The San Francisco 49ers have their first notable rumor, and it is not surprising it involves a former Oregon player. Former Eagles scout and current radio personality John Middlekauff is reporting the 49ers are talking to the Kansas City Chiefs about running back De'Anthony Thomas.
In two seasons with the Chiefs, the man they call DAT has 23 rushes for 147 yards and two touchdowns, 40 receptions for 296 yards and a touchdown, 63 punt returns for 632 yards (10.03 per return) and a touchdown, and 20 kick returns for 566 yards (28.3 per return).
2015 was an odd year for Thomas, as he suffered a concussion in Week 11, and never returned. After the season he said he was still recovering from the concussion, but for some reason the Chiefs placed him on the Non-football injury/illness list. Andy Reid said at the time that it was not concussion related, but DAT tweeted after the season that he was still getting through concussion symptoms. The whole situation was a little odd.
I spoke with our friends at Arrowhead Pride about Thomas, and Joel Thorman said he is essentially a gadget player. They would prefer to keep him than get the late round pick that might get him to the 49ers, but they do not seem overwhelmingly concerned about keeping him. Maybe that will change in their comments!
Why it makes sense
Thomas is an Oregon product who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Chip Kelly is a fan of his Oregon products. The 49ers need more offensive weapons, and last season showed they cannot have enough running backs. The price is going to be pretty low for him, so it makes a lot of sense.
Why it doesn't make sense
He is coming off the concussion and may or may not still have some issues due to that. The way his 2015 season ended is kind of odd. Considering he is on a cheap day three rookie contract, the Chiefs might want to see what he can do this coming season.
Odds of happening
It makes a lot of sense. Middlekauff's tweet does not indicate whether talks are still happening, but if they are, I see a strong chance of this happening.