49ers roster: 5 players on bubble who need strong training camp
By Peter Panacy
No. 4: 49ers Running Back Wayne Gallman
The 49ers inking former New York Giants running back Wayne Gallman earlier this offseason seemed like a wonderful move.
Gallman, after all, performed remarkably well backing up superstar running back Saquon Barkley when Barkley tore his ACL early in 2020, and the former ended up averaging 4.6 yards per carry last year while netting 796 all-purpose yards in relief of Barkley for the G-Men.
Yet that was before the Niners selected an additional two running backs in the NFL Draft, Trey Sermon and Elijah Mitchell, meaning Gallman is now pushed back to the periphery of the roster.
Especially with Gallman signing only a one-year deal and despite San Francisco losing fellow running back Jeff Wilson Jr. to a meniscus tear.
Along with returnees like Raheem Mostert and JaMycal Hasty, the 49ers now have five halfbacks on the roster, and it’s likely Gallman will have to outperform at least one of the two rookies during camp, and he’ll probably have to impress more than Hasty, too, which won’t be easy.
Hasty and Mitchell both flashed some excellent prowess during OTAs, while Gallman didn’t exactly put his name up in any practice reports.