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49ers Receive "B-Minus" Grade for Trading Jordan Mason to Vikings

I'd give this trade a D-minus.
Grant Cohn|
Sep 15, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason (24) runs with the ball against the Minnesota Vikings in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Sep 15, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason (24) runs with the ball against the Minnesota Vikings in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

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San Francisco 49ers

This was one of the 49ers' worst moves of the offseason.

They traded Jordan Mason to the Vikings for a late-round pick swap simply because they couldn't afford to pay him and McCaffrey at the same time. The move was a salary dump considering Mason was a restricted free agent and was due for an extension.

That's why NFL.com gives the 49ers a "B-minus" for the trade.

"For San Francisco, the deal is a continuation of pervasive cost-cutting measures," writes NFL.com Analyst Kevin Patra. "Moving on from Mason and allowing Elijah Mitchell (who signed in K.C.) to walk removes some depth behind McCaffrey.

"However, the Niners still have Isaac Guerendo as the primary backup, along with Patrick Taylor. Guerendo showed pop last season, and if he improves at pass protection in Year 2, he could see the field more. Kyle Shanahan has proven he can find RBs for his scheme pretty much anywhere, so this trade makes sense as a way to trim expenses."

I think Patra's analysis is too generous.

Mason is an ascending running back who is just entering his prime -- the Vikings got a steal. Meanwhile, the 49ers are left with Guerendo, who's fast but also injury prone. And Taylor is not particularly good.

Which means the 49ers almost have to draft a running back with one of their first few picks this season. They don't have anyone who can carry the load if McCaffrey misses more time, which is likely.

I'd give this trade a D-minus.

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Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

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