It’s all positive, but the competition begins
Breida, Morris compete for starts in wake of McKinnon’s injury
SANTA CLARA >> It’s the cruelest yet well-traveled intersection inside NFL locker rooms: a star player gets hurt, then his replacements offer respectful condolences as they charge ahead at increased roles.
Labor Day at the 49ers complex saw running back Jerick McKinnon admirably cope with Saturday’s season-ending, anterior cruciate ligament tear to his right knee. More on that exemplary display of courage later in this story.
The most pressing matter, in the NFL’s production-based world, is determining his successor.
Not long after McKinnon bravely spoke in positive tones on crutches at his locker, Matt
Breida and Alfred Morris took turns answering reporters’ questions and complimenting each other, and they did so on opposite sides of the locker room.
None revealed which one — if only one — will replace McKinnon as the 49ers starting running back, nor is it their place to upstage coach Kyle Shanahan’s eventual announcement.
A two-back approach is likely in Sunday’s season opener at Minnesota. But if one guy is relied on most, and with all due respect to Breida’s speed and exemplary work ethic, the most logical call is Morris, based on his experience.
Morris, despite being signed only two weeks ago, has proven he can carry the load with veteran savvy. His two best seasons were his first two in Shanahan’s scheme at Washington, rushing for 1,613 yards in 2012 and 1,275 in ‘13.
“I’m still in that stage of still learning and getting that confidence, but I’m definitely at a place I can carry a heavy load,” Morris, 29, said.
Morris has started 69 of 92 career games, and he averaged 4.8 yards per carry in five starts last season as the Dallas Cowboys’ fill-in starter for Ezekiel Elliott. Morris has 1,262 carries for 5,503 yards and 32 touchdowns in his career, the first four seasons of which came in Washington.
By contrast, the speedy Breida, 23, has one year of NFL
tape, having totaled 465 yards and two touchdowns in 105 carries last season backing up Carlos Hyde. Breida had 21 receptions and drew concern with five drops.
Morris on Breida: “He’s definitely a change-of-pace guy — I mean, people say that — but I think he can carry the load if he had to. It’d be a different role for him, but I think mentally he has the capacity to do that.
“We’ll see how they use us. I don’t know if it’ll be a 1-2 thing or kind of spell each other,” Morris added.
Breida echoed that depth-chart naiveté. But he’s ready to go after not playing in any exhibition after an Aug. 9 shoulder separation against the Cowboys — “a freak accident” in pass protection, he said.
Look for the 49ers to at least turn to Breida in need of quick, explosive plays, especially in the passing game, which was the plan
he has long anticipated.
“I felt they were going to use me in the offense a lot more anyway,” Breida said. “Jet’s going to help me a lot. Alfred, who’s been in the offense, is going to help me. Me and Al and Raheem (Morris), we’re all going to get the job done.”
McKinnon’s scouting report on Morris and Breida: “They work really well together. They’re two different backs and they both have a lot of upside. Coach Shanahan and the other coaches do a great job putting us in position to be successful. That’s going to continue to happen.” MCKINNON’S MINDSET >> McKinnon returned to the practice field Monday on crutches with a black brace wrapped around his right knee, two days after “it just so happens I made a cut and tore my ACL.”
“As devastating and disappointing as it was for me to come to grips with not playing this year, that just wasn’t in God’s plan for me this year,” McKinnon said. “I’m ready for the process to rebuild this knee, this leg,
get back to running and watch these guys just go out and do what they need to do.”
McKinnon was thankful for his well-wishers, including Adrian Peterson and Teddy Bridgewater, former Vikings teammates who he’ll draw inspiration from because of their comebacks from knee injuries.
“Adrian came back and almost broke the (singleseason rushing) record. Teddy came back and they thought he’d lose his leg,” McKinnon said. “For me, it’s about keeping a positive mindset and attacking the rehab.”
Added Breida: “I give him a lot of credit, because many guys who get an ACL injury, they’re in the tank and don’t want to talk to anyone, don’t want to help anyone. He’s not like that. He’s here to help the team out.”
The only others in the running back drills Monday were fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who figures to take on a share of McKinnon’s receiving workload, along with Raheem Mostert, a special-teams ace, and Jeff
Wilson, who’s part of the 10man practice squad.
• The 49ers did not immediately fill McKinnon’s roster spot with a running back, and once they put him and rookie safety Marcell Harris (hamstring) on injured reserve Monday, they re-signed defensive back Antone Exum Jr. and added offensive lineman Matt Tobin, a sixth-year veteran who has been with the Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
• Linebacker Malcolm Smith, who injured a hamstring in the Aug. 9 opener, did not participate in the team stretch before Monday’s non-padded practice and worked alone on a blocking sled. If Smith can’t play Sunday, look for Brock Coyle to start alongside rookie Fred Warner at inside linebacker.
• Defensive back Jimmie Ward (quadriceps) and offensive lineman Erik Magnuson (hamstring) did individual conditioning.
• Offensive tackle Garry Gilliam (concussion) did non-contact drills.