Brandon Carswell Tears ACL, Austin Collie a Potential Replacement

Brandon Carswell, who was just signed last by the 49ers last Wednesday, suffered a torn ACL at the start of his first practice with the team. Carswell was signed to a two-year deal after San Fransisco released tight end Cameron Morrah.He will join breakout-candidate Michael Crabtree on the sidelines for the 2013 season.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh referred to the injury as “a real kick to the gut”. But remains optimistic as Austin Collie could be a potential grab for the team moving forward.

"“He was good,” Harbaugh said of Collie’s workout. “He had a patellar tear 7 ½ months ago and he’s very far along. Pretty impressive.” Collie caught more than 50 passes in each of his first three seasons, including a 2010 campaign cut short by concussion. He had 58 catches for 649 yards and eight touchdowns despite playing in only nine games that season.… “It’s still ongoing,” he said. “There’s still a few more things we want to have checked out.”"

Via Jimmy Durkin | InsideBayArea.com

Collie missed all but one game in 2012 due to a knee injury and has already suffered three concussions in his five-year career. So his health is questionable, at best. That said, he has shown promise in the past – most notably as a red-zone target.