49ers trading Matt Breida was a tough but good move

There were rumors the San Francisco 49ers could trade running back Matt Breida, which turned out to be the case during the 2020 NFL Draft. While tough, it’s a good move for the Niners.

It shouldn’t have been a shock the San Francisco 49ers traded away one of their hidden-gem running backs, Matt Breida, square in the middle of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Leading up to the draft itself, there was no shortage of rumors speculating Breida could be on the move, even after the Niners placed a second-round restricted free-agent tender on him earlier this season. All that did was ensure San Francisco would get compensation in return, had another team signed him to the qualifying offer.

Yet an overcrowded running back room, paired with the fact Breida saw only 14 carries over the 49ers’ final four regular-season games, then being scantly used in the playoffs, was evidence enough the former undrafted free agent’s future with the team was in doubt.

Speaking of UDFAs, though, that’s how Breida joined the Niners back in 2017 out of Georgia Southern. He was that year’s most impressive performer in rookie minicamp, and it was pretty clear he’d carve out a role right out of the gate. The following year, Breida would lead San Francisco in rushing. And despite the team shuffling in an array of different running backs during his three-year span with the Niners, he was still a notable contributor:

• 2017: 465 rush yards, 180 receiving yards, three touchdowns
• 2018: 814 rush yards, 261 receiving yards, five touchdowns
• 2019: 623 rush yards, 120 receiving yards, two touchdowns

There are more accolades, too. In 2018, Breida’s 5.3 yards-per-carry average ranked fourth best among qualifiers, while he was also the league’s fastest player in each of the last two years.

For whatever the reasons, Breida no longer fit into San Francisco’s game plan moving forward. As a result, general manager John Lynch elected to ship Breida off to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a fifth-round NFL Draft pick, which the Niners used in turn to select West Virginia offensive lineman Colton McKivitz. In addition, the 49ers clear the $3.26 million salary they owed Breida, which would have been a lot of money for a player ending up no higher than third on the team’s running back depth chart.

Losing Breida hurts, yes. Especially considering all the noteworthy efforts, stats and accolades from an undrafted player.

But when you look at the positives, the move makes sense. For starters, getting that kind of production over three years from a UDFA player is pretty remarkable. And considering San Francisco ponied up $1.7 million for those three years is a bargain, too.

Then, to cap things off even more, the 49ers were able to turn Breida into a fifth-round draft choice while clearing salary.

If McKivitz winds up being a serviceable-to-good player in the coming years, Breida’s transaction will be all the more beneficial.

And in fairness to Breida, he also can benefit by having a better shot to assume a much bigger role with a Dolphins team on the ascent. From that vantage point, it’s a win-win-win scenario for all three parties involved.