Key 49ers roster battle can finally begin after ugly start

The backup running back spot is one of the key pieces of the San Francisco 49ers depth chart. A battle for that job is finally underway with Jordan James returning from injury for Saturday's practice. He and rookie third-round pick Kaelon Black are now locked in a race for a role behind Christian McCaffrey.

Black returned the Tuesday before the 49ers' second preseason game when San Francisco held its joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers. He then made his debut in the preseason with 33 yards on eight carries. Saturday, their first practice since their game in LA on Thursday, saw James return to action after he went down in the first week of practice with broken ribs. Black's adductor injury came a couple of practices later.

ESPN's Nick Wagoner pointed out in his post-practice recap that the two backs were both strong in Saturday's session.

James and rookie RB Kaelon Black have fresh legs and it shows after their returns from injury. Black, in particular, showed off some sure hands in the pass game, one of the questions surrounding him coming out of the draft. They both had would-be touchdowns in the red zone period. I've been hammering the importance of these two getting reps all camp and it's coming at a good time as the Niners can use the next couple of weeks to figure out the pecking order.

While this is James' second camp, his first camp was cut short by a finger injury he suffered before their first preseason game. This year he's been dealing with his injury for virtually all of camp, so for him the reps are going to be essential just to continue finding his footing at the NFL level.

The 49ers have struggled to find adequate backups behind McCaffrey during the star RB's tenure in Santa Clara. McCaffrey's skill set as a pass catcher makes him difficult to take off the field for head coach Kyle Shanahan. James and Black will need to be able to run the ball effectively, but the key for one of that duo carving out a real role in the offense will come down to the passing game where blitz pickups and the ability to threaten defenses as a receiver are vital.

Black showed out in pass protection in the Chargers game, but now he has to fend off James who'll certainly be pushing for the No. 2 RB job as he makes up for lost practice time. The rookie third-round pick will be doing the same and the 49ers are hopeful the competition and sprint to the finish with less than three weeks until the regular season opener will produce a running back capable of getting McCaffrey some real relief once the games count.

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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Key 49ers roster battle can finally begin after ugly start

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