Niner Noise
FanSided

49ers training camp battle: The running back position

By Peter Panacy

SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 22: Carlos Hyde #28 in action against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium on October 22, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 22: Carlos Hyde #28 in action against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium on October 22, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next
ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 15: Matt Breida #36 of the Georgia Southern Eagles runs the ball during the first half against the Georgia Southern Eagles at Bobby Dodd Stadium on October 15, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 15: Matt Breida #36 of the Georgia Southern Eagles runs the ball during the first half against the Georgia Southern Eagles at Bobby Dodd Stadium on October 15, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /

Matt Breida

UDFAs rarely stand a chance to make a 53-man roster their rookie seasons.

But this might not be the case with Matt Breida, who was one of the bigger standouts at 49ers rookie minicamp earlier this offseason:

Breida’s senior season at Georgia Southern was one to forget. But the previous two years were more than exemplary, based off the stats, which is likely what San Francisco is hoping to emulate.

It’s going to be interesting to see how the Niners handle Breida during training camp and, especially, the preseason. On one hand, giving Breida extra carries would help determine whether or not he’d be worthy of a roster spot this season.

But if San Francisco wanted to stash him on the practice squad, this extra tape could easily convince another team he’s worth a claim.

A guess would be the Niners would make this determination in training camp. High numbers of preseason carries might end up being a good indication the 49ers are strongly considering Breida a roster addition.

Next: 49ers film room: Why Carlos Hyde starts at running back

So far, the results have been good enough to push Breida onto the strong bubble.