49ers trade running back Matt Breida to Dolphins for fifth-round pick, draft offensive lineman

Tribune Content Agency

Matt Breida, the 49ers’ leading rusher in 2017 and ’18, is the odd-man out in their crowded backfield.

The 49ers traded Breida to the Miami Dolphins for a fifth-round draft pick, which they used to select West Virginia offensive tackle Colton McKivitiz.

Of course, the 49ers made a bigger trade and acquired a more proven offensive tackle earlier Saturday to replace the retiring Joe Staley: Trent Williams came from Washington in exchange for an earlier fifth-round pick and a 2021 third-rounder.

Breida recently signed his one-year, $3.3 million tender as a restricted free agent.

Despite leading the 49ers in rushing his first two seasons, Breida fell down the depth chart as the 49ers made their playoff push last season and instead relied on Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman.

Mostert, Coleman, Jeff Wilson Jr. and Jerick McKinnon are all backfield options for the coming season. Mostert is the frontrunner to handle most carries after rushing for a franchise-record 220 yards in the NFC Championship Game.

Since arriving in 2017, the 49ers regime of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch has actively traded away and traded for veterans. Also shipped out were cornerback Rashard Robinson, tight end Vance McDonald, center Daniel Kilgore, offensive tackle Trent Brown, linebacker Eli Harold, linebacker Dekoda Watson and, more recently, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.

Veterans acquired in trades since 2017: quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo; offensive linemen Williams, Laken Tomlinson, Shon Coleman, and Jeremy Zuttah; defensive end Dee Ford; wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders; and, running back Kapri Bibbs.

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