Hayne’s NFL destiny ‘in my own hands now’

JARRYD Hayne is brimming with confidence as he prepares to embark on his second season in the NFL. But should he be?

SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 03: Jarryd Hayne #38 of the San Francisco 49ers looks on from the sidelines against the St. Louis Rams during an NFL football game at Levi's Stadium on January 3, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

JARRYD Hayne is just about to head back to America to begin preparations for his second season in the NFL and the Aussie star is brimming with confidence about his chances of making the San Francisco 49ers roster.

Hayne will begin organised team activities (OTAs) next month ahead of the start of training camp in August and is convinced he’s better-placed to make the 49ers roster than he was in his rookie year.

Asked about reports the Sydney Roosters were positioning themselves to lure him back to the NRL if he fails to stick in San Francisco, Hayne was adamant a return to rugby league wasn’t on his radar.

“I believe I hold it in my own hands now,” Hayne told Nova’s Fitzy & Wippa. “I’ve got the ability and the talent to be over there. I really don’t think about (returning to the NRL). When you become so focused on plan A, you don’t really think about plan B.

“If I was (ever to going to be) worried about if it didn’t work, I would have been more worried last year when I went into the unknown. But it didn’t phase me. I was so focused on what I was doing.

“If it doesn’t work out, then s*** it doesn’t work out. We’ll worry about that when it comes about. I’m not someone who really plans ahead — whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing it’s worked out for my life so far.”

Hayne has been preparing his body for another season of NFL brutality by lifting weights at Lift Performance Centre in Redfern while fine-tuning his speed under renowned sprint coach Roger Fabri and his agility with Hayden Knowles.

He’ll begin completing longer sessions involving more NFL-specific training when he arrives back in the Bay Area to a team that has changed markedly in some areas and not much at all in others.

WHAT’S CHANGED

THE biggest change at the 49ers in regards to Hayne’s future is new coach Chip Kelly.

Under league rules, the former Eagles boss is not allowed to speak with his new playing group until early April, so to this point Hayne has been given no first-hand indication of how Kelly views him.

Kelly also brought in a new staff, but kept on running back coach Tom Rathman, which Hayne sees as an advantage. “I know how he operates,” Hayne said. “It’s good to go back over there this time knowing I’m a lot more comfortable.”

In terms of the roster, the 49ers have made very few splashes at this point. The most talked about player, quarterback Colin Kaepernick, has still not resolved his future amid reported interest from the Denver Broncos and others.

San Francisco handed extensions to running back Shaun Draughn, tight end Garrett Celek, linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong and defensive lineman Quinton Dial, while signing kicker Phil Dawson and quarterback Thad Lewis to new one-year deals.

Former Jacksonville guard Zane Beadles was brought in after Alex Boone left for Minnesota but the overall lack of activity has seen general manager Trent Baalke criticised in some parts.

“This is either Baalke struggling to find good values, players not wanting to suit up for Baalke and Chip Kelly, or a combination of the two,” ESPN.com’s Bill Barnwell wrote. “In any case, it’s crippling the 49ers, who have a roster decimated by unexpected retirements and nearly $60 million in cap space.”

Jarryd Hayne has to prove himself all over again in season two.

WHAT ARE HAYNE’S CHANCES

PROVING he has the ability to compete in the NFL like he did in year one might not be enough for Hayne this time around.

The 28-year-old will need to show he has the ability to make a difference to the 49ers’ chances of winning games — and he’ll need to show it at the running back position.

Hayne’s undoubted talent in the return game probably won’t be enough to earn him a place on the Niners’ active roster in 2016. He’ll need to show he can hold his own on coverage units and provide a change of pace when handed the ball in the backfield.

Unfortunately this time around there’s even more competition in San Francisco’s backs corps. Carlos Hyde is expected to get the starting job after a season ruined by injury, with Draughn and DuJuan Harris his most likely backups after their strong performances late last season.

That could leave Hayne needing to prove he’s a better fourth option than the likes of Mike Davis and Kendall Gaskins to avoid landing on the practice squad — or out of the league completely.

Given what he’s up against already, Hayne will be hoping Kelly and Baalke ignore the running back position at next month’s draft.

WHAT THEY’VE SAID

“He’s one of those guys, you get really excited to see what he can do and what type of jump he can make in year two with a better understanding of how the game is played. But he certainly has got a skill set that’s intriguing.”

— 49ers coach Chip Kelly

“I think this off-season will be huge. They always say the biggest jump for a player is between year one and year two. We expect the same for Jarryd. He knows what it takes now, he knows what he needs to work on, and I know he is focused on working on those things this off-season ... We like Jarryd, we like him a lot. He’s an excellent teammate, the guys love him, he’s a talented athlete. Now can he make the transition and make the big jump to put himself in a position to be on the 53 — hopefully the 46? We’re going to find out once we get out the balls and let these guys start playing again. But he’s a guy we love having around that’s for sure.”

— 49ers general manager Trent Baalke

“I feel a lot better now. I know what to expect and what I’m about to go through. This time last year I was going into the unknown and obviously having to meet new players and (learn) a whole different game. Not only was it hard learning, but adjusting as well.”

— 49ers running back Jarryd Hayne

Originally published as Hayne’s NFL destiny ‘in my own hands now’