Wide receiver remains on 49ers’ offseason shopping list

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The 49ers have selected a wide receiver in each of the past 16 drafts.

That streak surely will continue in 2019.

The 49ers are all but guaranteed to address the position in late April after their work this month has included a low-cost signing rather than high-wattage trade.

Last week, two days after an object of intense interest, Odell Beckham Jr., was dealt from the Giants to the Browns, the 49ers signed Jordan Matthews.

Beckham, 26, is a three-time Pro Bowler who signed a $90 million extension in August. Matthews, 26, has spent time with three teams, including two stops with the Eagles, over the past 19 months and reportedly signed with the 49ers for less than $2 million.

So, yes, the 49ers aren’t done adding to their unproven and underwhelming wide-receiver corps.

On Monday, Giants general manager Dave Gettleman confirmed to the New York media what previously had been reported: The 49ers were actively pursuing a deal for Beckham, who has four 75-reception, 1,000-yard seasons in his five-year career.

ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 8: Jordan Matthews #81 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs past Rolando McClain #55 and Brandon Carr #39 of the Dallas Cowboys to score the winning touchdown in overtime at AT&T Stadium on November 8, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) less ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 8: Jordan Matthews #81 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs past Rolando McClain #55 and Brandon Carr #39 of the Dallas Cowboys to score the winning touchdown in overtime at AT&T Stadium on ... more Photo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images 2018 Photo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images 2018 Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Wide receiver remains on 49ers’ offseason shopping list 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Gettleman said he had “numerous conversations … over time” that were initiated by 49ers general manager John Lynch before Beckham was dealt to Cleveland for a 2019 first-round pick (No. 17 overall), third-round pick and safety Jabril Peppers.

The 49ers’ interest in Beckham dated to last year. However, their reported unwillingness to surrender the No. 2 pick in April’s draft was a reason a deal couldn’t be consummated.

“Frankly, we couldn't come to an agreement,” Gettleman said. “so that died on the vine.”

Without Beckham as a possibility, the 49ers are continuing to do plenty of pre-draft homework on the position.

On Wednesday, a source said 49ers southwest area scout John Stevenson attended Northwestern State’s pro day in Natchitoches, La., where wide receiver Jazz Ferguson was the main attraction.

Ferguson is an intriguing late-round prospect who transferred from LSU, where he was suspended following a failed drug test and became academically ineligible. Ferguson, 6-foot-5 and 228 pounds, had an impressive 40-yard dash (4.45 seconds) at the NFL combine after he had 66 receptions for 1,117 yards and 13 touchdowns last year.

At the combine, many of the top wide-receiver prospects confirmed they had met formally with the 49ers. That group included Mississippi’s D.K. Metcalf and A.J. Brown, Massachusetts’ Andy Isabella, Georgia’s Riley Ridley and South Carolina’s Deebo Samuel.

One of Riley’s takeaways from his meeting with the 49ers: He plays a position at which they have a need.

“They are looking for a receiver, and I hope it will be me,” Ridley said. “They are looking for guys to get in that will turn this system around.”

It wouldn’t be a surprise if the 49ers used a premium pick on a wide receiver for the second straight year. In 2018, they traded up in the second round to select Dante Pettis, who enters this season as their only obvious starter after an injury-plagued rookie year that included flashes of promise.

By signing with the 49ers, Matthews became their most accomplished wideout. From 2014 through ’16, he averaged 75 receptions and 891 yards per season and scored 19 touchdowns before enduring a slew of injuries in 2017. Matthews’ five-year totals (270 catches, 3,255 yards, 22 touchdowns) are roughly comparable to the combined career production of the other eight receivers on the roster (293, 4,137, 25).

The 49ers aren’t investing much to see if Matthews can have a career renaissance. He signed a one-year, $1.8 million contract with $500,000 tied to per-game roster bonuses, ESPN reported.

The 49ers, of course, had a bigger move in mind.

Given that, it’s likely the addition of Matthews is just the start on an offseason project that might be nowhere near complete.

Eric Branch is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ebranch@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Eric_Branch