Bill Williamson of ESPN.com writes that if the 49ers are looking to bring in some extra depth at running back, Raiders impeding free agent Darren McFadden could be a “real possibility.”
Williamson mentions that McFadden has played for current 49ers RBs coach Tom Rathman a few years ago in Oakland, and believes he could help them in the screen game.
However, it’s unlikely that the 49ers would be willing to pay him all that much. Plus, he would be a backup at best, which doesn’t seem like the most appealing option for him.
The Bengals have also come up as a speculative option for McFadden given that Hue Jackson is now running their offense.
Meanwhile, reports have indicated that the Raiders most likely would only be interested in re-signing McFadden “at the right price.”
McFadden has had a number of disappointing seasons with the Raiders, which can be attributed the number of injuries he’s dealt with during this time. McFadden’s most productive stretch came under Jackson, during which he ran for 1,771 yards (5.27 YPC) and 11 touchdowns over the course of 20 games.
McFadden has missed 29 games since entering the NFL six years ago. On top of that, his yards-per-carry have dropped off considerably in the Raiders new offensive scheme, which means there is a decent enough chance he’ll be forced to sign a modest contract this offseason.
We have him listed as the No. 81 player in our Top 100 Free Agents list.
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