The San Francisco 49ers made a move on Friday by sending a sixth-round draft pick to the Washington Commanders for running back Brian Robinson Jr. Robinson, 26, had a decent first three seasons in the NFL by running for over 800 yards each year, and last year, he scored eight rushing touchdowns.
Robinson will add some much-needed functional depth to an iffy 49ers running back room. While Christian McCaffrey, the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year, seems to be returning to form after an injury-plagued 2024 season, backup Patrick Taylor Jr. suffered a shoulder injury in last weekend’s preseason game versus the Las Vegas Raiders and is out for the year.
Jordan James, another reserve RB, is still out due to a broken finger, and second-stringer Isaac Guerendo only recently returned to practice after being forced to sit out with his own shoulder ailment.
Given Robinson’s level of production, this move by the 49ers seems to be a solid one that will give them a boost offensively. But ESPN analyst Seth Walder isn’t that bullish on the trade. He gave it a B-minus grade and implied that Robinson may not get that many snaps with his new team.
“In San Francisco, Christian McCaffrey will handle the receiving role, and presumably this acquisition is to spell the team’s star running back from some of his carries,” Walder wrote. “The 49ers had been banged up at running back, though backup Isaac Guerendo is now back at practice.
“The 49ers needed the depth, but considering Robinson is on a one-year deal (albeit at a cheap price) and I’m not sure he’s any more than the third-best back on the team, a sixth-round pick is a little more than I’d want to deal for him.”
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It is a little hard to imagine Robinson being third on coach Kyle Shanahan’s depth chart. Guerendo showed some bursts of promise last year during his rookie season, but he’s much less proven than Robinson is. He ended up running for 420 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games, although he averaged a robust five yards per carry.
Robinson has an average of 4.1 yards per carry so far in his NFL career. But he’s a more physical rusher than Guerendo, and at 6-foot-1 and nearly 230 pounds, he possesses more size than McCaffrey.
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He could essentially be seen as a replacement for Jordan Mason, who was San Francisco’s RB2 last year but was traded to the Minnesota Vikings during the offseason. Mason filled in ably for McCaffrey last year when McCaffrey missed the first eight games of the schedule due to an Achilles ailment, and he ended up with 789 rushing yards in 12 games and six starts.
Shanahan has built the 49ers based on a strong running attack ever since taking over as their head coach in 2017. With all the questions and injury concerns their wide receiver room is facing, they may have to lean heavily on their tailbacks in order to return to their old selves.
From 2019 to 2023, the Niners reached the NFC Championship Game four times and the Super Bowl twice, but they went just 6-11 last season due to a gnarly rash of injuries. Therefore, depth at their major position groups will be of the utmost importance this fall and winter, especially considering the injuries McCaffrey has had throughout his career.
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