SANTA CLARA — This time last year, the 49ers won a bidding war to sign dual-threat running back Jerick McKinnon. A year later, the 49ers don’t figure to break the bank for another running back.
Instead, the 49ers will exercise more patience rather than rush McKinnon back in spring drills, after he spent all last season recovering from knee reconstruction.
So when free agency begins on March 13, don’t expect a cash-bag pursuit of Le’Veon Bell, whose running style would be great in a Kyle Shanahan offense but not at the price he’s surely seeking after his 2018 boycott of the Steelers.