It's the middle of May, when every skill player on all 32 rosters is crowed about as the second coming of a young Frank Gifford.
Still, it's intriguing to hear about the pairing of Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick and pass-catching runner Reggie Bush.
"Reggie has really been an asset to Colin and has opened up some things," San Francisco general manager Trent Baalke told SiriusXM NFL Radio, per CSN Bay Area. "When you get the speed going down the field and you give a back like Reggie room to work in the third-down packages and stuff like that, it really is a bonus for the quarterback. And Colin is developing a real rapport with Reggie coming out of the backfield."
It's another indication that Bush could be in for significant snaps come September. While second-year runner Carlos Hyde lines up as the presumptive starter, Bush was praised by coach Jim Tomsula in March as "an every-down back."
We expect to see plenty of Reggie on passing downs as part of an attack that also replaced the slow-footed Michael Crabtree with Torrey Smith. The former Ravens deep threat has altered what the team can do through the air, according to Baalke.
"The one thing that really shows up is the way the field's opened up more with the speed or Torrey being able to stretch the outside," Baalke said. "And it really helps (tight end Vernon Davis) because now Vernon's game is (to) stretch the field a little bit, as well."
With Baalke going out of his way to also praise young wideout Quinton Patton's "excellent offseason," the Niners line up as a team ready to roll with plenty of new faces come September. The hope in San Francisco is that a dose of added speed will improve what, honestly, was a boring offense to watch for much of last season.
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