Editor's note: Over the next two weeks, we will examine the 49ers’ top 10 scheduled free agents. For each player, we will provide reasons why the 49ers should bring him back and reasons why they should not, followed by a final determination.
Matt Breida, RB
Running back Matt Breida was one of the true success stories for the 49ers over the past three seasons.
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The 49ers invested a fourth-round draft pick in running back Joe Williams in 2017. But it was Breida whom the coaching staff immediately identified as having the right stuff after he signed as an undrafted rookie that same year.
Breida was the 49ers’ leading rusher in 2018 despite battling a lingering ankle issue most of the season. And after Tevin Coleman was injured in the first game last year, Breida picked up where he left off with games of 121 and 114 yards rushing over a three-game span.
But Breida fell out of the rotation after returning from missing three games with an ankle injury. He was not used much in the playoffs and played no offensive snaps in the Super Bowl. Now, Breida is a restricted free agent, and the 49ers must make a decision.
Reasons to bring him back
San Francisco 49ers
It is difficult to do much better than Breida did in his first three NFL seasons. In 43 games, he carried 381 times for 1,902 yards and six touchdowns. His 5.0 average is about as good as it gets.
He has also improved out of the backfield as a pass-catcher. He has 67 receptions for 561 yards and four touchdowns in three seasons.
Breida is a model teammate. He quietly goes about his business. He is not a starter with the 49ers’ stable of running backs, but he is a great option in a reserve role.
Reasons he does not return
Breida was an absolute bargain for the 49ers in his first three NFL seasons, making a total of approximately $1.7 million. He is a restricted free agent, and the 49ers must decide if – or at what level – to tender him.
The low tender is $2.144 million for one year. If another team signs him to an offer sheet and the 49ers decline to match, they would receive no compensation. The only way the 49ers would receive compensation is if they extend a qualifying offer of $3.278 million (second-round pick) or $4.667 million (first-round pick).
The 49ers already have Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman and Jeff Wilson under contract. They are pursuing the possibility of bringing back Jerick McKinnon on a low-level contract after he missed the past two seasons with knee issues.
The 49ers might decide to let Breida walk and earmark his spot on the depth chart for a younger, third-down running back who is a more polished route-runner.
[RELATED: Re-signing Emmanuel Sanders means one fewer unknown]
Final verdict
This one is painful, but $2.144 million for a running back who was No. 4 on the depth chart in Super Bowl LIV is simply too much to pay when the 49ers have higher priorities on their roster. The 49ers must make some tough decisions this offseason.
Therefore, it seems unlikely the 49ers will be willing to pay Breida the price it will take to retain him when the club can spend a fraction of that price to bring in an undrafted rookie to compete for a spot on the 53-man roster.
Also, if Breida does not get a lot of attention on the open market, the 49ers could keep the door open to re-signing him at a lower price.