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The San Francisco 49ers are welcoming quite a few new players to the roster, and one has provided a strong endorsement for another. Reggie Bush told The Daily Telegraph of Sydney that he fully expects Jarryd Hayne to make the roster. Hayne has never played American football, and only began a crash course in the game last fall.
Bush has spoken with Australian media previously about Hayne, and seems to be the go-to guy for a quotation on Hayne and football. It would appear The Daily Telegraph has a reporter in Santa Clara for the coming year, or at least for some chunks of it. Hayne was a world class rugby league player, so it was kind of a big deal when he gave up the game to pursue American football. Thus, it is not surprising they would have people reporting on his comings and goings in Santa Clara.
Bush thinks his athleticism and many of the skills that propelled him to greatness in Australia will translate well to the NFL. Hayne's best chance to make an impact will be on special teams, both as a return man and in coverage units. Of course, if he can translate his rugby skills to the running back or h-back position, that would only benefit his roster chances.
Given the pitches involved in rugby, it will be interesting in the preseason to see just how the 49ers use him out of the backfield. Will he be getting involved in the passing game, or will they keep things a little more simple? And of course, when exactly will we see him in preseason games? Will he get some action against legit talent, or will he be playing in mop-up duty. The next three months will dictate a lot leading up to training camp.