San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde met with the media earlier this week, and had plenty to say about what could be a big season for him. There are high expectations for the running backs in Chip Kelly’s offense, and Hyde discussed the offense, and how he is preparing.
Hyde spends his offseason time in Miami, and plans on heading back there. He works with noted trainer David Alexander, and in the past the working group has included former 49ers running back Frank Gore. Hyde talked about telling Alexander what he is generally looking to do, and then Alexander sets up the specifics as far as drills and whatnot. He'll head back there, and work to get ready for training camp. He said he is currently at about 229 pounds, and is looking to get down to 220 to 225 for the start of training camp.
Here’s the full transcript of Hyde’s media session.
On his responsibilities and how offense fits what he does:
I think to me, it’s the same responsibility as last year. Being the overall back, the whole complete back, running, blocking, catching, just doing the right things.
On if he lost weight:
I weight about 229 right now. This offseason, really training really hard this offseason so I could get down, I wanted to come back here and be between 220 and 225 when I come back. Just wanna be light. When I came in I was light, really lean. When I came in the past offseason, and it just felt good. Going out working out, waking up just felt good overall.
On 2015 playing weight:
I was about 231. I probably was about, game day I was probably about 233. With all them pads on, probably like 235.
On what he needs to do to stay healthy:
The biggest thing to me, staying healthy, is being in the best shape possible and just taking care of your body. That’s getting in the cold tub, getting massages every day, whatever it is to take care of your body, just do it.
On if he needs to change his running style:
Nah, I don’t need to change my running style at all. Play the way I play. I don’t think I need to change it at all.
On frustration of being healthy the first game, and things going downhill from there:
That’s in the past. I’m not even gonna talk about that no more.
On having no real restrictions in the offseason program:
I got the two thumbs up to participate and everything in this offseason. I’ve felt good, I haven’t had any setbacks, and I just been attacking this offseason.
On needing to be 100% for full offseason program to get ready for this offense:
Me personally, I definitely wanted to participate in these OTAs, and all these practices that we’ve been through, I definitely wanted to be a part, just to see how my foot’s going to hold up with all this running and cutting. In the beginning, I was sore, but once I got the rust knocked off I was, I felt great ever since.
On if he expects to be used as a receiver more than in the past:
Yea, yea. I definitely think I’ll be involved in the passing game a lot more this year, which I’m excited about. I like playing receiver. Another opportunity to get out in space and get the ball in your hands.
On reaction to move up to add OL in draft:
I was happy. I’m always happy when we draft an offensive guy. I’m an offensive guy … He’s a guy who’s going to come in and help us definitely on the offensive line, and expecting big things out of him.
On if training plans will be different until training camp given new offense:
I don’t really have workouts made up in my mind. I just go to the place where I train at back home in Miami, whatever that workout plan is that they have put in, I just go with that. But me, I like to do a lot of field stuff. I like to be on the field doing a lot of running back skills, just moving around on the field because that’s where I spend most of my time. Not lifting weights, so I like to be out on the field, catching, just running, trying to get a game feel on the field. I don’t have that many people, but still, you can get that feel.
On not being able to return punts (was doing some return work in practice):
[Laugh] Nah. I could do kickoff return, I can’t do punt return.
On Miami group being what he did prior to offseason workout program:
Yea, so DBC, David Alexander, I was down there working with him. I came in and told him, I really wanna get my body right and my foot right. I wanna get as lean as possible, and it was great. I came back here really lean and in shape, and I was ready to go.
On if he talked to anybody else who dealt with foot injuries (Crabtree, Ward):
I talked to Crab, just recently. So we had a softball game at AT&T Park, and I saw Crab. That’s the first time I’ve seen him since he’s been with the Raiders. But, he asked me about it, and he was like, yea I did the same thing. You gotta always wear your orthotics now, no matter what. Doesn’t matter what cleat you wear, you just gotta have those orthotics in and you’ll be alright. So that was good to hear from someone who’s been through it.
On if his pass-catching hands get overlooked as part of his game:
Yea, I would say so. In college I didn’t get that many opportunities to catch the ball, but when the ball did come my way, I tried to make the most out of it. I always try to catch the ball, no matter what, even if it’s nowhere near catchable. To me, every ball should be catchable. But, yea, I definitely think that’s something that’s overlooked. But this year, we get to see it.
On value of getting ball in open space:
To me, it feels like you’re just taking over the game. The whole game, not just running the ball. The defense not just worrying about you running the ball. They gotta worry about you coming out of the backfield, or lining up at the receiver position, catching balls, making plays out there when catch the ball. I think to me, it just puts stress on the defense. And then, it opens up things for other people on the team.
On if he can be traditional three down running back:
Yea, I definitely expect myself, I hold myself to that standard to be that three down running back, to never come off the field, to always just be in the game. But you know, there’s gonna be times where I gotta come out, but I definitely hold myself to being that three down back.
On if he still sees similarities to Ohio State offense and comfort level:
Yea, I still feel that way. I think I’m, from that time when I was talking to you all in the beginning, I was trying to get comfortable with it, but now I’m all the way comfortable with it. It’s like day and night with the offense. Now I can just play freely. I know all the plays, and I know exactly what I have to do. So, it’s easy to go out there and just run the plays, look at the signal, and get going.
On if tempo is similar to OSU:
Well, we actually practice way faster than what we did at Ohio State. At Ohio State our practices were kinda, tempo, our practices we going. Now, we got on the field, we get off the field, we going. No wasting time.
On how practicing fast help him:
I think it helps everybody, not just me, the whole team. To me now, it don’t even feel that fast. But if someone came in and watched it, they’d say, man, you guys are moving fast. To me it’s not that fast anymore. To me, it’s just an opportunity to score a lot of points. You’re going fast, you get down to the red zone, you’re scoring points. The defense get out there and get a stop, we going. So everybody’s just moving fast, and we look up on the scoreboard, we killing the team, hoo rah, everybody’s happy.
On if he feels in NFL he has to pick his spots for physicality:
I mean there’s definitely sometimes in the game where, maybe you don’t need to truck this guy, just go out of bounds right here. But, to me, that’s not really dictating the game to that person, if you’re just running out of bounds. To me, I just think that person might be like, oh he might be scared, or he don’t wanna play. I’d rather just try and run through you, let you know that I’m not running out of bounds, I’m here to play, and it’s just gonna be all game like this. I ain’t shying away.
First impressions of Kelvin Taylor:
That’s my guy right there. He’s still learning, but he’s definitely getting it thought. He’s definitely gonna help us out a lot. He’s good though, that’s my guy right there.
On what Taylor does well:
I mean he’s very decisive. He gets the ball, and he’s not stopping behind the line. He gets the ball, makes a move, he’s not stuttering his feet, very decisive which is good. Make your mind up and go, even if it’s wrong. Just go with it, and play fast. That’s what he do, and he’s very decisive, like I said. And he’s another guy who can catch the ball out of the backfield, also. All of us, all the running backs, all able to go out and play receiver, play running back. We’ve got a great group though.