Sorting out the 49ers backfield - and this might be your last chance to buy this guy cheap..

[MEuRaH]

2) I didn't hear much outside of the nagging ankle injury that bugged him for most of the year, so maybe I am overlooking that - however; I do know that prior to 2018 he did a great job remaining healthy.

Considering a lot of sites have him ranked around RB38

He was hardly on the injury report, but that wasn't the issue. Dude would come up limping after nearly every play. Always on the sidelines getting looked at. Then he's back in the lineup 5 players later, only to get hurt again in the next quarter or two. Repeat. Softest mofo I've ever seen. He limped off the field 3-4 times a game. It got to the point that I was happy to see him leave games because I was so sick of seeing it happen yet again.

RB38 eh? He should be going ahead of guys you mentioned for sure, but RB38 doesn't really shock me. I own him in 1 league where I also have McKinnon/Coleman. If I didn't have either of those guys, I wouldn't want him. He's one of the best handcuffs in the league.

[OhCruelestRanter]

Here’s a list of reasons why investing in any of the current 49ers RBs is a fool’s errand: Etienne, Taylor, Dobbins, Akers, Harris, and Swift, plus UFAs Melvin Gordon and Derrick Henry and RFA Kareem Hunt.

The 49ers 2020 starting RB is probably not on the roster.

[ninotoreS]

Maybe, maybe not. Shanahan has demonstrated in the past (both vocally and in deed) that he doesn't need super primo RB talent to have an elite running game. So it's plausible he eschews star prospects and free-agents for cheaper (be it in the form of contract or draft capital) options in '20.

[M-Dub]

Here’s a list of reasons why investing in any of the current 49ers RBs is a fool’s errand: Etienne, Taylor, Dobbins, Akers, Harris, and Swift, plus UFAs Melvin Gordon and Derrick Henry and RFA Kareem Hunt.

The 49ers 2020 starting RB is probably not on the roster.

He’s not a dynasty target for me, partly for this reason and partly because our rosters are just too shallow to justify trading for him. I suspect I’ll have a share or two in redraft leagues though. He’s the cheapest of the three and probably has just as much chance of being the lead back.

I’ve already traded away McKinnon and Coleman this offseason, so that should at least count as a moderate vote of confidence in Breida.

[Krypto_King]

dude injured 4 times per game [x]
dude returns to game each time [x]
final conclusion player is soft [wtf]

[Gtdano_14]

dude injured 4 times per game [x]
dude returns to game each time [x]
final conclusion player is soft [wtf]

I want my RBs on the field as much as possible since most backfields are committees these days.
If the scenario you listed is close to factual, I too think it’s accurate to call him soft. He didn’t say injury prone, which would indeed be incorrect in said scenario.

[ninotoreS]

'Soft' is the wrong word, I think.

"The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." When I think of 'soft' as a pejorative in this context, I'm thinking of it in terms of will. I don't question Breida's will.

Regardless, the significance of the correlation between Breida's slot-WR build at RB and a proclivity to get beat up mid-game, even if he's been returning to action, is noteworthy.

Hurt piles on hurt in the NFL, and that's especially true with running-backs. Compare Breida to CJ Spiller. Spiller, who physically and athletically profiles similarly to Bredia, was a true superstar for one season, a legitimate world-beater. Then the very next year he had some chronic hurts (e.g. a repeatedly reaggravated sprained ankle), although he kept playing (15 games). Then early the next season, he broke his collarbone. And just like that, he was never the same again.

Spiller wasn't 'soft', and very briefly, he was truly great. But he just wasn't built for the rigors of his position at the NFL level.

[Life of Pablo]

I f***ing love Breida and think he can be so good if he stays healthy. But that's a big if. I'm afraid I might forever remain salty about him now because of how my last season ended. He was my emergency championship plug-in after Gurley got ruled out (if Gurley was ruled out before 1 PM it would've been Mike Evans instead), and my golden boy Breida went on to give me a whopping 2.60 points before getting knocked out of the game. Ended up less than 3 points short of winning it all. Sigh... what could've been Breida...

Having said that, if McKinnon and Coleman fall short of their own expectations (which wouldn't surprise me one bit), Breida can prove himself to get the most usage in that backfield. I consider Breida and Phillip Lindsay very similar in that regard (talented proven UDFA's, just need the opportunity to keep shining), but Lindsay is the one who gets all the hype.

[Ice]

As far as a Flag Plant goes; That was Awesome!

[OhCruelestRanter]

Maybe, maybe not. Shanahan has demonstrated in the past (both vocally and in deed) that he doesn't need super primo RB talent to have an elite running game. So it's plausible he eschews star prospects and free-agents for cheaper (be it in the form of contract or draft capital) options in '20.

Sure, but the influx of high end offensive skill position talent means some of it will be available on Day 2. Personally, I'm selling every "young" RB2 candidate whose value is primarily tied to their opportunity rather than talent/draft capital right now, unless I'm a contender and need that production. That means I'd be selling:
Damien Williams
RoJo
Coleman/Breida/McKinnon
Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams
Drake and Ballage
Lindsay and Freeman
Ito Smith
D'Onta Foreman
I like Damien Williams and Aaron Jones this year, but the fact that they could have their value obliterated by the 2020 class and are still going in the 4th round of startups seems crazy to me.

[ninotoreS]

That's all reasonable to me.

[Krypto_King]

dude injured 4 times per game [x]
dude returns to game each time [x]
final conclusion player is soft [wtf]

I want my RBs on the field as much as possible since most backfields are committees these days.
If the scenario you listed is close to factual, I too think it’s accurate to call him soft. He didn’t say injury prone, which would indeed be incorrect in said scenario.

sorry I didn't quote him but clearly you didn't read Mikeh's absurd take 3 posts earlier. That is the dictionary definition of "not soft"

[Gtdano_14]

dude injured 4 times per game [x]
dude returns to game each time [x]
final conclusion player is soft [wtf]

I want my RBs on the field as much as possible since most backfields are committees these days.
If the scenario you listed is close to factual, I too think it’s accurate to call him soft. He didn’t say injury prone, which would indeed be incorrect in said scenario.

sorry I didn't quote him but clearly you didn't read Mikeh's absurd take 3 posts earlier. That is the dictionary definition of "not soft"

The situation is just being looked at from two angles:
1) He isn’t soft as he keeps coming back from his minor injuries “x” amount of snaps later.
2) he is soft because he keeps having these minor injuries, taking away “x” amount of snaps.

[AussieMate]

I want my RBs on the field as much as possible since most backfields are committees these days.
If the scenario you listed is close to factual, I too think it’s accurate to call him soft. He didn’t say injury prone, which would indeed be incorrect in said scenario.

sorry I didn't quote him but clearly you didn't read Mikeh's absurd take 3 posts earlier. That is the dictionary definition of "not soft"

The situation is just being looked at from two angles:
1) He isn’t soft as he keeps coming back from his minor injuries “x” amount of snaps later.
2) he is soft because he keeps having these minor injuries, taking away “x” amount of snaps.

I generally look at it as (2), he constantly goes off with a niggle that isn't bad enough to keep him out for any time. Sounds like the little niggles most RBS get but just play through. At least that's the way I see it, I could see how others would see option (1) though.
You would have to be the team physio or trainer to know which.

[Cameron Giles]

I'm not a huge Breida fan, but this a really well structured, rational and thought-out post.

Given how messy the backfield is and his current price, there's a lot of upside in case of injury. But, personally I just prefer to avoid this backfield altogether.