Carlos Hyde entered the 2015 season believing he would be the No.1 running back for the san Francisco 49ers. The team had parted ways with Frank Gore and Hyde was next in line. That was until the 49ers opted to sign Reggie Bush while Kendall Hunter returned following a season-ending injury. There was increasing doubt that Hyde might not be the workhorse everyone expected. However, so far through the preseason the run game has been the Hyde show and nothing else.
If there was any doubt what the workload would be for Hyde, the preseason has made it clear that he is the No.1 option for the offense. Hyde has worked strictly with the first-team offense taking all of the snaps and looking impressive in the process. According to SBNation.com, the key for Hyde staying on the field has been his improved pass protection which puts him ahead of the pack including hot rookie, Jarryd Hayne. Fantasy owners would be wise to make a move on Hyde in a later round of the draft. He stands firmly in an RB2 role.
The biggest question is how much time the players behind Hyde get on the field. Bush is working to make an impact on special teams, returning punts. He is also going to be the primary passing-down running back given his hands and receiving skills. Then there is Hunter who has shown real progress since coming back from injury. According to the San Jose Mercury News, Hunter was once in consideration for the starting job which means he should see the field a lot.
"You all can see him run, see him move, the burst and all that stuff," head coach Jim Tomsula said, via the San Jose Mercury News. "I felt really good for Kendall, man. We wanted to get him to this point here, get him more reps and get moving a little bit."
The 49ers are aiming for a rotation in the run game, but expect Hyde to be the primary workhorse for the team moving forward. He will be critical in Colin Kaepernick's bounce back year. He has Torrey Smith now to work with alongside Anquan Boldin. The third receiver has yet to be determined as Quinton Patton and Bruce Ellington battle it out after Jerome Simpson's suspension. The final preseason game will help make the race a bit more clear heading into the regular season.
