As sad as it may sound, Jarryd Hayne being cut by the San Francisco 49ers over the weekend was probably the best option for the former Parramatta Eel.
Hayne wasn’t being played because the team didn’t have faith in him. They had concerns about his ball handling, his pass protection and his inexperience.
Fair enough, they are all legitimate issues.
By releasing him, hoping he clears the waiver wire and then signing him to the practice squad, the 49ers are betting that he will develop better away from the spotlight of Sunday afternoons. That without the pressure to perform in actual matches, he will be able to develop his technique and work on his flaws.
If they think he has improved enough to play matches, they can cut one of their 53-man squad and promote Hayne.
It is a gamble however. Firstly, they are hoping no other team will sign him before he clears waivers. They are also gambling that no team signs him from their practice squad, which can be done if he is signed to that team’s 53-man squad.
Additionally, the team is gambling that it is best to develop Hayne on the practice squad and not during games in what is already a lost season.
Some players develop best on the training field, others only during the intensity of an actual game. It’s not yet clear what group Hayne is in, but hopefully some time in the practice squad does him good.
That’s if he actually makes the practice squad. During the 49ers’ clash against the St Louis Rams, Reggie Bush tore his ACL after slipping on some concrete following a punt return. Rookie running back Mike Davis, who has been favoured over Hayne, left the game at halftime after suffering a hand injury. He struggled during the first half and hasn’t exactly set the world on fire so far this season. Carlos Hyde is not expected to be back until after the bye week.
Suddenly the 49ers are very thin at running back. At face value it looks as though Hayne will be straight back into the top squad as Bush’s replacement. I’m not so sure.
All the problems the 49ers have with Hayne still exist. They’re not going to throw him straight back into the line-up and give him extended minutes. Gaskins, the man who replaced Hayne, is not a number one running back. The 49ers will not head into next week’s match with Hayne and Gaskins as a running back tandem. It is also unlikely that Davis, should he be healthy, will act as the starter.
The 49ers look likely to replace Bush with a more experienced free-agent recruit. A player looking for work such as Ray Rice, Montee Ball or even veteran Steven Jackson. These players may be flawed, for various reasons, but they are all experienced running backs that have spent multiple years in the NFL.
I hope for Hayne’s sake that he makes it back on to an active roster as soon as possible, but the 49ers don’t need Jarryd Hayne right now, they need an experienced number one running back who is ready to carry the load at least until Hyde returns.
In terms of punt returning, Bruce Ellington was more than capable as Bush’s replacement. The 49ers don’t need Hayne returning punts, he might be the best punt returner in the club but there are only 53 spots on the roster.
If Gaskins retains his place in the squad, the 49ers effectively have two spots for three players; unfortunately it is Hayne who will be squeezed out.
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