The San Francisco 49ers are entering the 2015 season in need of some major improvements. With a new coaching staff in place, the pressure is on to return to the postseason and bounce back after a down year. A lot of that will depend on the development of the offseason and the success of Colin Kaepernick in 2015. In order for the quarterback to be successful he needs a strong run game to work with and without Frank Gore, Carlos Hyde is taking is over. Will an injury derail that?
2015 is expected to be the Hyde show in the Bay Area. Hyde is coming off a quiet rookie season playing behind Gore, but the 49ers like what they see in the former Ohio State star and believe he can be a workhorse for the team. However, Hyde will be starting the season on the active/non-football injury list according to ESPN.com which means he will not be active at the start of training camp. This is not ideal for the 49ers.
According to head coach Jim Tomsula, Hyde's absence is nothing serious. He missed most of the offseason workouts with what was believed to be a calf injury, but now his health has come into question with training camp beginning. With Hyde sitting out, Reggie Bush will likely take a seat at the top of the depth chart, something he plans on retaining, but does San Francisco need to add a body to the list for help?
The 49ers have Mike Davis entering his rookie season and Kendall Hunter coming off an ACL injury. That does not offer a lot of confidence. According to the San Mercury News, Hunter is not even guaranteed a roster spot, but that will not be addressed until Hyde returns healthy. Meanwhile, the 49ers could easily add a veteran for cheap in order to boost the run game. Looking at seasons past, Hyde only averaged 4.0 yards per carry. Bush is coming off a season riddled with injuries.
The best free agent on the market is Ray Rice. According to ESPN's John Clayton, the 49ers could be considered in the mix for the running back, but they would have to be willing to take on the media headache with it. Steven Jackson, Chris Johnson and Ben Tate are all available and will likely sign for cheap. The 49ers would be wise to at least consider adding someone to the roster. They do not have a home run threat in the run game with Gore no longer on the roster, so the more healthy depth the better.