San Francisco running back Carlos Hyde has totaled just 23 catches in his two NFL seasons. Coach Chip Kelly plans to change that.
Kelly said after watching Hyde at minicamp that he was impressed with how well Hyde catches the ball, and expects to see Hyde catch the ball a lot this year.
“He’s got really, really good hands,” Kelly said. “He made a really nice catch [on Tuesday] in the flats on a difficult throw. It’s interesting from someone that size and that has that skill set as a guy coming out of the backfield. So, it’s certainly something we need to continue to build upon with him.”
Hyde said he has always believed he’d be able to help out more in the passing game.
“I think it’s something that’s overlooked, but this year we may get to see it,” Hyde said. “I like playing receiver. It’s another opportunity to get out in space and get the ball in your hands. To me, it’s the feeling that you’re taking over the game. The defense isn’t just worried about your running the ball, they’ve got to worry about you coming out of the backfield, catching the ball and making plays after you catch the ball. It puts stress on the defense and opens up things for other people on the team.”
It’s a skill Hyde so far hasn’t been able to show off, but in Kelly’s offense, he will.