The San Francisco 49ers are shopping running back LaMichael James and a number of teams could be interested in making a deal with Jim Harbaugh, as the Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, New York Giants and Miami Dolphins could all be interested in trading for the former Oregon star ahead of the draft in May.
Bill Williamson from ESPN.com wrote about the idea for a trade with James months ago and he speculated that the Philadelphia Eagles could be a potential partner since James played for Chip Kelly at Oregon. The Eagles traded for Darren Sproles this offseason and that could take the team out of the running for James, but if Kelly sees value in adding him, he will have no problem making that move. Kelly clearly wields a ton of power with the Eagles, as he got the team to release Jackson and adding James to a stable that includes LeSean McCoy and Sproles could be a deadly combination.
The 49ers drafted James with the thinking that he could be a solid backup running back for Frank Gore, but that never materialized for whatever reason and over the past two years he was mainly a return guy and a specialty player in certain sets. James has had limited snaps in his first two seasons in the league and that actually could make him an attractive trade option, as he has far less wear and tear on him than someone like Alfred Morris or Doug Martin in their first couple years in the league.
According to ESPN.com, the team is shopping James since they have a crowded backfield and they have high hopes for Marcus Lattimore, who is coming back after serious knee surgery. James was a very productive player during his time at Oregon and he was electric with Kelly and if the team is willing to trade, he could be again. Gore led the Niners in rushing last season and along with Lattimore they have Kendall Hunter as well and now they are looking to get rid of James to clear space for their crowded backfield. The Eagles may be too busy as well, as they have LeSean McCoy, Darren Sproles and Bryce Brown, so a role for James isn't clear there either.
The Chicago Bears need a new backup for Matt Forte, while the Denver Broncos got rid of Knowshon Moreno and James would fit into the mold as an explosive option out of the backfield. In his career, James has just 184 yards rushing and 39 carries and he has five receptions for 45 yards and while he has averaged 4.7 yards per carry, he has not had much action on the field for the Niners.
According to Bleacher Report, the 49ers are much better when Gore gets the ball a lot, as they are 27-7 when he has over 100 yards and the team has 33 wins, seven losses and one tie when he has 20 carries or more and that means fewer for everyone else. James had a rough 2013 and he went from 14.4 offensive snaps per game in 2013 to just three per game in 2013 and he also has just 137 offensive snaps in two seasons and that is not a lot for a player who wants to contribute. James could add value as a returner after going for 23 punts for 251 yards and 12 kickoffs for 321 yards, but that depends on the team that gets him.
