Niners RBs Kendall Hunter, Carlos Hyde vying for featured role

From 2006 through last year, there was no question about who would assume the featured back role for the 49ers.

It was Frank Gore. Period.

Times have changed. Gore has moved on to Indianapolis. Second-year back Carlos Hyde is his heir apparent, but the job will not be handed to him on a silver platter. The team added Reggie Bush in free agency, drafted Mike Davis in the fourth round and still has Kendall Hunter.

The latter is intriguing. He sat out 2014 with a torn ACL, but rushed for more yards in each of his first three seasons than the 333 Hyde recorded last year. And Hunter is fully recovered.

"He's coming along great," Jim Tomsula told CSNBayArea.com. "I think we all have strong feelings for Kendall. You see him out there moving. He's moving around great. But we definitely have a rep count on him. ... You've got to keep him corralled. But he's moving around really quick."

Hunter has 1,202 yards (4.6 average) and seven touchdowns in 43 career games.

Tomsula believes the 49ers are covered at running back no matter who emerges to earn the bulk of the work.

"I'm not talking depth charts or anything right now, but they're all getting after it."

All except Hyde, who has been sidelined for a couple weeks with a minor pull in his leg (not his hamstring). Tomsula said if it were the regular season, he would be active.