San Francisco 49ers: 4 offensive sleepers to target in free agency
By Peter Panacy
49ers Sleeper Free-Agent No. 2: Running Back Matt Breida
It’s rare for a player to emerge out of Kyle Shanahan’s proverbial doghouse, which would seem to rule out the idea the 49ers would entertain a reunion with Miami Dolphins running back Matt Breida.
Breida’s fumbling issues didn’t disappear in his lone year with Miami, coughing up two in 2020 in what ended up being a limited role. But that won’t change the fact he’s still one of the league’s faster players, and Shanahan has always emphasized speed with his offense. Plus, with veteran runners Tevin Coleman and Jerick McKinnon hitting the free-agent market, the Niners depth chart looks vastly thinner than it was a year ago when Breida was traded during the offseason.
Currently, San Francisco has tailbacks Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., JaMycal Hasty and Austin Walter rostered for 2021, and the first three all suffered notable injuries last year.
Adding Breida on the cheap isn’t the worst thing the 49ers could do.
Plus, Breida already knows the offense after having spent his first three seasons with San Francisco, giving him a leg up on any other offseason additions Shanahan and Co. might make.