Just one month after agreeing to a three-year contract extension, the San Francisco 49ers have traded center Daniel Kilgore to the Miami Dolphins. Additionally, the teams will swap their seventh-round picks as part of the transaction.
49ers trading center Daniel Kilgore and a 7th-round pick to the Miami Dolphins for another 7th-round pick, per source. Miami takes on Kilgore contract and bonus.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2018
Miami Dolphins Acquire Daniel Kilgore in Trade With San Francisco 49ers
Kilgore was San Francisco’s fifth-round pick in the 2011 draft. He hasn’t seen much success with the team outside of their appearance in Super Bowl XLVII.
49ers general manager John Lynch said in the team’s press release, “When [Kyle Shanahan] and I arrived last offseason, we knew right away that he was a well-respected leader in the locker room and a true professional. We are pleased to be able to help find Dan a great situation to be able to continue his career, and we wish him […] the very best.”
The move is eerily similar what the 49ers pulled last year after re-signing top receiver Jeremy Kerley. After signing a three-year deal, Kerley was released before the season opener after San Francisco made a handful of signings in free agency.
The trade comes after Miami’s own veteran center Mike Pouncey requested to be released. The addition of Kilgore is just one in a series of moves Miami has made this week. The Dolphins have moved on from Pouncey, Ndamukong Suh, Jarvis Landry, and Julius Thomas. They’ve picked up two wide receivers and a defensive end in the meantime.
On the other hand, the 49ers recently signed Weston Richburg to a five-year contract. Although he appears to suffer from some attitude problems, Richburg is arguably the better center when compared to Kilgore. During his sophomore year with the New York Giants, he was named the second-best center in the league.
Lynch praised Kilgore’s replacement’s athleticism and intelligence, calling Richburg “a perfect fit for our scheme.”
