Evaluating both sides of Raheem Mostert's Trade Request

For the first time since Colin Kaepernick, the 49ers are dealing with a trade request.

On Wednesday afternoon Raheem Mostert’s agent released a statement on their request to be traded via twitter.

After months of unproductive talks with the 49ers about fairly adjusting Raheem Mostert's contract (which paid him for special teams) we have requested a trade. Disappointing that it would come to this for a guy who led all NFL RBs in YPC & helped lead them to the Super Bowl.
— Brett Tessler (@TesslerSports) July 8, 2020

This comes after less than a week ago when Mostert’s salary increase request was reported nationally.

I’m told 49ers RB Raheem Mostert requested a pay raise earlier this offseason. While t/ 3y deal he got last season includes rushing incentives in each year of the team’s contract, my understanding is Mostert still wants a more meaningful acknowledgment of his elevated production.
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) July 2, 2020

There’s no doubt that Raheem Mostert deserves the amount of money that he is asking for. The reported amount is only an additional $1.4-million to match the salary of Tevin Coleman, who is the 49ers highest-paid running back. San Francisco sits at just over $12-million in salary cap space. They can afford it.

The 49ers already shipped off Matt Breida during the 2020 draft. Breida averaged 5 yards per carry in three seasons under head coach Kyle Shanahan. The 49ers really need Mostert after that transaction.

Here’s why.

It’s hard to get a true clarity of yards per carry when a running back only rushes the ball less than 10 times in a game. As it stands, the top two running backs are Coleman and Mostert. Below is a chart of the production of when they rushed the ball a minimum of 10 times per game.

Breakdown of when Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert rushed the ball a minimum of 10 carries. pic.twitter.com/aXJF2ABwVx
— Leo Luna (@LeoLuna93) July 9, 2020

There’s been a narrative that Mostert only shined in the second half of the season. How about we break up the season into quarters and see how many times the 2019 running backs rushed over 200 yards in those quarters.

The amount of times #49ers RBs ran for 200+ yards in each quarter of the season. Meaning games 1-4, 5-8, 9-12, 13-16

Raheem Mostert: 3
Tevin Coleman: 1
Matt Breida: 1
— Leo Luna (@LeoLuna93) July 8, 2020

Those two previous graphics show how Mostert is definitely an upgrade over Coleman and Breida without just displaying the season total yards per carry that some like to dismiss due to the number of carries. There’s a reason Shanahan went with the “special teamer” in the first place.

Now looking at it from the 49ers perspective, they just made Mostert the highest-paid special teamer in the NFL the past offseason, with playing time and rushing incentives added into the deal.

Yes, Mostert requested a trade, but the 49ers don’t have to grant that wish. Mostert has no leverage to sit out and miss games. He’s 28-years old and almost set to make the amount of money this season as he has accumulated in his career.

Paying Mostert could open flood gates that the 49ers most certainly do not want to open. Next, it could be Fred Warner asking for Kwon Alexander money or Emmanuel Moseley asking for Ahkello Witherspoon money.

The Shanahan zone running scheme is very effective and can make running backs look like stars. But, should I dare to bring up Carlos Hyde and his 3.9 yards per carry in 2017 or Alfred Morris and his 3.9 yards per carry in 2018? I’m confident the 49ers would much rather have Mostert than settling for more 3.9 guys.

As it sits right now, Mostert should get paid his $1.4-million right now.

But will he?

No, there’s no reason for San Francisco to budge and there’s no concern for Mostert to sit out. His agent going public was a desperate effort in hopes of scaring the 49ers.