LaMichael James

Running back LaMichael James has remained a free agent since being waived by the Miami Dolphins following Week 1. He's reportedly now looking to catch on with the Dallas Cowboys.

Continue for updates.

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James Will Work Out for Dallas During Bye Week

Wednesday, Oct. 14

Rob Phillips of the Cowboys' official site reported that James is one of two running backs, along with Isaiah Pead, the team is working out this week. It's still looking to add some depth at the position after Lance Dunbar suffered a season-ending knee injury against the New Orleans Saints in Week 4.

The San Francisco 49ers drafted James in the second round of the 2012 draft. He's never lived up to that high billing, with just 44 carries for 193 yards in 18 career games with the 49ers and Dolphins.

His stint with the Dolphins ended on a low note.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported the Oregon product got into a physical confrontation with Jarvis Landry during a special teams meeting leading up to the team's season opener against the Washington Redskins. He fumbled on a kickoff return in that game and was then let go.

The Cowboys may be willing to give him another chance to prove himself with hope of getting some more explosiveness out of the backfield. Joseph Randle and Darren McFadden are both averaging less than four yards per carry, while Christine Michael has seen only limited duty so far.

James could also fill the kickoff return void left by the injury to Dunbar. He'd obviously need to rectify the fumbling issues he had in Miami late in the preseason and early in the regular season, though.

He's got the skill set necessary to fill a change-of-pace role on offense while also contributing on special teams. So he should get another chance eventually, even if Dallas decides to look elsewhere.

Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin said the team will cut running back LaMichael James on Monday, according to Greg Likens of The Finsiders.  

James, 25, was behind Lamar Miller and Damien Williams at running back and likely would have been pushed even further down the depth chart once Jay Ajayi returns from injury. He was expected to be the team's kick and punt returner this season and returned two kicks for 54 total yards against Washington on Sunday, though Jarvis Landry's 69-yard punt return for a touchdown probably won him that job for good.

James also didn't do himself any favors in Miami earlier in the week, when he reportedly didn't take kindly to some of Landry's joking around and lashed out physically at the wide receiver, causing a confrontation, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The two later apologized to the team and neither was punished, but the incident certainly caused a distraction in the lead-up to Sunday's game.

The former Oregon star has had a difficult time establishing a role for himself in the NFL, with just 44 career carries for 193 yards since being drafted in the second round in 2012 by the San Francisco 49ers. He'll be an intriguing option for teams looking to add depth at running back or seeking playmakers in space or on special teams, though his inability to carve a niche for himself in the NFL to this point means he's likely running out of chances to do so. 

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry and running back LaMichael James were reportedly involved in an altercation during a special teams meeting, with both players later apologizing to their teammates.

As the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson reported, the fight started when Landry cracked some jokes at the start of the meeting that didn't sit well with James, who was apparently in a foul mood. Some pushing and shoving took place, but neither player got injured, and Landry has since made amends with James.

The Dolphins have yet to suspend either player, and given that the altercation had no real consequences and both players have apologized to the team, no further punishment is expected. These kinds of fights tend to happen throughout the preseason, although they usually don't take place during a meeting and this close to the season opener.

It's also reminiscent of the incident between the New York Jets' Geno Smith and former teammate IK Enemkpali that left the former with a broken jaw and the latter without a job, per the Guardian's Tom Lutz. Fortunately for the Dolphins, the squabble between Landry and James never got that far. 

Landry, a second-round pick out of LSU last year, and James, the former Oregon star who joined the Dolphins in 2014 after finding limited success with the San Francisco 49ers, are expected to compete for return duties this season. According to the report, that was not a factor in the dispute.

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The Miami Dolphins re-signed a couple of key players Friday in safety Louis Delmas and running back LaMichael James.

News of James' return was reported by the team's official Twitter account, while Delmas' agent Drew Rosenhaus tweeted a photo of the veteran signing to stay in South Beach:

ProFootballTalk.com's Mike Florio reports Delmas' deal is for one year and is worth up to $3.5 million.

Delmas delivered a brief video message to Dolphins fans, too:

pic.twitter.com/LlYRSigDVr

— Drew Rosenhaus (@DrewJRosenhaus) March 20, 2015

Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel provided further comments from Delmas:

No professional athlete wants to end his season off with an injury. It definitely pissed me off a little. I definitely know I'll be ready for the first game of the season. I know myself. I've been dealing with knee injuries my whole career. I know when I'm ahead of the game.

After spending his first five seasons in Detroit, Delmas played in 13 games and made 12 starts for Miami's defensive backfield in 2014. He recorded 60 tackles, one sack and a pick-six but tore an ACL late in the season.   

Although he still may need more time to get back near 100 percent healthy, Delmas' job security shouldn't be in question once he's fit to take the field.

James figures to be in line for a bigger role in the Dolphins' uptempo offense. Despite being undersized, there's no denying James has tremendous speed and can make people miss in the open field.

With free agent Daniel Thomas currently out of the equation, the backup running back spot is wide open behind Lamar Miller. As long as James can show some toughness between the tackles and be serviceable in pass protection, he has the chance to be a solid scatback.

If he cannot garner significant touches in the backfield, James is also a viable return man and should at least nab a roster spot because of that.

The Miami Dolphins have three quality running backs in Lamar Miller, Daniel Thomas and LaMichael James. As a unit, they proved their worth Sunday against the Denver Broncos when they had chances. Unfortunately for Miami, their contributions weren't enough to overcome the Broncos. Denver prevailed 39-36.

Player	Rush-Yards	Rush TDs	Rec-Yards
Lamar Miller	12-59	0	1-8
Daniel Thomas	3-19	1	0
LaMichael James	2-4	0	0

Running backs by committee can work in the NFL, but they should make fantasy football owners nervous. 

Miller got the majority of the touches through three quarters, but Thomas' efficiency in the red zone can't be ignored, as he notched his first TD of the season. James, who was signed by the team back on Sept. 30, saw his first action as a Dolphin on Sunday.

LaMichael James just had his 1st carry as a Miami Dolphin. Gained 3 yards. Good to see him out there again. #FreeLaMike has worked, for now.

— Jake Zivin (@JakeZivin) November 23, 2014

He figures to be the team's scat back moving forward. He's not likely to get an abundance of opportunities, but his big-play ability as a runner and receiver can't be totally ignored.

Daniel Thomas plows into the endzone!! #MIAvsDEN#StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/NLi21Kvcwo

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) November 23, 2014

As the feature back, Miller will still hold the most value, but he might be losing red-zone opportunities to the bigger and more physical Thomas. On the other end of that scenario, it's unclear if Thomas will continue to get the carries inside the five-yard line to allow him to find the end zone.

James is the biggest wild card of all. Unless he breaks a big play, he probably won't do your team any good.

Of this group, Miller is the safest bet and should continue to be started as an RB2. Thomas is a decent flex option in TD-heavy leagues, and James should only be tabbed as a bench stash as a potential handcuff.

Updates from Wednesday, Oct. 1

Andy Kent of the Associated Press passed along comments from LaMichael James and head coach Joe Philbin after the running back signed in Miami:

'I kept in contact and I could have just stayed then but I wanted to come in here and be ready to earn my spot,' James said. 'I actually called them and told them I was ready. I'm all in and the GM (Dennis Hickey), he's an outstanding guy and was really positive with me and told me the door was open. I think I belong in this league. I think I can help this team win and I can make plays.'

(...)

'He's got a lot of skill. He's a talented guy,' Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin said. 'He's got good ball skills and he's got speed and we want to have a chance to work with him for a little bit and see what comes of it. We like his athleticism, his playmaking ability, he's got hands and he can run. So we'll take a look at him.'

Original Text

Free-agent running back LaMichael James has found a new NFL home, agreeing to a contract with the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday.

James' agent Jeff Sperbeck had the news:

Congrats to @LaMichaelJames for joining the @MiamiDolphins He knows the offense well. Great fit.

— Jsper (@TheNOVOAgency) September 30, 2014

Andrew Abramson of The Palm Beach Post notes a key detail with the signing of James: 

RB LaMichael James is going to Dolphins practice squad, not 53 man roster.

— Andrew Abramson (@AbramsonFL) September 30, 2014

James was a 2012 second-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers out of Oregon and was coveted for his big-play ability as a ball-carrier, pass-catcher and return man. However, San Francisco has more of a physical, power-running style that didn't suit James well.

The selection of former Ohio State star Carlos Hyde in the second round of this year's draft pushed James down the depth chart behind the rookie and veteran Frank Gore. Hyde ran for 50 yards and a touchdown on seven carries in his NFL debut, and not long thereafter James requested to be released.

Sperbeck weighed in on his client's departure from San Francisco.

"They weren't utilizing him, and he was frustrated," said Sperbeck, per The Sacramento Bee's Matt Barrows. "It was a combination of the two."

Pro Football Focus highlighted how little James had played in three years as a 49er:

Former 2012 2nd round pick LaMichael James got on the field for 139 snaps during his time with the 49ers. Easy to see why he wanted out

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) September 8, 2014

Cian Fahey of Rotoworld implied James would have an opportunity to make an impact elsewhere:

LaMichael James was released also. I like him a little more than most. Not all that dynamic, but can find hole and accelerate through it.

— Cian Fahey (@Cianaf) September 8, 2014

Now the Dolphins figure to make James a bigger part of their offensive game plan.

It will be interesting to follow how James' career unfolds in this next phase, because he's never had much of an opportunity to contribute on a consistent basis. Although someone of James' diminutive stature isn't likely to be a feature back in the NFL, he ought to be fresh enough to provide an explosive change of pace in Miami's backfield.

With a skill set that suggests he can rack up all-purpose yards in a hurry, it's no surprise James caught on rather quickly with a new team. Going through adversity and not playing much in San Francisco should offer James plenty of motivation moving forward to fulfill his draft placement and prove he can play consistently at a high level in the pros.

At just 24 years old, James has plenty of time to redeem an underwhelming start to his career. With fresh legs and a new environment, all the elements are in place for James to thrive.

To this point, the NFL career of running back LaMichael James hasn't gone according to plan, so much so that the former Oregon star requested his release from the San Francisco 49ers.

Well, as the old saying goes, "be careful what you wish for," because now that James is a free agent, it may not be long before he wishes he was back holding down a bench with his butt in the Bay Area.

As Marc Sessler of NFL.com reported, the 49ers granted James' request to be let go by the team, a move that was lauded by James' agent:

@LaMichaelJames appreciates the @49ers for granting him his release request & allowing him to pursue his career elsewhere.

— Jsper (@TheNOVOAgency) September 8, 2014

According to Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle, Sperbeck believed that it was a move that suited both sides:

Spoke with LaMichael James' agent, Jeff Sperbeck: "Everyone kind of realized it was best for both sides." #49ers

— Eric Branch (@Eric_Branch) September 8, 2014

That remains to be seen.

Granted, it had become clear that James' role in San Francisco was virtually non-existent. James had fallen to the bottom of the pecking order at running back for the 49ers, managing only a pair of carries in the team's Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

After losing punt return duties to Bruce Ellington, it had become clear that James just wasn't in head coach Jim Harbaugh's plans in San Fran, an unceremonious end to the tenure of a former second-round pick who electrified college football for three seasons from 2009-2011.

The problem now is that it's hard to see a future for James that's any less cloudy than it was in San Francisco.

It hasn't gotten any easier for running backs to find work in the NFL in recent years, especially diminutive "scat back" types with virtually invisible professional resumes who have battled injuries since entering the league.

Yes, James showed a few flashes of that open-field ability that was on display so regularly in Eugene with the 49ers, but they were so few and far between that it's hard to imagine his phone ringing off the hook right now.

This isn't to say that there won't be interest. The Arizona Cardinals have an unsettled situation at running back thanks to Andre Ellington's balky foot, and in some respects James and Ellington are similar players.

With Ray Rice released and Bernard Pierce in head coach John Harbaugh's doghouse after an early fumble last Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens appear set to hand the keys to the ground game to journeyman Justin Forsett.

Then, of course, there's the Philadelphia Eagles, where James would be reunited with former head coach Chip Kelly.

It didn't take long for folks to start connecting those particular dots:

I'm all for the #Eagles signing LaMichael James. I like Chris Polk, but James would be an upgrade. Reuniting w/Chip would be good for him.

— Chris Steuber (@ChrisSteuber) September 8, 2014

Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com also believes it's a move the Eagles may well explore, especially with Polk battling a bad hamstring:

With just three running backs on the roster, the Eagles either have to stick it out with Polk until he is ready, or move in a different direction.

That direction very well could be James, who excelled under Kelly during their time together at Oregon. Signing James would give the Eagles a healthy third-string running back, an option out of the backfield, and a potential solution at kick returner. While James' experience on kickoffs is limited, he does have returns of 62 and 41 yards in 26 career attempts.

However, assuming that were to come to pass, what would change exactly, other than James' zip code and the amount of state income tax pulled from his paycheck?

He'll be no closer to playing time in Philly than he would have been in San Francisco, both of which offer James a better chance at winning football games than in Arizona or Baltimore. Even in the latter two locales, James' playing time would all but certainly be as either a third-down type or short-term fix.

In short, it's hard to imagine a situation in which James' NFL prospects are going to be any better than there were where he was.

And that brings us to another old saying: "The grass is always greener on the other side."

Until you get there, that is.

Gary Davenport is an NFL Analyst at Bleacher Report and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and the Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow Gary on Twitter @IDPManor.

Updates from Tuesday, Sept. 9

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports on LaMichael James' status on the waiver wire and what his next step will be:

Former 49ers RB LaMicheal James cleared waivers and is now free to sign anywhere he chooses, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 9, 2014

Original Text

The San Francisco 49ers have released third-year running back LaMichael James.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com noted the release and provided his thoughts on the situation:

According to agent @jeffsperbeck: #49ers RB @LaMichaelJames has requested and received his release from the team. Wow.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 8, 2014

Jim Harbaugh also confirmed James' release (via the 49ers):

Harbaugh confirmed the #49ers have released LaMichael James.

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 8, 2014

James, 24, was drafted by the 49ers out of Oregon in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft. During his time with San Francisco, he was never able to carve out a prominent role on offense.   

The decision comes after a Week 1 win against the Dallas Cowboys and was apparently a mutual decision. James' agent, Jeff Sperbeck, passed along James' comments on the release:

@LaMichaelJames appreciates the @49ers for granting him his release request & allowing him to pursue his career elsewhere.

— Jsper (@TheNOVOAgency) September 8, 2014

Throughout his time in the league thus far, James has been used sparingly and suffered through injuries. He has carried the ball just 41 times over 15 games with the team, compiling 184 yards and no touchdowns.

After being released by the team, James doesn't have freedom to select where he will sign. As Adam Caplan of ESPN points out, he goes on waivers first:

LaMichael James is subject to waivers.

— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) September 8, 2014

The limited time on the field was likely the biggest issue for James.

After being selected in a high round, James has never served a true role on the offense when healthy. That was partly due to a deep stable of backs behind him that was regularly pushing for carries.

But even with Kendall Hunter on injured reserve and Marcus Lattimore not available heading into the season, James still didn't know his role in 2014, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle:

“I mean, if that happens,” James said. “I’m just as clueless as y’all. I’ll have to wait and see when that unravels if I have a role, or what my role may be. I’m still wondering about that, too.”

He was given two carries against the Cowboys that went for no yards. Though his numbers weren't great on the field, the miniscule chances given to him was noted by Pro Football Focus:

Former 2012 2nd round pick LaMichael James got on the field for 139 snaps during his time with the 49ers. Easy to see why he wanted out

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) September 8, 2014

At just 24 years old, James might still have a career in the NFL ahead of him. But with a crowded backfield that already included Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde, his role clearly wasn't defined with the team.

Depending on where he lands next, James can be an offensive weapon despite his limited success at the NFL level thus far. With his speed and play-making ability, look for him to add depth to a team in the future.

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The beginning of training camp did not prove kind to San Francisco 49ers running backs LaMichael James and Kendall Hunter, both of whom went down with injuries on back-to-back days earlier this week.

According to Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News, Hunter suffered a torn ACL and will miss the entirety of the 2014 season. It comes as no surprise, as reconstructive ACL surgery almost always requires seven to eight or more months of rehabilitation, essentially eliminating the chances of the young back meaningfully contributing this year.

The prognosis for James, though, sounds more promising—despite initial grim reports from NFL.com's Mike Coppinger and others stating the running back required a cart to leave the field after going down. In fact, CSN Bay Area's Matt Maiocco tweeted Wednesday that the 49ers expect the former Oregon Duck to be ready for Week 1:

In other words, it seems James thankfully avoided serious damage in or around his joint. As always, a closer look at the anatomy can help explain the positive turn of events.

What is an Elbow Dislocation?

A dislocation describes an injury where one or more bones slip out of place relative to another, disrupting the skeletal system's normal anatomy. For example, a dislocated shoulder involves the bone of the upper arm, the humerus, falling out of the shoulder socket. The very serious dislocated knee occurs when a hit forces the tibia, or shin bone, to move out of alignment with the thigh's femur—either forward, backward or to either side.

In an elbow dislocation, the end of the humerus furthest from the shoulder shifts partly or completely out of place from where it meets both the radius and ulna—the bones of the forearm.

Elbow Dislocation Prognosis

While all dislocations cause pain, it is important to remember that a dislocation diagnosis describes only the nature and mechanism of injury. The extent of damage resulting from the dislocation determines an athlete's prognosis.

For example, a severe dislocation—one where the humerus completely and fully separates from the radius and ulna—can cause serious injury to the multiple important surrounding structures.

How?

When the bones move out of place, they can compress, stretch or tear neighboring structures, including blood vessels, nerves, ligaments, muscles and other tissues. Bone fractures can also occur, and surgery may become necessary—sometimes emergently so—to satisfactorily restore normal anatomy.

On the other hand, mild or partial dislocations—called subluxations—might yield significantly less damage. In fact, subluxations sometimes correct themselves on their own, leaving no obvious dislocation to be seen on physical exam, X-ray or CT scan. Collateral damage may prove relatively minimal, such as a mild to moderate sprain.

LaMichael James' Case

Precise NFL medical details and radiographic images are never available to the public. That said, the positive follow-up reports after James' injury hint his dislocation fell on the minor end of the severity spectrum. It's possible it successfully reduced—or shifted back into normal position—on its own or shortly thereafter with manipulation by a team physician.

49ers reporter Taylor Price wrote Thursday that while James will likely wear an elbow brace for some time after he recovers—adding extra support to the healing joint—both head coach Jim Harbaugh and James himself are optimistic the running back "could return to action prior to San Francisco's Week 1 road matchup with the Dallas Cowboys."

That said, Price also cites James' prior left elbow dislocation in 2011. Due to this, his 2014 version possibly overstretched previously injured ligaments. As such, the 49ers medical staff might understandably decide to play it safer this time around—hence the need for a brace.

Either way, reports of surgery never surfaced—and neither did the word "fracture"—suggesting James' optimism might just pan out. For now, nothing yet suggests otherwise.

Dr. Dave Siebert is a second-year resident physician at the University of Washington who plans to pursue fellowship training in Primary Care (non-operative) Sports Medicine.

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It’s safe to say the first weekend of the San Francisco 49ers’ training camp didn’t go as well as they had hoped.

On Friday, Kendall Hunter limped off the field and was diagnosed with a torn ACL. He’s done for the 2014 season, which is sad. The 2011 fourth-round pick has looked fairly promising when he’s been on the field, but now he will have missed a year-and-a-half out of his four-year contract. A free agent after this season, Hunter’s future in the NFL is definitely a question at this point. Here’s hoping he makes a full recovery and finds a team for 2015.

Every injury brings with it a silver lining for some player, and the most logical beneficiary from Hunter’s injury would have been LaMichael James. James’ roster spot was a little bit in question, but with Hunter out, he’s a logical addition to the team for his prowess in the return game and experience in the system.

However, James was carted off the field on Sunday, suffering a dislocated elbow. The injury is expected to sideline him for four to six weeks, meaning he’ll miss most of training camp but should be ready to go early in the regular season, if not by Week 1.

This is the third time James has dislocated an elbow, having suffered the injury in high school, college and now the pros.

With Marcus Lattimore still on the NFI list with his knee injury, that leaves only three healthy running backs on San Francisco’s roster: Frank Gore, rookie Carlos Hyde and Jewel Hampton.

Where do the 49ers go from here? Losing two running backs in four days isn’t a worst-case scenario, but it might require some rethinking.

First of all, how good does the Carlos Hyde pick look right now? Without him on the roster right now, the 49ers would be in a major bind. Now, the pressure goes on him to become Gore’s primary backup right away. While he should be fine in the running game, it’s the pass-protection aspects that bear the most watching.

The reason I figured Hunter would still be Gore’s primary change-of-pace replacement is because Hunter is experienced with those blocking calls. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman, in his media session on Saturday, spoke of the importance of pass protection among running backs.

In the National Football League, when you look, just take a year worth of stats and see how many times you throw the ball, how many times will the running backs actually be responsible to block somebody, as a halfback, quite a few. Several, several hundred. So, that is a big part of the equation and what we're seeing nowadays, a lot of guys don't have a ton of work relative to what they use to in pass protection based on the type of schemes that are run in college, so. I think it shows a lot about a back in a lot of ways - run decision, hitting the hole, but certainly pass-blocking is a premium.

How quickly Hyde picks up on the blocking assignments probably will dictate how many of Hunter’s snaps go to Hyde right off the bat and how many Frank Gore has to pick up. We’re probably talking something in the neighborhood of 50-60 carries that were sort of earmarked for Hunter.

If Hyde were to receive all of them, he’d probably become the most-involved first-year running back with the team since Ricky Watters got 206 carries in 1992—and remember, Watters sat out his entire rookie season in 1991 with injuries. You’d have to go back to Roger Craig in 1983 to find a rookie back who would be used as much as Hyde would be.

If Hyde doesn’t pick up on the pass protection, Gore might have to shoulder a bigger chunk of the load than the 49ers were hoping. A 260-carry season isn’t out of Gore’s usual workload, but the team had to be hoping to lean less on the 31-year-old veteran in 2014. If I had to guess, I’d say the extra carries will head Hyde’s way at about a 60/40 split, but that’s a shot in the dark at this point.

It would not be at all surprising if the team tries to cut Gore’s training camp and preseason workload in response to the injuries. If there was a way to cryogenically freeze Gore until Week 1 of the season, I’m fairly certain the team would be all over it. With Hunter and James out, the team is running out of healthy legs to take training camp repetitions, and you don’t want to overwork Gore’s aging legs before the season even begins.

Help could be on the way, however. General manager Trent Baalke has said Lattimore is “close” to getting on the practice field, and he’s had “no setbacks.” Getting Lattimore back onto the field would be a great positive step for this running back corps.

At some point, the 49ers are going to have to start evaluating Lattimore’s current abilities rather than just the potential he had before he wrecked his knee. With Hunter and James out of training camp, that would be more opportunities for Lattimore to get practice.

It makes sense the 49ers would sign a veteran running back to help take some of the wear and tear off of the remaining healthy running backs—a camp body, as it were, to reduce Gore and Hyde’s workloads.  The veteran would be a long-shot to make the final roster but would have a chance to show off in the preseason. That way, if another running back went down anywhere in the league, they’d have recent film for GMs to look at so they could fill the roster slot.

Who’s available in the last week of July? The pickings are slim.

According to his own instagram, the 49ers went with Alfonso Smith, who has spent the last five seasons buried on the depth chart in Arizona. He did play in 43 games for the club but mostly on special teams—he ended up with 48 carries for 156 yards in Arizona, most of them in 2011. Smith ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at his pro day at Kentucky, so he’s got speed, but that’s about it.

Smith received a -2.9 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) last season, though it’s worth noting most of that happened against San Francisco in Week 6, when he had one carry that resulted in a fumble, as seen in this GIF (Smith is No. 29).

He also scored at -9.5 on special teams, so he’s little more than just a guy, to a certain point. He’s never shown a lot of agility or raw performance, even in college. Expect to see a lot of Smith and Jewel Hampton during the second half of preseason games as everyone else rests their legs.

Then again, no matter who the 49ers signed to fill Hunter’s roster spot, they would have been a long-shot to make the roster. As it stands right now, I expect the 49ers to start the season with a running back corps of Gore, Hyde, Lattimore and James. While that’s a bit of a downgrade from Kendall Hunter, the 49ers have the depth to absorb the injury without losing too much of a step.