiver for the 49ers’, so Austin and Nelson will compete with Jalen Hurd, Dante Pettis, Trent Taylor, rookie Jajuan Jennings and others for roster spots and playing time. Without preseason games due to the pandemic, all the evaluation involved in those decisions will come in training camp practices.