49ers: Complete grade and analysis of the 2020 offseason
4. The Other Trades
- 49ers Acquire: 153rd overall pick (Colton McKivitz)
- Dolphins Acquire: Matt Breida
49ers Grade: A-
- 49ers Acquire: 190th overall pick (Charlie Woerner)
- Eagles Acquire: Marquise Goodwin, 210th overall pick (Prince Tega Wanogho)
49ers Grade: B+
The primary motivation for both trades was salary cap savings. Every dollar matters for the 49ers in a way it hasn’t in years past.
Some fans seem to be overvaluing San Francisco’s running back depth and by moving Breida backfield depth is no longer a strength, but it was also a luxury that was unlikely to be sustainable.
Breida was set to count for more than $3 million against the cap and had clearly fallen out of Shanahan’s favor by the end of the season.
They could have let him walk in free agency, but it was shrewd of the organization to offer Breida a second-round tender (via restricted free agency) and get a fifth-rounder out of it.
Goodwin had virtually no path to the roster.
Even if the 49ers hadn’t drafted a receiver, Deebo Samuel, Kendrick Bourne, Trent Taylor, and Jalen Hurd all clearly ranked above Goodwin and Dante Pettis, Travis Benjamin, and Richie James all presented legitimate competition. Add in Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings and the writing was on the wall.
Unlike with Breida, Goodwin’s contract was pretty close to underwater and it’s hard to envision him getting the $4.28 million he’s currently on the books for next year. In fact, I wouldn’t have been surprised if the 49ers needed to trade down to do it.
Moving up 20 picks wasn’t much, but saving the cap space and helping Goodwin find a good fit worked well for all parties involved.