The latest vagabond wide receiver
Wide receiver Keshawn Martin is living in a hotel, has a temporary nameplate taped to his locker in the 49ers’ facility and is spending his free time studying a foreign playbook.
Sound familiar? It should. Martin, who was signed Tuesday, is the latest face to join one of the NFL’s most feeble passing attacks. After three games, the 49ers rank 30th in the NFL in passing yards per game (175.3) and have the fewest completions of 20-plus yards (five) in the league.
Most of the criticism has been directed at quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who shouldn’t be absolved. He ranks 30th or lower in completion percentage, yards per attempt and passer rating, while playing cautiously: Just eight of his 17 third-down completions have netted first downs.
In fairness to Gabbert, though, he has been scanning the field and seeing Jeremy Kerley, not Jerry Rice.
The 49ers’ six-man widereceiver corps consists of Martin and two other players who weren’t with them in training camp (Kerley and Rod Streater). The new players have joined rookie sixth-round pick Aaron Burbridge (zero catches), Quinton Patton (45 career catches) and Torrey Smith, the most accomplished member who is miscast as a No. 1 wideout.
That group has combined for zero Pro Bowls, one 1,000-yard season and — in a nod to a possible lack of rapport with Gabbert — 57 games with the 49ers (132 fewer than Larry Fitzgerald has played with Arizona).
Gabbert threw one interception in Sunday’s 37-18 loss in Seattle, but Patton was responsible. Gabbert’s short, over-themiddle pass clanged off Patton’s hands and inside linebacker Bobby Wagner corralled the ricochet.
Kelly invoked that gaffe when asked what he thought Gabbert was doing well this season.
“Sometimes I think when you just look at sheer statistics, you say, ‘Well, he threw a pick,’ ” Kelly said. “Well, did he throw the pick or did a receiver drop the ball?
“I think there are certain things you have to look at in terms of how everybody contributes to whether we’re having success on the offensive side of the ball … and it’s not all just on one guy. If it was on one guy, that would be an easy fix. But it’s not on one guy, and that’s why we feel real confident with (Gabbert) moving forward.”
Gabbert wasn’t helped by Patton on Sunday, and he wasn’t assisted by the front office in the offseason.
The 49ers signed wide receiver Eric Rogers, who led the CFL in receiving yards last year, but otherwise didn’t address the position until they selected Burbridge with the 213th overall pick. Even if Rogers and Bruce Ellington hadn’t suffered season-ending injuries in the summer, the 49ers were still prepared to enter the regular season with one wide receiver (Smith) who had more than 36 career catches.
With Ellington sidelined, the 49ers traded for Kerley on Aug. 28, and he has made an immediate impact. Kerley leads the 49ers in catches (12) and yards (114), although those figures rank 60th and 92nd in the NFL, respectively.
Kerley’s early success suggests Martin, 26, quickly can get on the field once he gets up to speed. Martin, who was among the Patriots’ final roster cuts, had career highs in catches (24) and yards (269) last season in New England, with which he made eight of his 10 career starts.
“I just want to take advantage of my opportunity,” Martin said. “Whatever that is.”
With the 49ers’ receiving corps? That opportunity could turn into a prominent role.