Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers free agency: Top 5 targets for 2018

By Peter Panacy

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 24: Trumaine Johnson #22 of the Los Angeles Rams attempts to tackle Jeremy Kerley #17 of the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of their game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 24, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 24: Trumaine Johnson #22 of the Los Angeles Rams attempts to tackle Jeremy Kerley #17 of the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of their game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 24, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
FOXBOROUGH, MA – JANUARY 13: Dion Lewis #33 of the New England Patriots carries the ball in the second quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on January 13, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA – JANUARY 13: Dion Lewis #33 of the New England Patriots carries the ball in the second quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on January 13, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

No. 4: Running Back Dion Lewis

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported the 49ers may be one of a number of teams interested in pending free-agent running back Dion Lewis, who gained notoriety with the New England Patriots last year.

Florio wrote:

"Patriots running back Dion Lewis is expected to get serious consideration from multiple teams, per a source with knowledge of the situation. Potentially interested teams include the Jets, Texans, 49ers, Raiders, and Colts. As many as six or seven teams are expected to pursue Lewis."

Lewis, 27 years old, had a career-high 896 rushing yards and six touchdowns for the Pats last season. Those numbers are enticing enough, although he had never crested more than 300 in his previous four years at the pro level.

As Niner Noise’s Chris Wilson pointed out, Lewis doesn’t appear to be the kind of tailback capable of shouldering full-time work. Yet head coach Kyle Shanahan has found success with a dual-back approach.

Lewis’ pass-catching abilities (85 receptions the past three years) indicate a solid fit here, though, especially with the likelihood the Niners won’t re-sign Carlos Hyde this offseason.