San Francisco 49ers: Predicting what happens at running back in 2018

With Carlos Hyde set to become a free agent, Niner Noise looks at the possible scenarios for the San Francisco 49ers at the running back position for 2018.

What will happen to Carlos Hyde?

Running back Carlos Hyde is set to become a free agent this offseason, and frankly, I do not see the 49ers re-signing him. Even though he had a decent season with the team and turned out better than I expected in the Kyle Shanahan system, well, Hyde still isn’t the best fit for Shanahan’s system.

Running backs need to be able to catch the ball well in Shanahan’s offense, and Hyde had a plethora of crucial drops throughout the season. He needs to become a better receiver in general, as during a game versus the Houston Texans, he notably mistracked the ball and slowed up at the end of a go route, resulting in the ball landing in front of him on the ground incomplete.

San Francisco 49ers

Despite claiming that he wants to re-sign with the 49ers, Hyde is gone. He is still a player brought in from the Trent Baalke regime, and Shanahan will want a running back that truly suits his system.

Will Joe Williams now be the starting running back?

He might be, but I’m skeptical. Running back Joe Williams is a fourth-round rookie, handpicked by Shanahan himself. Shanahan liked him so much during the draft process that he essentially forced general manager John Lynch to pick him because he liked him so much, despite Lynch’s concerns about Williams’ character issues.

Williams looks like your typical running back. He measures in at 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, comparable to most running backs in the NFL. He possesses nice power and amazing speed, so why am I skeptical about him?

Williams had a rookie offseason to forget, not looking like the Utah product Shanahan saw on tape during training camp. He looked good in the first preseason game at Kansas City, displaying great energy and power in his runs, but slowed down after that. He only got one carry in the second preseason game, averaged just 2.3 yards in the next game and was mediocre in the final one against third-string players on the Chargers. Williams was sent to injured reserve for a hurt ankle, but personally, I feel like that only happened because Shanahan didn’t want to cut him but also because he wasn’t good enough to be on the 53-man roster.

I am really skeptical about Williams. He flashed brilliance at college, but that brilliance was also a product of his stacked Utah offensive line. I do think that he has unlimited potential, but unless he puts in a ton of work in the offseason, Williams will not be the 49ers’ starting running back in 2018.

So who will be San Francisco’s starting running back in 2018?

I will be extremely bold here and try to conjure up a dream scenario that actually isn’t as unlikely as it seems. I think that the 49ers will sign Pittsburgh running back Le’Veon Bell in free agency.

Bell has been arguably the best running back in football for the past few years, and that does not look like it will change soon. Bell has all the explosiveness in a running back that you want. He is a true talent, and the best part is that he is only 25 years old. Bell has many years left in his NFL career, and would give the 49ers a chance to win a Super Bowl whenever he is on the field.

But why would Bell leave Pittsburgh, the team that drafted him? Well, it all comes down to two words: Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league ever since he was drafted by the Steelers, and he has led the high-powered Pittsburgh offense for years.

However, Roethlisberger has been mulling retirement for the past few years, and I think this year will be the year that he finally hangs up the cleats. This leaves Pittsburgh with no backup plan. With Roethlisberger retiring, the Steelers are left with rookie quarterback Joshua Dobbs at the helm, who isn’t a very good quarterback at all. Bell would be smart to get out of this situation as quickly as possible, and join an offense on the rise with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback.

Because the 49ers have the most cap space in the league, they could easily sign Bell to a long-term deal and pay him $15 million a year, which is reasonable because of his skills and ability to catch the ball in Shanahan’s system.

Next: 49ers player locks for starting positions in 2018

With Bell on the field, the 49ers will possess a truly explosive offense that will strike fear in opposing defenses, and more importantly, instantly give San Francisco a chance to win the Super Bowl.