Insider proposes 49ers reunion with seven-year veteran at trade deadline

How will the San Francisco 49ers approach the trade deadline concerning their offense?

The 49ers' season appeared to turn on its head when All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey was placed on injured reserve before he ever appeared in a game. Jordan Mason has been sublime in McCaffrey's absence, but Mason is now dealing with injury concerns as well.

Though neither McCaffrey or Mason should be in danger of missing the rest of the season, the 49ers could look to add one more running back before the Nov. 5 deadline. And one insider believes familiarity could play to San Francisco's advantage.

Bill Barnwell of ESPN proposed on Thursday that the 49ers could acquire Miami Dolphins running back Jeff Wilson, who played in San Francisco from 2018 to 2022, for a late-round draft pick.

"Adding someone with experience as the lead back in this offense would be helpful," Barnwell said. "Unlike (free agent Matt) Breida, who was more of a change-of-pace and home-run hitter during his time in San Francisco, Wilson was used as the top back more often."

Wilson, 29, hasn't factored into the Dolphins' game plan much this season, sitting behind De'Von Achane and Raheem Mostert on the depth chart. He has just eight carries for 40 yards, a far cry from his 860 rushing yards in 2022.

In a world where both McCaffrey and Mason are healthy, Wilson would likely be relegated to a similar third-string role he currently owns in Miami. But the 49ers are likely to go much farther than the Dolphins in the playoffs, so even the same role could be preferable.

If the cost is low, pursuing Wilson is worth the 49ers' time. He's been effective in their system before, so there's no reason to think he couldn't be again.

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