Editor’s note: Matt Maiocco is in Indianapolis to cover the NFL Combine. Check back for his comprehensive coverage and catch his nightly updates on SportsNet Central.
INDIANAPOLIS – The Philadelphia Eagles never had a designation for a fullback on their depth chart during Chip Kelly’s three seasons.
Although the position did not exist in Kelly’s previous NFL coaching stop, it does not mean there will be no role for Bruce Miller with the 49ers, he said.
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“You look at Bruce as a football player,” Kelly said on Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “A lot of times he was on the wing and was like a move tight end. I think they’ve used him here in the past. I don’t think Bruce himself can be stereotyped as ‘He’s just this.’ You’re talking about a guy who was a defensive end in college.”
[MAIOCCO: Miller's 49ers roster spot tenuous with Kelly in charge]
Miller, a five-year NFL veteran, was a seventh-round draft pick of the 49ers in 2011 after he was selected as a two-time Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year. Miller appeared in 16 games last season with five starts. He has started 47 of the 77 NFL games in which he has appeared.
His versatility and ability to play multiple positions could serve him well with the 49ers. Kelly said the 49ers’ coaching staff continues to put together the team’s playbook.
San Francisco 49ers
“You have a voluminous (playbook), then you pick what we are going to run with this group," Kelly said. "It's kind of like, you buy the whole set of encyclopedias, but you may not need 'Z' or 'T' because that's not available to you. When you build it in the beginning from a terminology standpoint all all that, you cover everything.
"I’m not pigeon-holed to anything. You have to utilize your personnel the best way you can. We ran a lot of 12 personnel (one back, two tight ends) in Philadelphia because we had Brent Celek and Zach Ertz. We would’ve been 13 if we had a third (tight end).”