NFL Rumors: 49ers discussing De’Anthony Thomas trade with Chiefs
The 49ers are having discussions with the Chiefs about De’Anthony Thomas
When the San Francisco 49ers hired Chip Kelly to be their head coach, they expected to see roster changes as Kelly fixed the roster to his specifications. It looks like Kelly is getting busy as the 49ers have reportedly expressed interest in Chiefs running back and return specialist De’Anthony Thomas.
Heard the #49ers have had talks with KC about acquiring De'Anthony Thomas in a trade
— John Middlekauff (@JohnMiddlekauff) March 7, 2016
It should come as a surprise to no one that Thomas went to the University of Oregon and played under Chip Kelly. De’Anthony Thomas is someone who Kelly is clearly familiar with. Should Kelly be interested in running an offense similar to the one that he ran in Oregon, running it with people who Kelly is familiar with is likely the best way to do that.
Thomas was drafted by the Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He has 443 total yards from scrimmage in his career with 147 rushing yards and 296 receiving yards. Thomas has 40 career receptions and 23 career rushing attempts with three touchdowns (two rushing and one receiving). As a punt returner, he has 63 career punt returns for 632 yards and a touchdown. Thomas also has 20 kick off returns for 566 yards. The 49ers lack explosiveness on offense. Trading for Thomas, assuming he’s cheap, could be an inexpensive way to fix that.