San Francisco 49ers: Who is running back Matt Breida?
By Peter Panacy
Niner Noise moves along with our annual “Who Is?” series on San Francisco 49ers players. In this installment, we take a look at running back Matt Breida.
The San Francisco 49ers shook up their running back crop this offseason behind No. 1 tailback Carlos Hyde, and among those changes was former Georgia Southern tailback Matt Breida.
Breida, an undrafted free agent, signed a $30,000 contract with the Niners, which included $25,000 in base, guaranteed money.
That’s a good chunk of money for a UDFA, so there’s a chance San Francisco looks at Breida as a potential long-term piece of the team’s plans.
Breida’s junior year at Georgia Southern was more than just impressive. But it’s likely his senior season — in which he posted just 646 rushing yards — hindered his draft stock, despite an impressive performance at his pro day:
| Rush | Rush | Rush | Rush | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Class | Pos | G | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD |
| 2014 | Georgia Southern | SO | RB | 12 | 171 | 1485 | 8.7 | 17 | 8 | 97 | 12.1 | 1 |
| *2015 | Georgia Southern | JR | RB | 13 | 203 | 1609 | 7.9 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 2.0 | 0 |
| 2016 | Georgia Southern | SR | RB | 12 | 168 | 646 | 3.8 | 3 | 11 | 53 | 4.8 | 2 |
| Career | Georgia Southern | 542 | 3740 | 6.9 | 37 | 22 | 156 | 7.1 | 3 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 5/17/2017.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Breida wasn’t viewed as a projected draft pick, per CBS Sports, yet the Niners thought enough of him to award a decent UDFA contract and invite to rookie minicamp.
So what should we look for in 2017?
San Francisco 49ers
Why He Improves
Breida has a fairly crowded pool at running back. Capped off by Hyde, Breida will be forced to compete with backups Tim Hightower, Kapri Bibbs, Raheem Mostert and third-round rookie Joe Williams.
Williams may get most of the attention during training camp and figures to be at least the No. 2 guy to start the season.
But Breida may have a chance to unseat the remaining group for the third-string tailback.
Breida isn’t known for being much of a pass catcher, so that may limit his use in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense a bit. Yet his vision, as pointed out by Pigskin Prospects’ Jason Hurley, is top notch. This might make Breida more of a fit for the outside-zone scheme Shanahan will run.
And Breida’s 4.39 40-yard time at his pro day sure looks good on paper.
The ability to operate as a receiving threat will be something in which Breida either thrives or struggles. If the former takes place, Breida’s chances at cracking the roster get notably better.
Why He Regresses
Georgia Southern didn’t utilize a pro-style offense, and Shanahan doesn’t veer too far towards experimenting with collegiate schemes.
So this is a mark against Breida. But one could make the case it’s a knock against Hyde as well.
Who knows with the latter, but Breida also has a less-than-ideal size for a running back at the NFL level. Sure, his vision and cut-back ability make him a unique option. But his smallish frame won’t work so well when dealing with larger and more prolific defenders at this level.
Breida needs to get into the open field to make plays happen. While he was known for breaking tackles in college, this won’t be anywhere near as easy from this point onward.
What to Expect in 2017
Breida has his share of fans, including Pro Football Focus’ Jordan Plocher. The running back’s ability to make plays in the open field and knack for breaking tackles could translate into some use for San Francisco.
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Playing within the Sun Belt conference meant Breida didn’t exactly see a lot of top-tier competition, nor did he receive a lot of hype. But that’s not a knock against him either.
At best, Breida turns enough heads to warrant consideration as the team’s No. 3 running back on the 49ers’ 53-man roster in 2017. Yet placement on the practice squad seems a bit more likely, especially if the Niners can limit his usage during the preseason to prevent other teams from gauging his pro-level abilities.
Next: 49ers 2017 offseason review, grades and analysis
This is probably what happens, especially considering the amount of money spent to bring in the UDFA.