Marquise Goodwin Reverts Back to 49ers from Eagles

Here's a new one.

Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin has reverted back to the 49ers from the Eagles, whatever that means, according to ESPN's Field Yates.

The 49ers traded Goodwin to the Eagles last year, and he opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So apparently, some clause in that trade forced Goodwin back to the 49ers. And this move saves the Eagles $4.2 million.

Yates reports that the 49ers are not expected to keep Goodwin, and they can cut him with no penalty.

Goodwin turned 30 in November. In his most recent season -- 2019 -- he played for the 49ers, appeared in 9 games, started 6 and caught only 12 passes. He was a miserable disappointment. The kind of guy who seemed hungry to play football before he got his big pay day, then lost all desire to compete.

But if he does want to play again for the veteran's minimum, if he has a chip on shoulder and something to prove to the football world in general and the 49ers in particular, why wouldn't they want him?

The 49ers haven't replaced Goodwin's speed since he left. They don't have a true deep threat. They signed Travis Benjamin last year, but he opted out of the 2020 season, too. And he isn't necessarily better than Goodwin. The 49ers could bring both into training camp and let them compete for jobs.

In three seasons with the 49ers, Goodwin caught 91 passes, gained 1,543 receiving yards and scored 7 touchdowns. His best season by far was 2017, when he came 38 receiving yards away from 1,000.

Then he got paid.