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          NFL Nation

          Carlos Hyde now on the clock for 49ers

          • Paul Gutierrez, ESPN Staff WriterMar 8, 2015, 06:19 PM ET
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              Paul Gutierrez joined NFL Nation in 2013 and serves as its Las Vegas Raiders reporter. He has a multi-platform role - writing on ESPN.com, television appearances on NFL Live and SportsCenter, and podcast and radio appearances. Before coming to ESPN, Gutierrez spent three years at CSN Bay Area as a multi-platform reporter, covering the Raiders and Oakland Athletics as well as anchoring the SportsNet Central cable news show. Gutierrez votes for the Baseball Hall of Fame and is also a member of the Professional Football Writers of America and currently serves as the PFWA's Las Vegas chapter president. He is also a member of the California Chicano News Media Association and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Gutierrez has authored three books: Tommy Davis' Tales from the Dodgers Dugout, 100 Things Raiders Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die and If These Walls Could Talk: Stories from the Raiders Sideline, Locker Room and Press Box with Lincoln Kennedy. You can follow Paul on Twitter @PGutierrezESPN
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          The signs have been there all along. From Frank Gore being under-utilized when the San Francisco 49ers went away from their power running game early in the season to Gore throwing his undying support to former coach Jim Harbaugh.

          Indeed, it all made CEO Jed York’s recent words to the San Francisco Chronicle, vowing to find a way to re-sign Gore, ring hollow.

          So you can’t really be surprised that Gore, the franchise’s all-time leading rusher, has told friends he is leaving for the Philadelphia Eagles, per Adam Schefter and Adam Caplan.

          All it really means, at least with how the roster is currently constructed, is that second-year running back Carlos Hyde is on the clock.

          Hyde was cryptic on Twitter Saturday night, the evening before news broke of Gore’s decision, tweeting “Damn just like that” and “I’ll still be watching” with an image of a pencil taking notes on a sheet of paper.

          Was he referring to Gore’s departure?

          It doesn’t really matter, not with Hyde the projected lead back, and Kendall Hunter returning from an ACL injury.

          Hyde showed promise and burst as a rookie, averaging 4.0 yards per carry in rushing for 333 yards on the season. But it was a season cut short by injury. A sprained ankle suffered in Seattle in Week 15, when he rushed for a season-high 55 yards on six carries, kept him out the final two weeks.

          The second-round pick out of Ohio State announced his presence with, well, authority, in the opener at Dallas, rushing for 50 yards and a touchdown, becoming the first Niners rookie since Vernon Davis in 2006 to score a touchdown, on seven attempts.

          His four rushing touchdowns on the season were tied with Gore for the team lead. In fact, before Gore scored twice in the final three weeks of the season, Hyde was the team’s leading ground scorer.

          Plus, Hyde’s 4-yard plunge against Washington in Week 11 proved to be the game-winner for the Niners. It was Hyde, not Gore, on the field in crunch time.

          So yeah, if it seemed like the Niners were phasing out Gore in favor of Hyde in certain situations, you might be right. Because, after Hyde injured the ankle, Gore went off in the final two games, rushing for a combined 302 yards on 51 carries with Hyde sidelined.

          The Niners allowing Gore to walk in favor of elevating Hyde should not be a shock. Now, whether you agree with the move? That’s another question entirely.