Matt Breida is coming off of another successful season with the San Francisco 49ers, as the former undrafted free agent out of Georgia Southern racked up 743 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns while averaging 5.2 yards per touch. The 49ers averaged 144.1 rushing yards per game, which ranked second in the league, and was a big reason why the 49ers made it to Super Bowl LIV. Breida, Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert carried this team through the season in 2019, and proved that the NFL is not just a passing league.
This offseason, however, the 49ers made the decision to trade Breida to the Miami Dolphins during the 2020 NFL Draft, and he will join a team that is in a rebuilding stage. While they may not be expected to compete for a Lombardi trophy in 2020, the Dolphins actually have several intriguing pieces on both sides of the ball. They splurged on defensive players in free agency and also used their first pick on a new quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa, so maybe this turnaround won't take as long as expected. Miami also has a few interesting running backs on the roster, and Breida says he sees some similarities between the Dolphins' running back room and the group he was a part of last year in San Francisco.
"We're all coming in there willing to compete, willing to make each other better," Breida said during an appearance on the NFL Network. "That's one thing that I learned quick in these virtual meetings with these is guys is that they're eager to get better. That's kinda how we were last year in the running back room in San Francisco and that's gonna go a long way to help us get where we gotta get."
Apart from Breida, the Dolphins also signed former Philadelphia Eagles running back Jordan Howard in free agency and drafted former Navy offensive weapon Malcolm Perry. Kalen Ballage and Myles Gaskin are also still on the roster from last season, so the Dolphins have plenty of depth and talent at running back.
While the 49ers had the No. 2 rushing offense in the league last year, the Dolphins had the worst -- averaging just 72.3 rushing yards per game. The additions of Breida and Howard should guarantee that Miami has a decent run game moving forward, and Breida apparently already sees serious potential in this group.
