Getty Former San Francisco 49ers running back Matt Breida
Matt Brieda is heading South. The San Francisco 49ers just traded the running back to the Miami Dolphins in exchange fora fifth-rounder, the No. 153 overall pick in the draft, per NFL insider Adam Schefter.
49ers are trading RB Matt Breida to Dolphins for fifth-round pick, per source.
Up until a few days ago, Breida seemed to think he was going to stick around in San Francisco.
“I think they want a lot of the guys back, so they’re going to do whatever they can to keep everyone back,” Breida said a few days back on KNBR radio. “I’m just going to sit here, wait, and see what happens. But I’ve got a good feeling we’re all going to be back.” It looks like the 49ers are going to look a bit different than Breida thought.
The defending NFC champs have had a busy final day of the draft; they acquired veteran All-Pro o-lineman Trent Williams from the Washington Redskins earlier, and 13-year veteran Joe Staley will also be retiring. The Niners also traded veteran wide receiver Marquise Goodwin to the Philadelphia Eagles.
One Analyst Predicted 49ers Would Deal Breida for Draft Picks
GettySan Francisco 49ers running back Matt Breida has been with the team since his rookie season in 2017. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, had a feeling the Niners were going to shop Breida — he’s an attractive back. As it turns out, the team got a fifth-rounder for the former undrafted back. “The 49ers have zero picks in Rounds 2 to 4 and could utilize No. 31 overall to gain capital, especially considering they dealt DeForest Buckner for the No. 13 pick last month. Many teams are looking at San Francisco as a catalyst for movement late in the first round. If they want to get creative, the 49ers can include players in any deal. Running back Matt Breida is believed to be on the trading block as the odd man out in a crowded tailback crew (he would welcome the fresh start too), and wide receiver Marquise Goodwin still has elite speed, which holds value,” Fowler wrote.
Breida signed with the 49ers as an undrafted rookie in 2017, and was a solid contributor in the 49ers running game every year since. Last season, Breida had 123 carries for 623 yards and a score. He averaged 5.1 yards a carry, which is on par with his career average so far (5.0 yards per carry). Over his 43-game career, Breida has 381 rushes for 1,902 yards and 10 total touchdowns. He has also averaged 8.4 yards per catch, so he could be a great weapon for QB Tua Tagovailoa — or whomever will be under center for the Dolphins.
The 49ers tendered Breida as a restricted free agent at the second-round level during the free agency period, so they clearly valued him. Their running backs room was a bit too crowded, though. Breida split time with Tevin Coleman, Raheem Mostert, Jerick McKinnon and Jeff Wilson, and now he’ll be splitting time with former Chicago Bear and Philadelphia Eagle running back Jordan Howard.
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