Former San Francisco 49ers running back Brian Robinson Jr. is expected to sign with the Atlanta Falcons, per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. The 49ers traded for Robinson Jr. late last summer when they didn’t have a backup for Christian McCaffrey.
Last season was the lowest percentage of snaps Robinson Jr. played in his career at 20.5%. The previous low was his rookie season at 29.5 percent. That’s what happens when you share a backfield with a player who was in the MVP race. Robinson Jr. finished the season with 400 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 92 attempts. He only had eight receptions out of the backfield. He did contribute as a kickoff returner, but it felt like the 49ers could get more out of their RB2 moving forward.
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Heading into the NFL Draft, Jordan James, Isaac Guerendo, and Patrick Taylor Jr. make up the running back room. James’ rookie season got off to a rough start after he suffered knee injuries in late July. A broken finger in August meant the Niners would enter Week 1 with only three healthy running backs.
James didn’t play a snap until Week 16. The most he played all year came in the final playoff game. The 49ers have a fourth and fifth-rounder backing up McCaffrey. Are they in the market for a running back in the NFL Draft? Or did they see enough from James in practice to give him the RB2 job?
