The 49ers on Tuesday made a pair of moves that put them in line to retain two of their offensive playmakers who are set to be restricted free agents. The team announced it tendered one-year contracts to wide receiver Kendrick Bourne and running back Matt Breida. ESPN’s Dianna Russini reported linebacker Elijah Lee was not tendered.
Both Bourne and Breida were given second-round tenders. That means their deals are worth $3,259,000 for one season. Since they’re restricted free agents, they’re still allowed to negotiate with other teams, and the 49ers will have right of first refusal and can match any offer. If they choose not to match, the signing team will be required to send San Francisco a second-round pick.
Bourne became one of the three receivers the 49ers leaned on last season while turning into a first-down and touchdown machine. Of his 30 catches in the regular season, 23 went for either a first down or a touchdown.
While Breida did fall out of the rotation last season, he’s still a valuable member of the 49ers’ backfield. Over the last two seasons he’s averaging 5.2 yards per carry on 267 attempts. His speed makes him a home-run threat every time he touches the ball. The 2019 season ended with a thud for him though after he fumbled on three of his final 16 carries. With some uncertainty in the backfield going into the year, Breida has a bounce-back opportunity in 2020 if he returns to the 49ers.
For Lee, not getting tendered doesn’t mean he won’t return to the 49ers. He played sparsely last year with most of his action coming on special teams in his eight games. They chose not to place an original round tender on Lee that would’ve cost the team $2,133,000 for the season. Instead, they’ll forego their right of first refusal while he explores the open market. He could wind up back in San Francisco if he doesn’t land a deal elsewhere.
