San Francisco 49ers: 3 early position battles to watch in 2020
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: Running Back
The Niners cleared some space in their running back room by trading away Matt Breida to the Miami Dolphins.
It’s still a crowded group, however, boasting returnees Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, Jerick McKinnon and Jeff Wilson, now paired with undrafted rookies JaMycal Hasty and Salvon Ahmed.
Hasty and Ahmed could be the next UDFA gems, just like Breida was in 2017. So while the initial impression might be both runners are long shots to make the roster, each has enough workable traits to suggest they could wind up carving out nice roles on San Francisco’s regular-season roster.
Without them, though, the 49ers would have some tough decisions to make anyway. Mostert has a clear-cut role, particularly after his dominant performances late in 2019 and into the playoffs. Kyle Shanahan seems to have an affinity for Coleman, too, despite the veteran’s up-and-down performances over the course of last year.
McKinnon’s $4 million in dead money, if cut this year, means he’ll be on the roster if healthy.
A year ago, Shanahan challenged his running backs to “define their roles,” and it looks as if that’ll be the case once again this year.
Given the importance of Shanahan’s ground game to San Francisco’s offense, this should be an enticing camp competition to watch.