Raiders coach Jack Del Rio wondered aloud Wednesday how the 49ers could have allowed tight end Delanie Walker to get away.
Del Rio is correct. The 49ers erred. And even members of the 49ers wish they could go back now and do things differently.
Del Rio, whose team plays against the Tennessee Titans and Walker this weekend, was asked: "What makes Delanie Walker such a dangerous guy?"
His answer: "That's a good question, and why is he not still across the Bay?"
Yes, it's quite easy to see as Walker enters his fourth season with the Titans that the 49ers should have pursued a long-term contract with Walker and, instead, parted ways with Vernon Davis.
The only problem is that the option was never even a serious consideration following the 2012 season, when Walker was scheduled for free agency.
San Francisco 49ers
After seven seasons with the 49ers, played mostly in the shadow of Davis, it was obvious Walker could get a more lucrative contract and a better situation in which to flourish with another team.
First, Davis was only 6 ½ months older than Walker, who played all but four games in his final six seasons with the 49ers. Walker's most-productive season came in 2010, when he caught 29 passes for 331 yards.
In 2011 and '12, when then-coach Jim Harbaugh described him as a "Swiss army knife," Walker caught just 40 passes in 31 games. He was used primarily as a blocker.
And while Davis caught more than twice as many passes in 2012, Walker dropped nine balls, compared to Davis' three, according to Pro Football Focus. Walker's drop rates were also higher than Davis' in 2010 and '11.
The 49ers had signed Davis to a five-year contract extension on the eve of the team's season opener in 2010, making him at the time the highest-paid tight end in the league. And the season after Walker went to Tennessee, Davis tied his career-high with 13 touchdown receptions.
But Davis' career took a dramatic turn in 2014, when he sat out the entire offseason program to angle for a new contract. Davis' production dropped off dramatically.
He did not catch a touchdown pass in his final 19 games with the 49ers before a trade sent him to the Denver Broncos for a low-round draft pick. He is now with Washington, where he has six receptions for 71 yards in two games.
Meanwhile, Walker, whose team plays the Raiders on Sunday, has taken off.
His original contract with the Titans was four years, $17.5 million. This offseason, Tennessee extended him another two years for $14.7 million, including $8.2 million guaranteed.
Walker last season caught 94 passes for 1,088 yards and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career. In '14, he caught 63 passes for 890 yards. He is one of the best all-around tight ends in the NFL.
Meanwhile, Vance McDonald and Garrett Celek were the 49ers' top two tight ends last season after Davis was traded. They combined for 49 receptions for 512 yards in a combined 25 games.
In two games this season, McDonald has three catches for 89 yards with two touchdowns, including a 75-yarder.
The 49ers could certainly use Walker now, but it's also easy to see why they never even considered getting rid of Davis at the time.
