Four Free Agent 49ers That Could Follow Mike McDaniel to Miami
Mike McDaniel is now the head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
His days of quirky press conferences and detailed answers as the San Francisco 49ers’ offensive coordinator are now over.
Losing McDaniel will be a bit of sting for Kyle Shanahan as he loses his right hand man in planning the run game. That sting Shanahan feels can grow if McDaniel wants to poach some players on the 49ers that are bound for free agency.
McDaniel won’t be able to get them all or even more than one, but there is a likelihood one pending 49ers free agent heads to South Beach.
Here are four 49ers that could follow McDaniel to Miami.
Raheem Mostert
How free agency plays out with Raheem Mostert will be most intriguing. He is coming off of a season where an injury put him on the shelf, and he hasn’t found stable health since 2019. Moving on from him could be possible for the 49ers, and with McDaniel who is a specialist with the run, Mostert looks to be very alluring.
Miami has more than $64 million in salary cap space. Mostert could see a sweet deal considering coming off an injury. It won’t be anything lucrative of course, but McDaniel could advocate for bringing him in and making the deal enticing enough to bring him over. Plus, Mostert knows that he can be a staple in the offense. McDaniel could create a dangerous one-two punch with him and Myle Gaskin.
Jaquiski Tartt
There is no player on the 49ers I envision as a lock to leave the 49ers more than Jaquiski Tartt. Last year when he entered free agency, it took Tartt a while before re-signing with San Francisco. He certainly was testing the market and most likely didn’t like or see enough offers. Coming back was his best option to add value to his name. Tartt is a vastly underrated safety and deserves an adequate salary for his talents.Miami can easily be the place that recognizes him with their vast cap space.
Pairing up Tartt in a secondary that already has Xavien Howard and Byron Jones would be filthy. It is a no-brainer to sign Tartt when imagining that lineup. Going to the Dolphins would be fairly enticing for him and is actually my most likely 49ers player to follow McDaniel. Tartt is going to see a nicely paid contract, not just because of the numbers, but because there is no state income tax. He is going to feel extremely rewarded and being in a city/area like Miami will make it sweeter.
Laken Tomlinson
You can’t formulate a brilliant run scheme without solid blockers. This makes Laken Tomlinson an attractive signing for the Dolphins. The greatest strength of Tomlinson is his run blocking ability. That is his money maker, so it would be fitting if he gets an alluring offer to play for a familiar coach who wants to run the football.
Miami needs offensive line help. Tomlinson can be a great boost to that front and help solidify that unit. Their highly coveted first-round pick from a couple years ago, Austin Jackson, is not ascending like the Dolphins hoped. Maybe someone like Tomlinson can help round him out. Plus, ensuring protection for Tua Tagovailoa wouldn’t be a bad approach either.
Jeff Wilson
If Mostert is not in play for the Dolphins, then perhaps Jeff Wilson Jr. is. Wilson would be cost-effective and a great addition to the rotation in backfield. Gaskin would likely still be the lead back with Wilson coming in to spell for a handful of carries. Wilson has always been a solid running back in rotation or as a fill in when the starter is injured.
I’m sure he would appreciate a more consistent role in terms of usage. He pretty much never saw much of anything after the Titans game, but that has more to do with the greatness of Elijah Mitchell and Deebo Samuel as a running back. Still, going to the Dolphins would be more of a sure thing to being used and having familiarity in the offense.
