The San Francisco 49ers have made a trade with Kyle Shanahan's former team. The 49ers agreed to send fan favorite running back Matt Breida along with wide receiver Marquise Goodwin and the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft to the Atlanta Falcons for wide receiver Julio Jones, the No. 14 overall pick and a 2020 second round pick, according to multiple reports.
Shanahan will be reunited with the star receiver who helped lead the Falcons to the 2017 Super Bowl. With Jones, the 49ers offense gets a player who has been to five straight Pro Bowls and had at least 1,400 yards in every season since 2014.
Jones, who is 30 years old, has two years remaining on his contract for a little over $26 million. That could change. Jones has been pushing for a new contract. The trade could have been contingent on an extension for Jones, and an announcement could be made soon by the 49ers.
Jones will likely be seeking something along the lines of Antonio Brown's three-year, $50.125-million deal with the Oakland Raiders. The receivers are the same age and have both been among the league's top receivers for years.
Perhaps the bigger part of the trade is the swap of 2019 draft picks. The Falcons likely wanted to move up to get one of the top edge rushers in the class. They tied with the 49ers for 22nd in the NFL with 37 sacks in 2018.
The move is a bit more complicated for the 49ers. They could still select an edge defender from the many top options this year. Names like Clelin Ferrell and Brian Burns or defensive tackle Ed Oliver could be available at No. 14. As would the top safeties. Who is still on the board is much less certain than picking at No. 2 though.
The 49ers also moved two veteran offensive players in the deal. Breida had a breakout season in 2018 despite playing through injury most of the season. He rushed for 814 yards and averaged 5.3 yards per carry. He became the odd man out in the 49ers crowded backfield, however.
Jerick McKinnon will be returning after missing all of 2018 with a knee injury, and the 49ers signed Tevin Coleman to a two-year contract last month. Special team ace Raheem Mostert will serve as the third option after re-signing with the 49ers last month.
Finally, there is Goodwin. The former Olympian led the 49ers in receiving in 2017 with 956 yards. The 49ers rewarded the receiver with a three-year extension after the season. His 2018 season got derailed with an injury in week one and never got back on track. He had just 395 yards last season.
The 49ers have prioritized upgrading their roster in specific areas this offseason in a push to win. With Jones, the 49ers got one of the NFL's premier receivers who is also familiar with Shanahan's complicated offensive system.
Update: In case you haven't figured it out by now, yes, this was an April Fool's story.
- Levin T. Black
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Written by:A graduate of Ball State University in 2009, Levin was an award winning sports journalist until he transitioned into a different career. He's written for Webzone since 2018.
