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Matt Breida

Giants Likely To Make RB Addition?

June 17th, 2024 at 2:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

For the first time since 2017, the Giants’ backfield will not include Saquon Barkley. A veteran lead back (Devin Singletary) has been added to replace him, but further moves at the position could be coming.

New York has 2023 fifth-rounder Eric Gray in place as a returnee. He saw a minor role on both offense and special teams as a rookie, and Singletary’s presence makes it unlikely he will see a notable uptick in carries or receptions in 2024. The Giants again took the draft route to add depth this year, selecting Tyrone Tracy Jr. in the fifth round.

Given the lack of experience at the position amongst those and other options, Dan Duggan of The Athletic writes a veteran backfield signing is “likely” between now and the opening of training camp (subscription required). Several options fit the bill in that respect, and Matt Breida is among them. Duggan notes a reunion with the 29-year-old could meet the need for depth in the summer.

Breida has played each of the past two seasons with the Giants. He averaged just 3.2 carries per game during that span while serving as Barkley’s backup, and the Singletary-Gray-Tracey trio could limit his offensive role if he were to come back. If that does not come to fruition, the likes of Dalvin Cook, Kareem Hunt, Cam Akers and Brandon Bolden could be on New York’s radar as unsigned backs who will likely be affordable.

The Giants added Dante Miller in April as an interesting flier in the backfield. It remains to be seen if he will be able to earn a roster spot, though, and the same is true of former UDFA Jashaun Corbin, who is once again set to compete for a role during training camp. Veterans still on the market would represent far more experienced options to complement Singletary, although special teams contributions will of course be highly valuable as well.

New York – a team which is set to host Jacob Saylors, the UFL’s top rusher amongst running backs – currently have $11.7MM in cap space. That should leave room for a modest addition in the backfield, and the Giants will certainly have a number of options to consider if one is pursued.

Giants To Re-Sign RB Matt Breida, Sign DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches

March 13th, 2023 at 6:10pm CST by Ben Levine

The Giants have made moves on both sides of the ball. Jordan Schultz of The Score reports (via Twitter) that running back Matt Breida is re-signing with New York. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reports (via Twitter) that the Giants are signing defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches.

Breida is inking a new one-year contract that can peak at $2.3MM with incentives. The veteran RB spent the 2022 campaign as Saquon Barkley‘s backup, with Breida ultimately seeing time in all 17 games (one start). The 28-year-old finished the campaign with 338 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown.

The former UDFA spent the first three seasons of his career with the 49ers, collecting 2,463 yards from scrimmage. He’s since bounced around the NFL, also spending time with the Dolphins and Bills. He’ll continue to be a backup in 2023, with Gary Brightwell and Jashaun Corbin also around as depth at the position.

Nunez-Roches has spent eight seasons in the NFL, including the past five years in Tampa Bay. He started 10 of his 17 appearances for the Buccaneers in 2022, finishing with 33 tackles and two sacks. The veteran hasn’t missed a game since the 2018 season, and he’ll provide the Giants with some reliable depth on their defensive line.

Giants Sign Matt Breida

March 21st, 2022 at 2:27pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants have added a veteran to their running back room. The team announced the signing of Matt Breida on Monday. 

[RELATED: Giants Cut RB Booker]

Breida, 27, started his career with the 49ers as a UDFA. He spent three seasons there, with his best campaign coming in 2018. He totalled 814 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, along with 261 yards and two more scores in the passing game.

San Francisco then traded him to the Dolphins as part of a draft-day deal. In his lone season in Miami, he started only one of 12 games played, recording 350 scrimmage yards. He then signed with the Bills one year ago, though again he was simply a depth piece. He played only 81 snaps, meaning it doesn’t come as a surprise he is on the move for the third consecutive offseason. Given the presence of Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll in New York, though, Breida will be a familiar face for his new employers.

There are plenty of question marks surrounding the Giants’ RB room at the moment. The most important storyline with regards to the position – if not the team as a whole – is the future of Saquon Barkley. While a trade of the former No. 2 overall pick isn’t imminent, it is still a possibility. Regardless of whether or not Barkley stays in the Big Apple, there should be playing time available for Breida given the recent release of fellow veteran Devontae Booker. The speedster will look to improve a Giants offense which averaged less than 100 yards per game on the ground in 2022.

Bills Sign RB Matt Breida

March 25th, 2021 at 2:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Matt Breida will leave the Dolphins but stay in the AFC East. The Bills are signing the four-year veteran running back, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Breida is expected to sign a one-year deal. The Bills announced the move.

The Dolphins acquired Breida from the 49ers during the 2020 draft but did not receive much production from the elusive back. Breida, however, has rushed for more than 600 yards in multiple seasons — including 814 in 2018 — and is one of the league’s fastest ball carriers. He will join Devin Singletary and Zack Moss in Buffalo.

The 49ers shipped Breida to the Dolphins for a fifth-round pick, but he ended last season with just 254 rushing yards despite having played in 12 games. Miami has since pivoted to former Rams back Malcolm Brown, who will team with Myles Gaskin. The Bills’ backfield suddenly looks crowded, with Breida set to vie for time with recent Day 2 picks.

A former UDFA out of Georgia Southern, Breida played a key role for multiple Kyle Shanahan offenses. He topped five yards per carry in both 2018 and ’19, doing so on 153 carries in 2018. Raheem Mostert ended up usurping Breida in San Francisco, but Breida still helped a 49ers backfield that was without high-end signing Jerick McKinnon for two full seasons. The 26-year-old back will look to re-establish his career in Buffalo.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/16/20

December 16th, 2020 at 5:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Miami Dolphins

New York Jets

  • Placed on IR: S Saquan Hamilton

Philadelphia Eagles

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/4/20

December 4th, 2020 at 5:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Friday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Have Not Discussed Extension For RB Matt Breida

July 9th, 2020 at 12:07pm CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins acquired running back Matt Breida from the 49ers in exchange for the No. 153 overall pick in this year’s draft, and Breida is scheduled for unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2020 season. However, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that the team has not discussed an extension with Breida.

Of course, extensions are hard to come by right now in light of the uncertainty created by COVID-19, and even under better circumstances, the Dolphins may not be too keen on a multi-year commitment. Breida, a 2017 UDFA, has yet to total more than 153 carries in a season, has battled injuries throughout the early part of his career, and will enter the 2020 campaign in a timeshare with free agent acquisition Jordan Howard.

On the flip-side, Breida has looked good in his relatively limited action to date. He boasts a career 5.0 yards-per-carry average — a mark that he exceeded in both of the past two seasons — excellent speed, and is a useful receiver out of the backfield. The 49ers tendered him at the second-round level prior to trading him, and there is reason to believe that he can be a productive starter in the NFL.

But one wonders if Breida would be open to an extension anyway. After all, he is a more explosive back than Howard — whose career has trended downwards since he made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2016 — and Breida could start seeing the lion’s share of the carries as the 2020 season wears on. If that happens, he will be well-positioned for a significant new deal from the Dolphins or some other club next year, while an extension now would probably be more modest in scope.

Breida joins Raekwon McMillan and Davon Godchaux as the Dolphins’ top impending unrestricted free agents, but it sounds like the ‘Fins are more receptive to an extension for their two young defenders than for Breida.

49ers Trade Matt Breida To Dolphins

April 25th, 2020 at 1:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers are shaking up their backfield and sending a member of their surplus to south Florida, dealing Matt Breida to the Dolphins for the No. 153 overall pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Miami did not previously address its backfield need but made multiple overtures to teams dangling veterans. The Dolphins discussed a Leonard Fournette deal with the Jaguars, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes (on Twitter). Those talks occurred in March, however, and did not appear to lead to a serious change Fournette would change Florida cities.

With Jerick McKinnon still in the picture for the 49ers and three other backs in that mix as well, the defending NFC champions were a candidate to make a deal. Breida is entering a contract year and was mentioned as a possible trade chip earlier this offseason. While he was the odd man out for carries in Super Bowl LIV, Breida has displayed intriguing skills during his three-year 49ers run and looks to have a much clearer path to carries in Miami than he did in San Francisco.

The speedy ex-UDFA surpassed 600 rushing yards in each of the past two seasons, filling in for McKinnon in 2018 and being part of a productive timeshare with Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert last season. Breida eclipsed 5.0 yards per carry in each of the past two years. The 49ers still have Coleman, Mostert, McKinnon and Jeff Wilson under contract. They turned to Mostert, a career special-teamer, last season and appear prepared to give him more work.

Miami traded Kenyan Drake to Arizona before last year’s trade deadline and cut Mark Walton after yet another arrest. Breida will join free agent addition Jordan Howard in the Dolphins’ new-look backfield.

Fournette remains in Jacksonville, though his place there is certainly less certain than it was exiting last season. The Jags have engaged in Fournette trade talks for over a month but have not found trade talks to be particularly enticing. Fournette has one season left on his contract, but the Jaguars have another week and change to decide on his fifth-year option.

With their No. 153 pick, the 49ers took West Virginia offensive lineman Colton McKivitz.

49ers’ Matt Breida Signs Tender

April 16th, 2020 at 7:00pm CST by Zachary Links

49ers running back Matt Breida has signed his tender, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Per the terms of the second-round level cuff, Breida will earn $3.1MM in 2020. 

[RELATED: 49ers Re-Sign Verrett, Johnson]

The Niners reportedly used the second-round tender on Breida because they sensed that at least one other team was fixing to poach him at the original-round level. That doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s in the team’s plans for 2020 – reportedly, the Niners tendered him with the thought that he could be traded at a later date.

With Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman in the fold, Breida isn’t on track for a major role in the 49ers’ backfield. Jerick McKinnon is also in the mix – many thought that the Niners would cut Jet this offseason, but he’s on the books at a cheaper rate following his mid-March haircut.

At times, Breida impressed – he’s averaged at least 5.1 yards per tote in each of the last two seasons. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Over the course of three seasons, the Georgia Southern product has totaled just 381 carries.

49ers Notes: Breida, Goodwin, Sherman

March 28th, 2020 at 9:06pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The 49ers placed a second-round tender on Matt Breida earlier this month, but that doesn’t mean he’s necessarily going to be back with the team in 2020. San Francisco knew that at least one team was “circling” the running back, which is why they placed the tender on him to ensure he wouldn’t leave town without any compensation coming back, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Barrows writes that the team tendered him at that level thinking they’d be able to trade him later.

Barrows notes that he initially thought Breida would be traded for a “mid-round draft pick,” and that a deal could get done sometime during the draft. They have a very crowded backfield with Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, and Jerick McKinnon all in the room as well, so a Breida trade would make plenty of sense. Breida has shown lots of flashes, and has averaged at least 5.1 yards per carry in each of the last two years, but the Georgia Southern product is also seemingly always battling some type of injury. He’s currently set to make around $3.1MM under the tender in 2020.

Here’s more from the NFC West:

  • In the same piece, Barrows indicates that receiver Marquise Goodwin is on his way out as well. The 49ers are going to look for a trade partner for the receiver, but Barrows thinks it’ll be tough for them to find a take and that they’ll ultimately end up cutting him. Goodwin has a $5MM cap hit this year, and Barrows thinks they might cut him whenever they need to make room for a George Kittle extension. Goodwin had a career year with San Francisco in 2017 with 962 yards, but has been injured and ineffective the past two seasons. In 2019 he had only 186 yards.
  • The last we heard back in January, 49ers left tackle Joe Staley had no intention of retiring. But he still hasn’t necessarily definitively told the team he’ll play in 2020 and could be taking the offseason to deliberate, according to Matt Maiocco of NBCSports.com. Maiocco thinks the team might try to play up the mystery to keep teams guessing as to whether or not they’ll draft a tackle early in what is regarded as a strong offensive tackle class. Thanks to the DeForest Buckner trade, San Fran currently holds the 13th overall pick in addition to the 31st. Maiocco also writes that Mike McGlinchey “appears locked into right tackle” and won’t be switching over to the left side whenever Staley does retire. Staley, a starter for the past 13 seasons, will turn 36 in August.
  • The 49ers “certainly will not pick up” the fifth-year option on defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, Maiocco writes. Thomas has been a massive disappointment since the team drafted him third overall back in 2017, so this isn’t too surprising. It also means that the Stanford product will be entering free agency next offseason, although Maiocco cautions that doesn’t mean he won’t be back with the team and that they might try to re-sign him cheaply. Thomas started at least 12 games in each of his first two seasons but only started three last year, playing just 41 percent of the defensive snaps. With Buckner out of the way, he could get one last shot to establish himself.
  • One last 49ers note. The team is doing right by Richard Sherman, giving him an extra $1MM signing bonus to “account for the 90% play-time incentive he narrowly missed out on last season,” Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. It’s a nice gesture from the team, as the cornerback’s resurgent play was a large part of the reason they made the Super Bowl.
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