Free Agent Surprise

Rumors are whirling that the 49ers could be trading for wide receiver (WR) Percy Harvin, or target top WR free-agents such as Greg Jennings or Dwayne Bowe. There is going to be an obvious void at WR once Randy Moss and Ted Ginn Jr. hit Free Agency but what interests me more is who is available at running back (RB) in this years free agent class.
If recent history holds with the 49ers front office the team will be looking for a big bruising runner to compliment Frank Gore. The 49ers already have two smaller quick backs that are a nice change of pace in Kendall Hunter and LaMichael James, but last off-season they coveted having a bigger guy to get the tough yards. The 49ers remedied this by signing Brandon Jacobs. So, who is available this year? Steven Jackson and Michael Turner.
Turner is not nearly the tough explosive back he was two years ago, and to be honest he doesn't excite me much. In fact, I would not be surprised if Turner can't find a home in 2013 and quietly retires from the NFL after his drop off in production in 2012. He still could bring something to the table in a specialized role with a team that is ready to win. If Turner is willing to take a dramatic pay cut and play for a contender then he might get a shot. Turner may also be very motivated to show everyone he's not quite done, and with limited playing time he could go hard in that position.
Steven Jackson is the real prize in my book. Jackson runs hard and violently like Marshawn Lynch but he has more size! Jackson has been on some awful Rams teams for his whole career and especially the last few years, imagine how productive he could be on a team that's already built to win. Like Turner, Jackson would not be called upon to carry the load, they would only want him for specialized situations which could extend his career, be low risk health wise, and give him a shot at a ring. Jackson would have to be willing to except a massive pay cut and diminished role as a player but with talk of retiring the opportunity to win a championship may be too much to pass up on.
Lets face it Frank Gore hasn't been the pillar of health either. If the 49ers can get one of these two backs on the cheap they would be ideal insurance for the 49ers ground game. This would probably make things hard for Anthony Dixon to remain on the team as a 5th RB, considering the 49ers only run with 4 RB's, and Dixon is a special teams standout so there are obstacles, but the 49ers did sign Jacobs last year so I expect them to be looking to try and acquire a similar big bruiser this year. I would be very impressed if that bruiser were Steven Jackson.