The 49ers traded up to select running back Joe Williams in the fourth round; new coach Kyle Shanahan told CNNSI's Peter King that he'd be sick if San Francisco didn't get him. Obviously teams are wrong on draft picks sometimes, but that enthusiasm coupled with some negative talk about Hyde makes Williams look pretty appealing in rookie drafts.
This story in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat says Hyde is struggling in the new offense at OTAs. Says the writer, "Hyde is the slowest and most indecisive running back on the team. ... He doesn’t seem to have the vision to succeed in Kyle Shanahan’s outside-zone running scheme."
Hyde already entered the offseason with some negatives. He's gotten hurt each season, missing 14 of a possible 48 games in his first three years. The new front office and coaching staff has no ties to the contract year runner. And they loved Williams.
At times, Hyde has looked great; a possible breakout running back. But then he gets hurt, and now there's another new offense to learn.
Nobody should be falling over themselves to select Williams in redraft leagues. But it sure looks like Hyde is best avoided, and Williams makes sense as a late-round pick in that portion of the draft where you're selecting backups who just may make an impact at some point. With Williams, it seems possible it will be sooner rather than later.
--Andy Richardson