49ers best under-the-radar move this offseason is paying off

When the San Francisco 49ers traded for Skyy Moore, it looked like a desperate attempt to save an injured wide receiver room.

Sure, Moore was a former second-round pick and a Super Bowl winner, but his performance with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs said that he was unlikely to produce in the NFL. While he has not made an impact as a wide receiver, the trade has already been a smashing success for the 49ers. 

The San Francisco 49ers have found a return threat in Skyy Moore

That is because Moore has become an impactful return option. In the past three weeks, Moore has had two returns to start the 49ers’ offensive scoring. He had a kick return that set the 49ers up with an easy touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals, and in Week 13, it was his punt return against the Cleveland Browns that helped give the 49ers a 7-0 lead. 

Moore was tripped up right before the end zone on both occasions, and if he did actually score, he would likely be getting All-Pro consideration as a return option. Moore is sixth in the NFL in return yards when combining punt and kick returns. He is fifth in return yard average, as Myles Price has more yards, but also has 28 more return chances. 

Only Chimere Dike, KaVontae Turpin, Charle Jones, and Greg Dortch have been more productive as return options this season, and Turpin does not even return punts; almost all of his production is on kickoff returns. Of them. Dike has two touchdowns, and Jones has one. Dorctch and Turpin are tied with Moore with zero. 

If Moore did have two, it would be easy to make the case that he is right behind Dike as the best returner in the NFL. However, even while getting tripped up, he is clearly one of the five best return men in the NFL. 

The 49ers rank seventh in the NFL in average starting field position, and they are not a team that is living off of field-flipping turnovers. They are getting an impact from Skyy Moore. That is not bad when the cost was just moving from round six down to round seven in the draft. 

Moore is a free agent this year, but given the fit, the production, and the lack of receiving ability, the 49ers should be able to extend him on a reasonable deal. Moore is only 25 years old. Even the 49ers may be surprised by how well the bet was paying off, but this has to be noted as a good trade by San Francisco.

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