49ers coach keeping Hayne card close to his chest

THREE US journalists who cover the 49ers have given their verdict on Jarryd Hayne’s chances of debuting against Minnesota.

San Diego Chargers v San Francisco 49ers

SAN Francisco coach Jim Tomsula has predictably refused to reveal his starting punt and kick returner for Tuesday’s season-opener against Minnesota despite confirming he has made the decision.

It means Australian fans will have to wait until 90 minutes before kick-off, which is scheduled for 12.20pm AEST, to find out if Jarryd Hayne has been selected to make his debut.

Hayne, DeAndrew White, Bruce Ellington and Reggie Bush all returned punts for the 49ers during the preseason — although Hayne saw the most action, returning twice as many as anyone else.

“We’ve made a decision, yes,” Tomsula said when asked if he’d chosen a starter on Wednesday. “Same group you’ve seen. All the guys have done a nice job at that.”

Pressed further on Hayne specifically, Tomsula again stayed silent, indicating there was no value in handing information to the Vikings he wasn’t required to reveal.

“We’re happy with the group that you’ve seen,” Tomsula said. “There could be more than one [returner]. I don’t want to get into half-truths and splitting hairs and all that kind of stuff but we are happy with the whole group.”

So will he play or not? Here’s the opinion of three US journalists who cover the team:

MATT MAIOCCO, CSN BAY AREA — YES

Maiocco offered a detailed breakdown of how Hayne — who secured a position on San Francisco’s 53-man roster last Sunday — might fit in Tomsula’s gameday 46-man squad.

“Hayne is likely the No. 4 running back on the 49ers’ depth chart behind Carlos Hyde, Reggie Bush and fourth-round pick Mike Davis. But Hayne could surpass Davis to be third in line to suit up for games if special-teams coach Thomas McGaughey determines he brings more value to the team in that phase of the game,” Maiocco said.

“While Hayne’s return skills are obvious, Davis actually saw more action than Hayne on special teams during the exhibition season. Davis played 31 snaps of special teams in the preseason, while Hayne was on the field for 22 plays.

Jarryd Hayne runs with the ball against the San Diego Chargers during the NFL preseason.

“Hayne, of course, made a strong case to be the 49ers’ top man on punt and kick-off returns. If Hayne is clearly better than Bruce Ellington in the minds of McGaughey and coach Jim Tomsula, he gets the nod and that’s the end of the discussion.

“But if they believe it’s close, then Ellington could get the call as the primary return man based on the likelihood he would also figure more prominently into the offensive game plan than Hayne. Ellington appears to be in strong position to open the season as the 49ers’ No. 3 wide receiver.”

Maiocco said the 49ers’ plans on defence could impact Hayne’s chances to play but finished: “As the 49ers begin to install their game plan for Monday’s opener, it looks as if Hayne has put himself into good position to make his NFL regular-season debut in Week 1.”

DAVID FUCILLO, SBNATION — NO

Fucillo listed, Hayne, White, offensive linemen Ian Silberman and Brandon Thomas, defensive tackle Mike Purcell, safety Jaquiski Tartt and cornerback Shareece Wright as his inactives for the game.

“This was a lot tougher than I thought,” Fucillo wrote. “You might be surprised I have both Hayne and White deactivated. Given that Bruce Ellington has the most return experience among that group, I think his versatility will give him a bigger opportunity. Hayne could still end up active given his improvement in punt and kick coverage, but for now, I’m leaning toward him sitting this first game.”

MATT BARROWS, SACRAMENTO BEE — UNDECIDED

Barrows believes it could be a choice between Hayne and Davis. “Will Aussie newcomer Jarryd Hayne be one of the seven who sits out Monday’s opener against the Vikings? It might come down to a decision between Hayne and fellow rookie running back Mike Davis,” Barrows wrote.

“The 49ers likely will activate three runners. Two will be Carlos Hyde and Reggie Bush. Davis, a fourth-round pick from South Carolina, is the more polished tailback at this point, but Hayne offers more on special teams.

“Bush and wide receiver Bruce Ellington, like Hayne, can return punts. So can rookie DeAndrew White. Who handles that job also will play a large role in whether Hayne suits up in Week 1.”

PUNT RETURNS

DeAndrew White — 4 returns, 2 fair catches, 91 yards, 22.8 avg.

Jarryd Hayne — 9 returns, 1 fair catch, 163 yards, 18.1 avg.

Bruce Ellington — 3 returns, 0 fair catches, 44 yards, 14.7 avg.

Reggie Bush — 1 return, 0 fair catches, 4 yards, 4.0 avg.

KICK-OFF RETURNS

Jarryd Hayne — 1 return, 33 yards, 33.0 avg., 33 long

DeAndrew White — 5 returns, 111 yards, 22.2 avg., 30 long

Bruce Ellington — 2 returns, 41 yards, 20.5 avg., 21 long