Carlos Hyde has been moving up on many fantasy football draft boards. The latest ESPN Insider mock draft has him going in the 10th round, meaning his presence in the 49ers' offense is growing. Meanwhile, New England just traded OG Logan Mankins for Tampa Bay TE Tim Wright and a fourth round draft pick.
Rookie running back Carlos Hyde was drafted in the second round out of Ohio State by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL Draft this past May. He has continued to impress the coaching staff throughout the preseason, and while Frank Gore isn't getting any younger, Hyde could be slowly factored into the offense and eventually take the starting position. In three preseason games, Hyde has rushed the ball 15 times for 88 yards (5.9 yards per carry) and he's been getting a lot of snaps with the first-team offense.
Frank Gore has been with San Francisco since 2005 and has rushed for over 1,000 yards seven times and averaged at least 4.1 yards per carry every year of his career. However, the 31-year-old becomes a free agent after this season and the 49ers now have Hyde and Marcus Lattimore (who they drafted last year but is still recovering from a gruesome leg injury he suffered in college while doctors remain wary if he's ready to return). Lattimore is expected to be placed on the non-football injury list and miss the first six weeks of the season, meaning that Hyde will have to step in and prove someone can succeed Gore at the starting position.
Speaking of aging players, the New England Patriots traded offensive guard Logan Mankins to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday for tight end Tim Wright and a fourth round draft selection in 2015. Mankins, 32, has spent nine years with the Patriots and is a six-time Pro Bowl selection. The Buccaneers were looking for someone to fill the guard position after the team parted ways with OG Carl Nicks about a month ago. Tampa Bay also met with free-agent Richie Incognito in an attempt to further bolster their line to utilize their offensive weapons in WR Vincent Jackson, WR Mike Evans, and RB Doug Martin.
New England obviously sees some potential in Wright. The second year player out of Rutgers played in all 16 games last year, starting eight of them, and recorded 54 receptions for 571 yards and five touchdowns. He'll likely act as a good insurance policy for Rob Gronkowski, who has yet to return to full health since undergoing ACL surgery in January. Wright will also provide stability, as New England has been unable to sign a tight end of their liking behind Gronk in ten attempts since August 10.
You can read more about Carlos Hyde here and the Logan Mankins trade here.
