49ers expressed interest in WR Tyler Boyd

At the onset of free agency, the San Francisco 49ers appeared to be exploring options to bolster their wide receiver corps. Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports that the team showed some "preliminary interest" in former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd.

While the extent of this interest remains unclear, it's plausible that the 49ers considered adding Boyd to provide depth or as a contingency plan in case contract negotiations with star wideout Brandon Aiyuk go south.

San Francisco was one of several teams expressing interest in Boyd's services. Kaboly reports, "Boyd has at least had preliminary interest from the Chiefs, Chargers, Dolphins, Lions and 49ers."

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Boyd (6-2, 203) out of Pittsburgh in the second round (No. 55 overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft. Over his eight-year NFL career, he has displayed consistent productivity, tallying at least 762 receiving yards in five of his last six seasons, with two seasons surpassing the 1,000-yard mark (1,028 in 2018 and 1,046 in 2019).

Pro Football Focus viewed Boyd's 2018 performance as his best, awarding him a career-high 84.5 overall grade for that season.

Boyd, 29, accumulated 67 receptions for 667 yards and two touchdowns across 17 game appearances (13 starts) with the Bengals last season, per Pro Football Reference. Throughout his career, he has amassed 513 receptions for 6,000 yards and 31 touchdowns in 120 game appearances (77 starts).