The 49ers have already been major players on the trade front with respect to the running back position, and they could be making another move soon. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets that San Francisco has fielded calls about the availability of Jeff Wilson. 
Not surprisingly, Fowler adds that the 49ers are willing to entertain offers on the 26-year-old. The team added a new No. 1 to their backfield last week when they acquired Christian McCaffrey from the Panthers. That, coupled with the fact that Elijah Mitchell is nearing a return, leaves them with an impending logjam at the position. With the latter being under contract for two more seasons after 2022, Wilson represents the logical trade candidate.
Wilson has spent his entire career in San Francisco. Since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2018, Wilson has ridden his tenure out on a series of one-year contracts, the most recent being signed this past March. He’s never been the de facto No. 1 back in San Francisco, but a litany of injuries has given him plenty of run as a lead back over the years. After starting 14 of the 44 games he’s played in over the past five years (five of those starts coming this season), Wilson has established himself as a dependable backup.
Wilson has displayed a decent amount of success and production in the Niners’ system. San Francisco has operated in a running-back-by-committee type of offense, though not exactly by choice. Over the years, injuries to running backs such as Matt Breida, Tevin Coleman, Raheem Mostert, Mitchell, and Wilson have made it impossible to formulate an entire offense around one feature back. The addition of star running back Christian McCaffrey is intended to remedy this situation, despite McCaffrey’s recent injury troubles.
Regardless, the arrival of McCaffrey, along with the eventual return of Mitchell and the development of third-round rookie Tyrion Davis-Price, makes Wilson an expendable asset. Since many other teams expressed their interest in McCaffrey when he was made available, it stands to reason that those teams may still have interest in a running back, albeit one of a lower tier of production so far in his career, so it’s little surprise that teams have inquired about Wilson.
Expect this potential trade to be treated like the Jimmy Garoppolo trade situation. The 49ers have shown that they are willing to be patient when offering up a trade asset that still holds value to them. They will continue to utilize Wilson, like they have Garoppolo, until someone gives them an offer they feel matches Wilson’s worth.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Try to swap him for o-line or secondary help
Given McCaffery’s injury history and the fact that San Fran’s last number one is still on I.R., one would think it prudent to retain a capable backup. They just traded for a guy due to injuries in the room, and as soon as he gets there, they want to trade one of their insurance policies. I’m not sure that I wouldn’t want to hedge my bets in the event of yet another injury.
Hedging bets is a luxury only GMs with job security enjoy. The fact Lynch went all-in on CMC indicates he’s aware he has to restore this team to SB form soon or get axed.
“Restore to superbowl form”
You mean the same superbowl form he built for them in less than 2 years? They were picking 2nd overall when he took over. He still has a long way to go before he is on the hot seat
It’s a “what have you done for us lately?” league and one year of sizzle doesn’t provide a lot of insurance.
Yep. As AK185 said, keep Wilson as backup for McCaffrey. Consider trading Elijah Mitchell who is injury prone and doesn’t seem dependable.
Using that logic Lynch should have traded away Bosa as well..
Trading Bosa might be a consideration. He’s a cover boy for Yahoo news. They like him. He’s similar to Kittle; sometimes great but can’t stay healthy for long. They don’t know how to take care of themselves.
Lmao
It doesn’t mention and I can’t think of which teams would be interested. The only team I can imagine he is an upgrade is the Rams, and I can’t see them trading within the division. He would be depth for anyone else. If the Jets only got a 6th for Robinson to co-lead, it doesn’t seem Wilson brings back anything. An I missing a team?
I think depth is the point. Just because they are getting calls doesn’t mean they are getting offers. Or good ones either. Broncos don’t trust Gordon and seem to think they are still competitive if Russell Wilson gets healthy. Titans may view him as a better backup in case Henry goes down again. Cardinals have some RB health concerns. No one seems to think Saquon’s backups are special yet and he’s got a banged up shoulder. There are plenty of scenarios where Jeff Wilson would be an upgrade, even if it’s not as a starter.
Those scenarios make sense, but the compensation would likely be next to nothing. Since the 49ers are all in this year, they should keep him as insurance instead.
Both great points. There are teams who could use Wilson in essentially the same way that the 9ers do, but the level of compensation seems paltry compared to the utility that San Fran will get. The 9ers should have special considerations considering that their top two backs both have injury issues.
Baltimore
Durability, dependability and affordability should be Shanahan’s concern. Jeff Wilson is all this and more.
You’re making it sound like he’s a Maytag appliance…lol.