San Francisco 49ers new head coach Chip Kelly said last week that he believes the team's offense has "good depth," but, after finishing with a 5-11 record last season, many are second-guessing what Kelly is seeing when looking at the current roster.
Kelly mentioned both wide receiver Torrey Smith and running back Carlos Hyde when speaking about the talent on the team, but clearly the biggest question mark is surrounding the quarterback position. There is still plenty of time until the beginning of the 2016 season, but with the draft coming at the end of April, San Francisco's front office will have to come to a decision regarding Colin Kaepernick soon should they want picks in this year's draft.
While it's unknown what San Francisco's plans are with Kaepernick, it sounds like Hyde will be a big piece of Kelly's offensive system. The 49ers star running back missed the final nine games of the 2015 season due to a stress fracture, but has been rehabbing his surgically-repaired foot and said he would be ready today if the 49ers had a game.
"My foot's feeling great. I'm ready to go," said Hyde. "I'm already familiar with this type of offense. I played it [at Ohio State], the up-tempo, no huddle offense. I'm excited to be in it."
In seven games last season, the 49ers starting running back rushed for 470 yards and scored three touchdowns, but a majority of it was during the first week against the Minnesota Vikings.
It will be interesting to see how Kelly utilizes the talented running back in his third NFL season, but it wouldn't be surprising if he looked to use a stable of running backs, as his fast-paced offensive system can wear down a running back quickly. The 49ers will also need to address whether Hyde can be a viable pass-catching option out of the backfield, as he has only caught 23 passes for 121 yards in 21 games.
The 49ers have multiple questions they still need answered heading into the 2016 season, but look for Hyde to be a big part of their plans, as he is considered one of the best offensive weapons on their roster.
