49ers roster 2024: What's the exact plan for Patrick Taylor Jr.?

Exactly how will the 49ers deploy Patrick Taylor Jr. this season, and will he occupy a vital role if he even makes the roster?

The San Francisco 49ers weren't overly splashy during the opening waves of NFL free agency earlier this offseason.

And one of their pickups, former Green Bay Packers running back Patrick Taylor Jr., didn't exactly move the needle in terms of increasing the Niners' Super Bowl chances.

That said, targeting Taylor has its merits. The 2020 undrafted free agent who played his college ball at Memphis comes from an offense San Francisco will potentially have to face in the postseason this year, albeit the 49ers have habitually dispatched the Packers in playoff play in recent years.

Additionally, though, the Niners are getting a reputable special teams contributor who can also help guard against possible injuries to their other chief rushers, namely Christian McCaffrey and Elijah MItchell, who are both dealing with setbacks in training camp.

Patrick Taylor Jr. career rushing stats

While Taylor has had scant usage on offense, he did appear on 100 special teams snaps for Green Bay in each of the last two seasons, suggesting that'll be a primary focus in his first season with San Francisco.

He'll have to ensure a roster spot, though, amid a crowded depth chart.

Patrick Taylor Jr.'s contract with 49ers

The 49ers inked Taylor to what's essentially a veteran's minimum, a one-year deal worth up to $1.055 million, none of which is guaranteed, according to Over the Cap.

That points to one of two potential outcomes when the Niners finalize their regular-season roster ahead of Week 1.

Either Taylor will be a no-brainer roster cut who incurs zero in dead money, or he'll be a cheap back-end-of-the-roster addition who'll help guard against injury attrition at running back while contributing on the vital-but-overlooked third phase of the game.

Is Patrick Taylor Jr. just a training camp body?

McCaffrey is about the only sure thing San Francisco has on its depth chart, and he's not likely to see any preseason action.

It's important to note, though, the 49ers inked Taylor prior to drafting Isaac Guerendo in Round 4 of this year's draft and before signing undrafted free-agent rusher Cody Schrader.

The former is dealing with a hamstring injury, while the latter is making notable strides of his own in camp.

The logjam of running backs gets even harder for Taylor to overcome from there, too.

Jordan Mason is in the mix, while the Niners inked a former friend in veteran Matt Breida. Tack on Mitchell, and it's safe to wonder if there'll even be room for Taylor to make the 53-man roster.

Assuming San Francisco keeps four running backs this season, and McCaffrey is guaranteed to take one of those spots, Taylor would have to squarely beat out the likes of Breida and Schader while potentially hoping Guerendo starts off the year on an injury list.

It seems to be a daunting task. But, if Taylor excels on special teams and showcases his value there over the others, he might just have the edge he would desperately need to hang around.

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