The 49ers Sign Free Agent RB Patrick Taylor

Taylor might not even make the 49ers 53-man roster -- he'll compete for a spot. Right now, he's a camp body who also plays special teams.

Move over Christian McCaffrey.

The 49ers just signed Green Bay Packers free agent running back Patrick Taylor to a one-year deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Which means the 49ers now have a full-blown running back controversy.

Just kidding.

Taylor might not even make the 49ers 53-man roster -- he'll compete for a spot. Right now, he's a camp body who also plays special teams. Which means there's nothing particularly special about him.

But he still might prove to be one of the 49ers' top three running backs. Obviously, McCaffrey is the starter, because he's elite. After him, it gets murky. Jordan Mason averages more than 5 yards per carry for his career, but head coach Kyle Shanahan still doesn't seem to trust him enough to play him in tight games.

And then there's Elijah Mitchell, whom Shanahan loves. But Mitchell was extremely ineffective last season. He averaged 3.7 yards per carry and 2.3 yards per catch. Injuries have taken away the qualities that made him an effective starting running back when he was a rookie in 2021. Now he's not even a quality backup.

It seems the 49ers are looking for a backup running back they trust who can take some of the load off McCaffrey. Taylor may or may not be that trustworthy backup, but he does reveal what the 49ers are searching for -- a backup running back who can block and catch passes and replicate some of what McCaffrey does, considering the entire offense revolves around him and his unique skill set.