San Francisco 49ers: 10 Biggest X-Factors for 2016 Season
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: Running Back Carlos Hyde
The 49ers may have a number of players on defense on which the team’s season will hinge. But there are considerably fewer weapons on the offensive side of the ball.
Without question, one of the most important will be running back Carlos Hyde.
Hyde was supposed to break out in 2015 following the free-agent departure of former 49ers tailback Frank Gore. But a foot injury limited Hyde to just seven games and a mere 470 total yards on the ground over the season.
After losing some weight, Hyde may be the perfect fit for head coach Chip Kelly’s offense. And he could easily be the team’s bell cow, as was so often the case with Gore during his San Francisco tenure.
Why He’ll Improve
Health is the biggest factor for Hyde at this point in his still-early career. But the other notable topic of interest is the scheme fit.
The former Ohio State running back should be a perfect fit for Kelly’s inside-zone approach — a topic discussed at length by Niner Noise’s Richard Madrid last February.
San Francisco also made some notable moves to upgrade the offensive line this offseason. These efforts should help alleviate some of the 49ers’ run-support woes experienced from a year ago, which could translate over into big numbers from Hyde.
Why He’ll Disappoint
Again, injuries and health will be the primary concerns here. Can Hyde stay healthy for a full season? If so, will the 49ers O-line do an adequate job of opening up lanes for his rushing potential?
On the surface, we’d like to believe Hyde will finally become the bona fide offensive force everyone expected him to be when San Francisco selected him in Round 2 of the 2014 NFL Draft.
But this hasn’t happened yet. And since there will be a lot of pressure on Hyde to produce, anything short of a major impact will be considered a major disappointment.
Next: No. 1: QB Colin Kaepernick