Getty Gallery: 5/5
San Francisco 49ers
With how impressive Matt Breida has looked when healthy during the 2018 NFL season, I was tempted to not put the 49ers on this list. Although Breida likely won't even be the team's starter in 2019 regardless of how things play out, he's at least a factor in the situation to some extent.
I think the 49ers are likely one of the longer shots to sign Bell, mainly due to the fact that I can't envision them spending in back-to-back seasons on running backs. No, I didn't forget about Jerick McKinnon, who's in an interesting spot currently as well. Although San Francisco choosing to move on from McKinnon, who tore his ACL prior to the season, would be surprising, it's not out of the realm of possibility.
Based on the numbers, though, I don't actually think the 49ers need to release McKinnon at this point. The 26-year-old back only has a $5.75 million cap hit in 2019, making him somewhat affordable. If they keep McKinnon but opt to release him the year after, it would cost $4 million in dead cap while saving $4.4 million in cap space at that point. If released in 2019, that dead cap number would come in at $6 million.
Taking things one step further is the fact that Breida only has one more season on his contract beyond this year. In turn, the 49ers could go into next season with Bell, McKinnon and Breida and sort out the best route to go after that year. They'll certainly have options and there's a good chance Breida could prove to be a valuable trade asset.
The 49ers are losing both Alfred Morris and Raheem Mostert to free agency this offseason so the addition of Bell would make a fair amount of sense. Mostert has shown glimpses of big upside in his own right, but he may be able to fetch a solid contract in free agency, even after an unfortunate arm injury ended his 2018 season at the halfway point.
As Spotrac shows, there's plenty of reason to believe the 49ers will have the money to afford the former Steelers running back in 2019 as well. They currently sit with just north of $63 million in cap space and 46 players on the roster for next season. Financially it should work and Bell joining Jimmy Garoppolo to complete the San Francisco backfield is likely a sight Kyle Shanahan only thought he'd see in his dreams.
*Note: All salary cap information courtesy of Spotrac.
READ NEXT: Dez Bryant Fantasy: Value of Wide Receiver After Signing With Saints
Comments
Raiders, Colts Among Best Free Agency Fits for Le’Veon Bell