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SANTA CLARA — Daniel Kilgore’s seven-year tenure with the 49ers came to an abrupt yet understandble end Thursday.
Kilgore was traded to the Miami Dolphins, a move preciptated by the 49ers’ high-priced acquisition of free agent center Weston Richburg on Wednesday.
The deal with the Dolphins is merely an exchange of seventh-round draft picks, a swap that moves the 49ers up only four spots to the No. 223 overall pick.
Killgore, in a text message to this newspaper, called his departure “bittersweet.” He will fill a Dolphins vacancy created by Mike Pouncey’s requested release.
Kilgore, 30, was the 49ers’ second-longest tenured player behind left tackle Joe Staley, and a month ago Kilgore re-signed (three years, $12 million) to stay off the free-agent market. Kilgore was a 2011 fifth-round draft pick out of Appalachian State.
At that time, 49ers GM John Lynch said Kilgore “is very much a leader of this team, and his hard work and commitment to our success provide a great example for our young team. When you come across players who love the game like Dan, you do your best to keep them in your building.”
Kilgore has exclusively played center in his seven seasons, and he became expendable upon Richburg’s deal.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said of the move: “I’ve got the utmost respect for Dan. I think he is a good player and he’s even a better person. That’s why this was so tough, but when we had the opportunity to add a center of Weston’s caliber and improve our interior like that — when we go into free agency and we watch all the O-Linemen and how can we improve this the most — I think we all personally felt that it was the top O-Lineman that we saw out of all the inside guys.”
Richburg’s five-year contract is worth up to $47.5 million and includes a $9.3 million signing bonus as part of his $28.5 million in guarantees, the Houston Chronicle reported.
“Like Kyle said, it’s one of the hardest things because of what (Kilgore) stood for and how important this place was to him,” Lynch said. “But, I think when you look at our division, you better be good in the interior. And when we had an opportunity, as Kyle said, to get the guy that was the top guy in our mind of all the options in the interior we felt like we had to jump.”
Kilgore won the 49ers’ Bobb McKittrick Award for the first time last season, awarded annually to the offensive lineman who best exemplifies the dedication, excellence and commitment of their former offensive line coach.
“Even though it was a tough few days, I think he’s in a very good situation for himself where he’s going in and he’s very needed and I know he’s going to a team, just talking to (Miami Dolphins head coach) Adam (Gase) earlier today, that wants him badly,” Shanahan said. “I think it ended up right for both sides in the long run.”
Kilgore and Garoppolo meshed well upon their quarterback’s arrival for the season’s final two months.
“There’s a special relationship between the center and quarterback. We spend so much time together,” Garoppolo said Jan. 1. “Me and him got on the same page almost instantly when I got here. … We complement each other very well, so hopefully we’ll work something out.”
Garoppolo played in the 2014 Senior Bowl with Richburg.
“The bond between a center and a quarterback is crucial and I’m excited,” Richburg said. “It’s great that we’re the same age (26) and we’ve met maybe in the senior bowl, I think. I’m looking forward to working with him and getting something going.”
Kilgore has always had to fight for his starting job since inheriting it in 2014 after Jonathan Goodwin left. A year ago, Kilgore came off hamstring surgery and proved himself a far better option than Jeremy Zuttah, who made the Pro Bowl the preceding season. Zuttah had been traded to the 49ers and he got cut by them five months later in training camp.