Who Should I Start? Patrick Taylor Jr. or Brashard Smith

Monday, March 10, 4:14 PM

The San Francisco 49ers agreed to an undisclosed one-year contract extension on Monday with running back Patrick Taylor Jr., according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Taylor will give the Niners additional running back depth behind Christian McCaffrey (knee) and Isaac Guerendo after Elijah Mitchell signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency on Monday. Jordan Mason is a restricted free agent and should also return to the team in 2025 unless he's traded. Taylor, 25, went undrafted out of Memphis before latching on with the Green Bay Packers in 2021. Last year in his first year in the Bay Area, Taylor appeared in 13 games (one start) and had a career-high 183 rushing yards and one touchdown on 39 rushing attempts. He also added three catches for 25 yards in his fourth year in the NFL. One hundred and nine of Taylor's rushing yards in 2024 came late in the year in the win over the Cardinals.

Tuesday, May 6, 7:13 PM

The Kansas City Chiefs have signed rookie seventh-round running back Brashard Smith to a four-year, $4.33 million deal. Kansas City selected the 22-year-old with its final pick in April's draft, No. 228 overall. Smith spent the first three campaigns of his collegiate career as a Hurricane in Miami, and started just ten games, but was a do-it-all player contributing in the rushing, receiving, and return game. His move to SMU during his final season proved to be an excellent decision as he rushed for 1,332 yards and 14 touchdowns across 235 carries (5.7 YPC). The first year back has speed for days (4.39 40-yard dash) and stands out in that regard amongst other Kansas City rushers. While there's a steep climb to the top in terms of playing time, it wouldn't be surprising to see the former Mustang push for snaps. He's an intriguing late-round selection in dynasty rookie drafts for the time being.