The San Francisco 49ers running back room is full of talent, but do they have too much? They’re set to house Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, Matt Breida, and Jerick McKinnon in 2020, but could part one these options over the offseason. Right now it seems like Breida could be the on headed out the door, and at least one team might have shown interest in him.
San Francisco placed a second-round tender on Breida to ensure he couldn’t leave town without compensation. There is speculation the 49ers knew another team was interested in Breida, and thus attached the tender accordingly, per The Athletic’s Matt Barrows.
Fantasy football analysis
Breida rushed for more than 100 yards in a game twice in the first four weeks of 2019 and finished with 623 yards, but if he remains with San Francisco he’ll be less of a factor in 2020. Mostert will have a role in the offense from Week 1 this upcoming season, Coleman signed a two-year deal, and McKinnon is a multifaceted back the 49ers have been waiting to utilize for two years. Considering the 49ers restructured McKinnon’s contract rather than cutting him, it would appear they see a role for him.
It’s hard to see Breida rushing for more than 623 yards with that much competition. His cap figure is $3,259,000 if he plays on the tender deal. A team could still trade for him and sign him to a longer-term contract that lowers the 2020 cap hit. Breida has shown flashes as a sometimes starter, but ankle injuries have repeatedly slowed him. If he lands somewhere else, it will likely be as a complementary or co-starting piece rather than a clear starter. While it might boost his fantasy value to get out of San Francisco, wherever he lands likely will serve more to lower another back’s value.