San Francisco 49ers: Making the case for running back Isaiah Crowell in NFL free agency
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers could turn to free agency or the NFL Draft to supplement the running back position. But Cleveland Browns tailback Isaiah Crowell could be a viable option.
It seems likely the San Francisco 49ers aren’t going to re-sign running back Carlos Hyde unless he returns on a team-friendly deal and/or a reduced role in 2018.
With Hyde poised to hit the open market, head coach Kyle Shanahan and running backs coach Bobby Turner have three primary options to fill the backfield void left by Hyde this upcoming season.
The first would be on-roster options — giving second-year pro Matt Breida more responsibility, while inserting 2017 rookies Joe Williams and Jeremy McNichols into the lineup. Additionally, the 2018 NFL Draft is laden with promising tailback prospects, and both Shanahan and Turner have a knack for finding these later during the draft.
And then, of course, free agency. Here is where Cleveland Browns four-year veteran Isaiah Crowell makes sense.
| Game | Game | Rush | Rush | Rush | Rush | Rush | Rush | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | Pos | G | GS | Rush | Yds | TD | Lng | Y/A | Y/G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | YScm | Fmb |
| 2014 | 21 | CLE | rb | 16 | 4 | 148 | 607 | 8 | 35 | 4.1 | 37.9 | 14 | 9 | 87 | 9.7 | 0 | 694 | 3 |
| 2015 | 22 | CLE | RB | 16 | 9 | 185 | 706 | 4 | 54 | 3.8 | 44.1 | 22 | 19 | 182 | 9.6 | 1 | 888 | 0 |
| 2016 | 23 | CLE | RB | 16 | 16 | 198 | 952 | 7 | 85 | 4.8 | 59.5 | 53 | 40 | 319 | 8.0 | 0 | 1271 | 2 |
| 2017 | 24 | CLE | RB | 16 | 16 | 206 | 853 | 2 | 59 | 4.1 | 53.3 | 42 | 28 | 182 | 6.5 | 0 | 1035 | 1 |
| Care | Care | 64 | 45 | 737 | 3118 | 21 | 85 | 4.2 | 48.7 | 131 | 96 | 770 | 8.0 | 1 | 3888 | 6 |
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/26/2018.
Initially, I was one of a few who like the idea of bringing aboard New England Patriots runner Dion Lewis, who is also scheduled to hit the open market like Crowell.
Lewis might be the bigger profile, surely in part due to the Pats’ success in 2017. But former KNBR 680 insider Kevin Jones changed my mind:
Isaiah Crowell to the 49ers makes sense
— Kevin Jones (@Mr_KevinJones) February 23, 2018
-His explosive running style blends together well with play-action & bootleg concepts
-In 2014, Kyle trusted him as an undrafted rookie & turned him into a red-zone machine (8 TDs)
-Crow's talents haven't been fully unleashed yet, either
Remember, Shanahan brought Crowell into the Browns system when the former was offensive coordinator there in 2014. Crowell’s 607-yard, eight-touchdown rookie campaign was pretty impressive on a Browns team that ranked 17th in total rush yardage that year (1,728).
Take note of Crowell’s pass-catching abilities too.
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At 25 years old, Crowell is two years younger than Lewis, which has its merits. And Crowell already has familiarity working within Shanahan’s system. Speaking of the red zone, where San Francisco finished 27th in touchdown conversions last year, 18 of Crowell’s 21 career touchdowns have come in this area.
That should provide a boost in an area of need.
While cap space isn’t an issue for the Niners, Crowell would ultimately be both a cheaper and younger option to fill a needed void at this position.
And it wouldn’t be a shock to see him thrive within a system that puts his best traits to use.
Next: Predicting which free agents the 49ers re-sign or let walk
We’ll see, though, as NFL free agency officially kicks off on Mar. 14.