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10 Reasons to be Excited, Worried about the San Francisco 49ers in 2017

By Peter Panacy

Feb 9, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan speaks to the media between general manager John Lynch and chief executive officer Jed York during a press conference at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 9, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan speaks to the media between general manager John Lynch and chief executive officer Jed York during a press conference at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 20, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) leaves the game with an apparent injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 43-18. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 20, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) leaves the game with an apparent injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 43-18. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Worry: Running Back Carlos Hyde’s Injury History

While Brian Hoyer might be a small point of excitement, running back Carlos Hyde will still be the offensive bell cow in 2017.

Aside from his rookie 2014 campaign, in which he was a backup to former 49ers RB Frank Gore, Hyde has never enjoyed a fully healthy year. A foot injury limited Hyde to just seven games in 2015. Other ailments kept Hyde out of three-plus contests last season too.

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And he’s still yet to crest 1,000 rushing yards on a season.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense will feature the running game aplenty this year. It’s one of the reasons Atlanta Falcons tailbacks Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman were so effective in 2016.

Yet San Francisco probably won’t get anything close to replicating that sort of production.

Especially if Hyde can’t stay healthy.

The Niners re-signed running back DuJuan Harris to a one-year deal recently, and that helps with depth. Adding another tailback in a talented NFL Draft class should be expected too.

But Hyde is the X-factor for an effective 49ers offense this season.

To date, he hasn’t shown the ability to carry it.