SANTA CLARA – 49ers running backs coach, Tom Rathman, spoke to a group of reporters after practice this afternoon. I transcribed the interview below.
Here are Rathman’s main points:
- Brandon Jacobs “is a very physical runner” who “has the ability to pack it up inside and run over guys…If we want somebody to run outside, we’ll put somebody else in.”
- The Niners want to keep Frank Gore “fresh so he’s an impact player.” That means fewer carries next season for the franchise’s all-time leading rusher.
- Rookie running back LaMichael James is “already an impact player. That’s who he is. He’s going to be a guy who makes a lot of plays for your offense.”
Q: The critique of Brandon Jacobs in New York was that he didn’t hit the hole like a big back should. Would you agree that that’s something he needs to improve upon?
RATHMAN: I don’t know about that. Evaluating him, I thought he was a very physical runner. He’s got the ability to do what we’re looking for him to do. He has to understand who he is as a player. We need him to pack it up inside and run over guys, be physical as a ball carrier. If we want somebody to run outside, we’ll put somebody else in. We’re looking forward to working with him this year. He’s done an outstanding job this offseason coming into this system and trying to learn it. That’s the biggest factor right now – learning the offense.
Q: Have you guys thought about roles for each of these guys? What Brandon Jacobs’ role vs. Kendall Hunter’s?
RATHMAN: First of all, you’ve got to figure out who’s going to make the team. That’s where it all starts. You can’t plan on who’s going to play what role until you figure out who’s going to make your team. We believe that it’s open competition. We’re going to play the best players because that’s the way it should be. So they all have to understand that they’ve got to play at a high level when they’re out on the football field – that’s the expectation of the San Francisco 49ers. When you do that, good things will happen to you as a player. You’ll get more snaps. We don’t know if everyone’s going to be happy with the time they get because we don’t know what the situation is right now. It’s all going to play itself out. The good thing is we’ve got depth at the position, so we’re going to lay it on the line when we get into training camp and see who fits what role.
Q: What are expecting from all that depth?
RATHMAN: You’re not going to have any shortfalls when somebody gets hurt. Hopefully have somebody who’s able to come in and play at the same level that the guy in front of him played. Those are our expectations of each individual.
Q: How’s Frank Gore looking?
RATHMAN: This is his first offseason out here. I’m very happy about him being here. He’s working hard. I think he’s working out three times a week, probably three times a day – working out early in the morning, then he comes here and then he goes and boxes at night. He’s working hard. He’s out here. He understands what’s at stake. We’ve got a very, very good team. We’re very close to where we want to go. The attendance that we have this offseason exemplifies that, as far as guys want to be here, they want to be in the system, they want to be around their teammates because they know we’re close and we’ve just got to take that next step.
Q: It seems like he’s lost some weight recently.
RATHMAN: He was a little bit overweight because he hadn’t been doing much. He’ll get better as far as the conditioning. Obviously he already knows the offense after being in it a year. I mean Frank’s a very smart player anyway, so he understands the whole concepts that we put in, he understands the game of football and he plays fast. He just needs to continue that. We need to keep him healthy. We need to keep him fresh so he’s an impact player for us.
Q: How’s Will Tukuafu doing with his transition from defensive tackle to fullback?
RATHMAN: He’s still in the transition phase, but he’s getting it. The more reps he gets the better he’s going to be. Until we get pads on I don’t think we’re really going to know. You get contacts, and then you start coaching him up on fits – how to strike a guy, how to move a guy out of the hole, all those things – how to cut a guy. All of that’s a work in progress, but it’s going in a positive direction as far as him working on offense.
Q: Are their different challenges for a guy his size (290 lbs) learning the position versus a guy 240 lbs?
RATHMAN: Not really. It’s still football. You still teach him the same thing you teach Bruce Miller. Techniques don’t change, so it’s all going to be the same. They’ll all be coached the same way. Let’s see if they can handle it.
Q: Does LaMichael James need to put on a lot of weight?
RATHMAN: I don’t think so because he’s already an impact player. That’s what he is. He’s going to be a guy who makes a lot of plays for your offense and does a lot of different things for your football team. I don’t know if you ask a guy to put on weight and ask him to be a guy he’s not. We’ll get him in here and get him coached up when he gets here. Hopefully he responds.
Q: How’s Anthony Dixon looking?
RATHMAN: Actually, all the running backs are looking pretty good. Solid group. We’ve got a lot of depth. All of them have to understand what’s at stake. It’s going to be tough as far as the numbers (making the team), but it’s going to bring out the best in all those guys. Someone once told me that the cream always rises to the top, and that’s our belief. The cream’s going to rise to the top out of that group.
Q: Does Anthony understand the urgency of the situation?
RATHMAN: I think everybody understand the urgency, even Frank. There’s a draft pick from the second round coming at his position. We signed Brandon Jacobs, so it’s not necessarily one guy. I think the whole group has a sense of urgency that we’ve got to play at a high level, we’ve got to play consistent football and that’s what it’s going to take for us to take that next step of getting into the Super Bowl.
Q: Kendall Hunter’s been talking about now that he’s here for the offseason he gets to learn some of the blocking techniques.
RATHMAN: Last year it was coaching on the run, especially with the two young guys. We’ve never been in that experience before. It’s what you make out of it. If the player wants to get better, he’s going to get better. Kendall is the type of guy who’s going to do everything he can to get better. But it is a huge advantage for him to be in the offseason program this year, both him and Bruce, and really all the guys who are trying out for the fullback position, who have taken snaps back there. It’s going to benefit him, no question. He’s going to be a lot further along when the season gets here because he’ll know what he’s doing. And he’s looked very good in the OTAs.
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Can’t wait for preseason! There are going to be some great battles for roster spots.
Thanks for the great read Grant.
I love Tom Rathman. Competition at running back is going to be fierce. Can’t wait to see it. Also Frank Gore getting less carries I think is a good thing. He’ll be fresh and much more productive.
+1
What’s wrong with ALL of you man?
We talkin about practice!
Nohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDBR2L5kzIt a game! We talkin about practice!
Trying again, We in here talkin about practice man! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDBR2L5kzI
At least one of the guys are not going to make it. Baring injuries, Gore is going to make it, so is Hunter, so is LeMic, that leaves Jacobs and Dixon. Thats where the battle is going to be.
Dixon or Jacobs. Jacobs is a tougher runner than he shows. Just tired of players going after his knees. I believe he will shine as a situational runner. Will and Brandon on 4th and 1. He isnt an everydown back anymore, but he scores tds. Dancin Dixon will dance on out the door. . Cant wait til the pre-season. . . Ready to get my 9ers on!
Notice how Rathman answers the questions on Dixon.
“How’s Anthony Dixon looking?”
“RATHMAN: Actually, all the running backs are looking pretty good. ”
Pretty obvious he’s gone.
If Tukuafu works out and can run between the tackles on short yardage then Jacobs is gone too. It’s a big ‘if’ but I reckon that’s why they’re trying him out.
I don’t think its either/or on Tukuafo & Jacobs; they each could make the club irrespective of the other. It might be more effected by something like keeping TG Jr + 5 WRs.
Rathman says that cream rises to the top. We haven’t seen Dixon get pushed like this. We haven’t seen him with his back against the ropes. If he rises to the occasion, he also plays ST and Jacobs don’t. So, we’ll see what happens. Excited to see Jacobs play tho!
Tuk will be on the roster as a backup on defense. His versatility will get him some time spelling Miller at FB.
I agree with MontanaMan, it’s kind of premature to say Dixon is gone. Let’s see how things shake out. It will certainly be interesting to watch.
” So they all have to understand that they’ve got to play at a high level when they’re out on the football field – that’s the expectation of the San Francisco 49ers.” – From a man who understands what that means. I love the Niners and it is so great to see them back where they belong. Every team that plays us this year will have that date circled. No gimmee’s on us any more. Any wins vs SF will be hard earned. GO NINERS!
Best comment was by JPDX. No more easy wins over the Niners. Attitude is proactive rather than the reactive mindset we have had for such a long time.
Good article Grant! I have to give it up to you! That said I think Tuk will still be in the rotation on the D-line next year and get in on situational short yardage downs at FB. I don’t care who makes it, Dixon or Jacobs, because I know the coaches will choose the best player and that will show during the season.
So who do the 9ers have under contract at the RB position and what type of runner are they:
Frank Gore – Workhorse. Not real fast but decent on the edges. Great inside runner. Great blocker. Heart and Soul of the offense.
Kendall Hunter – Small, quick runner. Ok on the inside but excels on the edges. Similar to James.
LaMichael James – Very small, Quick runner. TBD but expect him to be good on the edges. Similar back to Hunter.
Boobie Dixon – Big back that should be good in short yardage situations. Dances too much for my liking. Doesn’t run through tackles like you’d expect from a big back. Similar back to Jacobs.
Brandon Jacobs – Big back that should be good in short yardage situations. Dances too much for my liking. Doesn’t run through tackles like you’d expect but is an absolute beast running over guys if he can get through to the 2nd level. Doesn’t hit the hole like you want. Similar to Dixon but much better IMHO.
Bruce Miller – FB – Had a great rookie season. Could be really good. Very strong blocker and can actually catch the ball for an added dimension. Needs to take the next step to solidify himself as a quality NFL FB.
Will Tukuafu – Specialty FB for short yardage and goal line. If he’s getting alot of time then Miller isn’t developing like you want at FB.
Who did I leave out? My take is that they have Gore and then a group of specialty type guys. 2 small/quick guys and 2 big strong guys. Looks like a good group of backs but they seem to be missing a young franchise type back. I’m a huge Gore fan but he’s definitely on the back end. I’d love to see the 9ers land a guy like LeSean McCoy, Marshawn Lynch, or Aryan Foster.
@Houston:
I agree with just about everything you wrote. I think Baalke and Harbaugh have assembled a group of running backs that can present a match up problem for just about any defense. They can go heavy with Jacobs, Miller/Tukuafu against smaller, quicker defenses and can go quick and fast with James and Hunter against bigger, slower defenses. Gore will play against everyone, but with reduced carries, he may be able to avoid wearing down as the season progresses, thereby retaining his effectiveness later in the season.
I don’t know that the team needs a franchise back. I would not be surprised to see James and Hunter combine to replace Gore, maybe as soon as next year. Although neither one seems big enough to handle a full-time load, they could divide the carries without either one taking too much of a beating. Their ability to pass protect may be an issue, however. I also would like to see how well James can run inside. I get the feeling that he may be better at it than people think.
CB
At the college level LaMic can run inside. I have watched every carry and reception in his career. Niner fans are in for a pleasant surprise. Harbaugh knows and thats why the Niners picked him with the 2nd pick.
@undercenter:
Sorry, I worded that sentence poorly. You are correct that James ran inside quite well in college, which is why I think it would be facile to conclude he cannot do it for the 49ers just because of his size. He still has to prove he can do it in the NFL, but I don’t think it is as unlikely as has been suggested.
You left out Jewel Hampton. We are not hearing anything about him tho. Dont be surprised if LaMic doesnt turn out to be a franchise running back. Only problem I have with LaMic is sometimes he puts the ball on the ground. Huge no no.
Like his name, Hampton is a Jewel!!!! Diamond in the rough.
Dixon is toast(remember those 3rd and 1 during the championship game).
I still hope Jewal “Bowling ball with legs”Hampton beats out Jacobs and Dixon as the 4th RB for the role of short yardage power back.
and if not,
I think Niners will do all they can to protect him from another team, maybe the old stubbed toe to IR move just before the season
Grant, I know it’s early, and there could be an injury in the pre-season, but if James, Hunter, Gore and Jacobs all look solid and healthy going into the season (I’m assuming Dixon will be cut) … would the 49ers trade Kendall Hunter? Would he bring a second rounder?
I bet not.
Hunter and James are two matchup nightmares if we run the right plays. Have them both back there and go out for pass routes. Good luck covering them with your OLB’s. If the OL holds up, that is an easy 6-8 yards.
DS
A total nightmare for the linebackers. The dont stand a chance. LaMic and Hunter like you said should easily get 6+ yards everytime. Very elusive runners and anytime they are one on one with the linebackers its no contest, they win.
Anybody every play the game “NFL Blitz”?
There is a defensive play where you call a suicide blitz where every defender goes in to blitz the QB. If it works, you get a sack. If not, you give up a TD.
I can see teams just saying “Screw it. Just send the house at AS.” instead of trying to cover these two (plus remember VD and Moss have lots of speed). If the OL can give AS enough time to get his feet set and a good lane, and AS can lead these two RB’s in just the right way, we are going to be very hard to beat.
First fun year on O in past decade!