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SANTA CLARA — Kyle Shanahan won’t sugarcoat the news of Jerick McKinnon’s season-ending knee injury.
“I’m not going to lie, it changes things pretty drastically,” Shanahan said Wednesday. “When you go for, that was your first target in free agency, so once you do it, you have a plan on how to use him, especially going into Week 1.”
McKinnon was pegged as San Francisco’s top free agent running back of 2018. Despite his lifetime role in Minnesota as a third-down back, he was paid like a bellcow in San Francisco, earning $11.7 million guaranteed with a potential of $30 million over four years.
McKinnon’s pass-catching, blocking, and outside running figured to translate perfectly into Shanahan’s byzantine scheme. That is now gone this year.
The 49ers signed six-year veteran Alfred Morris three weeks ago, a move that has become immensely important. Morris went from bubble player to potential lead runner in a matter of weeks. Combine him with second-year running back Matt Breida, who blossomed down the stretch of the 2017 season, and Shanahan should still have enough talent to make due amid a challenging situation — similar to last year.
It still stings.
“We definitely had to go back in and change some things,” Shanahan said. “But (I am) definitely still excited about what we’ve got.”
Running back characterizations don’t really apply in Shanahan’s offense. If you look at McKinnon and Breida, they are both undersized, physically gifted athletes with plenty of speed. But the Georgia Southern alumni aren’t carbon copies.
McKinnon is viewed as the better receiver. He was a top-10 blocker in the NFL last season, according to Pro Football Focus. Breida, conversely, may hold the advantage with running between the tackles.
Morris is dissimilar from both. Shanahan admits that. A physical, sturdy runner, Morris relies on tremendous timing and vision to burst through disappearing holes to gain more yards than his athleticism should allow.
Shanahan will not term Breida and Morris as base-down runners or third-down backs. The 49ers head coach still does not know which player will start in their Week 1 matchup at Minnesota Sunday. Shanahan said he likely will not decide that until Saturday night, though it does not really matter to him. He plans to deploy his backs depending on personnel groupings and play-types, just as he always has. There is not an exact formula.
For the offense to avoid predictability, however, Shanahan says both Morris and Breida will have to catch passes to keep the defense honest. Neither player, especially Morris, is viewed as the outstanding receiver that McKinnon is.
“It’s hard to replace Jet,” Breida said at his locker Wednesday. “He is one of a kind.”
On the other hand, Breida has built upon a solid rookie season. He added 10 pounds of muscle this offseason, now at 200 pounds, and instantly impressed Shanahan with increased confidence in Year No. 2. Breida suffered a separated shoulder in the preseason opener, but he was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice and is ready to go for Week 1.
One of Breida’s biggest priorities this preseason was improving his receiving skills. He feels he has done that. He also knows the route tree much better than this time a year ago.
“I am going to be playing a lot faster this year,” Breida said. “I understand everything a lot better. You can never replace Jerick, but I am going to do the best I can to be the best Matt I can be.”
Last year, Carlos Hyde, never known as a receiver, amassed 59 catches in Shanahan’s first year as 49ers head coach. Hyde had previously never had more than 33 grabs in a season. He had four games of at least five catches, while totaling a career-high nine catches for 84 yards in Week 9. He put together the best all-around season of his four-year career.
Shanahan has made a habit of maximizing his running backs.
Morris is the best example. During his rookie season in 2012, he compiled 1,613 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, both of which finished second in the league behind Adrian Peterson. Morris’ rushing total was the third-most productive rookie season for any running back in NFL history. The following season, Morris compiled 1,275 yards and seven touchdowns. His production steadily declined in four ensuing seasons.
Morris looked fresh in his 49ers preseason debut last week, rushing 17 times for 84 yards. It was the first time the backfield looked formidable all preseason long — albeit against a week Indianapolis defense.
Breida said Morris’ knowledge of Shanahan’s system helps. Morris and Breida — two low-key, humble guys— have bounced questions off each other in recent days as they prepare for the opener.
“It’s a great relationship,” Breida said.
Breida said Shanahan has “kind of” informed him and Morris on how he plans to use them. They know it depends on situations and groupings.
But Breida’s mindset has not changed with the news of McKinnon’s ACL tear. He plans make the jump in his second NFL season, just as he always did.
“They expect me to come out and have a big year this year,” Breida said.