Nine seasons after the “Reggie Bush Bowl,” which the 49ers won/lost with a 20-17 victory over the Houston Texans, the 49ers got their man.
Reggie Bush and 49ers reached agreement, per sources. Bush back in California.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2015
That’s assuming they would’ve taken Bush had they finished with one of the top two picks in the 2006 draft (they ended up taking Vernon Davis with the sixth pick overall). Frank Gore made a bit of a statement when he rushed for 108 yards against Houston in the last game of his rookie season, and there’s no way he would’ve let Bush see the field other than as a third down back and punt returner. However, the potential for awful political humor would’ve been off the charts with a Gore-Bush running back ticket.
THIS IS A GREAT SIGNING!!!
I’ve had many 49ers fans complain that I’m negative about everything that’s happened this offseason (I liked the addition of Torrey Smith, for what it’s worth, although admittedly I haven’t written much about it), so I’m going to accentuate the positive. And to show the kind of effort this takes for a meanie like me, I’m going to put those nasty, negative thoughts — that I’m going to completely ignore — in parentheses.
— Bush accumulated over 4,000 yards from scrimmage and 22 touchdowns from 2011-13! (Just ignore the fact that his YFS total dropped to 550 and he scored just two touchdowns in 2014.)
— Bush dealt with ankle issues throughout 2014, but he should get some relief after leaving a team that plays its home games on turf to join one that plays on grass. (Just ignore the condition of the field at Levi’s Stadium, both during the 2014 season and its current state … divots are good for sore ankles!)
— Gore has shown that running backs can still be productive after turning 30, which is good news since Bush turned 30 two weeks ago. (Just ignore that Gore is a freak who may actually be a mythical figure created in the mind of J.R.R. Tolkien. Gore also has 36 fumbles on 2,784 career touches while Bush has 33 fumbles on over 1,000 fewer touches, but ball security is overrated.)
— Bush is almost certainly coming to the 49ers at a much lower price than C.J. Spiller, who’s about as injury-prone as Bush. (Spiller is a couple years younger, but age is just a number, you insensitive ageists.)
— Bush provides a much-needed receiving threat out of the backfield. (Especially since one of Colin Kaepernick’s favorite targets, Bruce Miller, was recently arrested for domestic assault.)
— Bush has shown the ability to be an explosive punt returner, once returning three punts for touchdowns in the same season! (That season was 2008, and he hasn’t returned a punt since 2011.)
Just remember, the points I believe in 100% are OUTSIDE the parentheses. What’s INSIDE the parentheses is for JERKS.
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In all seriousness, if the money is right this could be a decent acquisition. Bush might work really well with Hyde, and there was no way Spiller would’ve taken a backseat to Hyde after fighting for carries with Fred Jackson throughout his time in Buffalo. Just a bit of advice to the 49ers: don’t let Bush wear No. 21 next year.
