Entering the NFL offseason, most thought redshirt running back Marcus Lattimore would get a chance to compete for snaps in the San Francisco 49ers' backfield behind Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter.
After the NFL draft, Lattimore now also has to battle rookie Carlos Hyde.
"I look at (it) like it's competition," Lattimore told the team's official website Thursday. "Competition brings out the best in you. It brings out the best in every player in the backfield. We've got a group of great guys and we all want the best for each other, but at the end of the day, we all want to play.
"We're going to compete and we're going to bring the best out of each other and we're going to have a great backfield."
On Tuesday's edition of the "Around The League Podcast," we discussed that the drafting of Hyde in the second round was likely a signal that the 49ers' brass wasn't convinced of Lattimore's progress.
The 22-year-old Lattimore, however, said he hasn't had any setbacks with his rehab.
"I'm real happy because I've had no knee problems, nothing in my knee, no soreness, no swelling," he said. "It's all the other muscles around the knee getting used to the workload again and going full speed. That's what I have to get used to, going full speed again and getting those instincts back that I've had."
Hyde's addition could provide more time for Lattimore to heal without being forced into the lineup. It could also be a sign that, sadly, the diligent, dedicated runner might never make it all the way back to the player he was at South Carolina.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" plays the post-draft version of the game "What's More Likely" and breaks down all the latest news.
