San Francisco 49ers Depth Chart
- NFC West
- Stadium
- Levi's Stadium
- Head Coach
- Kyle Shanahan
- Offensive Coordinator
- Kyle Shanahan
- Defensive Coordinator
- Robert Saleh
- Special Teams Coach
- Richard Hightower
- Defensive Scheme
- 4-3
The San Francisco 49ers are signing former Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Travis Benjamin to an undisclosed one-year deal on Tuesday, according to a source. The 49ers already had depth concerns at the position before Emmanuel Sanders left in free agency late last week, so Benjamin will help in that regard behind Deebo Samuel. San Francisco will surely address the position in the draft in what is a deep crop of wide receivers. But they also have Jalen Hurd, Kendrick Bourne, Marquise Goodwin, Dante Pettis and Trent Taylor. The Niners are hoping a couple of those guys, along with Benjamin, can step up in 2020. Benjamin is mostly an inconsistent deep threat for fantasy owners in deeper leagues, and there's no guaranteeing he sees much playing time in his new home. He had eight starts with the Chargers the last three years and played in just five games in 2019 due to injury.
The Dallas Cowboys have shown interest in two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, according to a source. Sanders went to college in Texas and trains in Dallas in the offseason, so it would be a homecoming for him. The 33-year-old was traded from the Broncos to the 49ers at midseason last year and finished with 36 catches for 502 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games with San Francisco in the regular season. He did very little in the Super Bowl run behind Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, and he'd merely be the third wideout in Dallas behind Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup. Sanders would be replacing Randall Cobb, who signed with the Texans.
The San Francisco 49ers tendered restricted free-agent running back Matt Breidaand wide receiver Kendrick Bourne at the second-round level, according to a source. Breida is a valuable weapon for the Niners run-heavy approach. He totaled 123 carries for 623 yards (5.1 yards per carry) and one touchdown on the ground in 2019. Breida also added 19 receptions for 120 yards and another touchdown through the air. The 25-year-old has averaged a very healthy 5.0 yards per carry in his three seasons in the NFL, but the problem is the team's crowded backfield with Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, Jeff Wilson Jr. and Jerick McKinnon. That's a lot of bodies, making the 49ers backfield situation a nightmare for fantasy owners. It will likely take an injury or two for Breida to see the field consistently in 2020. Bourne had 30 catches for 358 yards and five touchdowns in 2019 in his third season. Even with Jalen Hurd and Dante Pettis doing next to nothing, Bourne still underwhelmed behind Deebo Samuel, Emmanuel Sanders and Marquise Goodwin.
San Francisco 49ers running back Jerick McKinnon agreed to a restructured deal for the 2020 season on Tuesday, according to a league source. McKinnon signed a four-year, $30 million deal with the team in 2018, but he has yet to play for them because of injuries. He had a torn ACL right before the 2018 regular season and was on season-ending Injured Reserve last summer. McKinnon was originally scheduled to make $6.8 million in salary and bonuses in 2020. He's a true pass-catching option out of the backfield when healthy, but the Niners also have Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, Matt Breida and Jeff Wilson Jr., so McKinnon is buried on the depth chart.
The San Francisco 49ers re-signed safety Jimmie Ward to a three-year, $28.5 million deal on Monday night, according to a source. Ward was a priority for the defense in their attempt to make another Super Bowl run in 2020. The 28-year-old is an injury risk, as he's made it a full 16 games in just one of six NFL seasons, but he's a veteran leader for this Niners secondary. In 13 starts in 2019, Ward had a career-high 65 tackles (51 solo), one sack and eight passes defensed. He makes more of a real-life impact for the Niners than he does in IDP leagues, but San Fran's D will be a high-end fantasy play again next season.