ANTHONY DIXONBRANDON JACOBS
Short-yardage RB
Anthony Dixon vs. Brandon Jacobs
Tale of the tape
Dixon: Third season, 6-1, 235, Mississippi State
Jacobs: Eighth season, 6-4, 265, Southern Illinois
RosterDepth chartMore camp battles
There does not appear to be room on the roster for both of these players. Jacobs has experienced success throughout his career as a short-yardage back. In seven NFL seasons, Jacobs has 56 rushing touchdowns. His yards-per-attempt dipped last season from 5.6 in 2010 to 3.8 yards, but he still managed seven rushing TDs for the Super Bowl-champion New York Giants. Jacobs signed a one-year, 1.6 million contract with the 49ers with 150,000 guaranteed. So he'll have to show up ready to earn his keep with the 49ers. Dixon has been a source of frustration for the 49ers' coaching staffs of the past two seasons. He was the third-string running back in his first two years, and saw limited action last season. At his size, the 49ers would like him to be better in the physical aspects of the game: running with power and pass protection. He'll need an outstanding training camp to hold onto his role.
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