49ers starting running back Carlos Hyde is a free agent, and the jury is still out as to whether or not the team is planning on re-signing him. It’s most likely that San Francisco would be willing to bring him back at the right price, but even if they do, it’s not out of the question that with all their cap room, the 49ers wouldn’t also look to acquire another back to pair with Hyde next season.
That back could be Dion Lewis of the Patriots, who himself is slated to become an unrestricted free agent. The 49ers are one of six or seven teams expected to pursue the 27-year old, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Patriots running back Dion Lewis is expected to get serious consideration from multiple teams, per a source with knowledge of the situation.
Potentially interested teams include the Jets, Texans, 49ers, Raiders, and Colts. As many as six or seven teams are expected to pursue Lewis.
Lewis would be quite the get for San Francisco, and seems to be an ideal fit style wise for Shanahan’s zone rushing scheme, while also being a solid receiver out of the backfield. Lewis finished the season as the fifth ranked running back in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus, and accumulated 896 rushing yards (an average of five yards per attempt) and 214 receiving yards in 2017. He also had six rushing touchdowns and three receiving touchdowns.