Is 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey on Verge of Major Bounce-Back Season?

Christian McCaffrey is coming off arguably the worst season of his career.

He played in only four games. And when he played, he was not effective as a runner, although he still made a positive impact as a receiver. Now, he's 29. What should the 49ers expect from him this year?

Apparently, they expect big things. They recently traded away his backup, Jordan Mason, and replaced him with rookie fifth-round pick Jordan James, who might not play much right away. It seems the 49ers just cleared the backfield so McCaffrey could carry it like he used to.

That's why Yahoo! Sports thinks McCaffrey is on the verge of a major bounce-back season.

"McCaffrey hit four-year lows in yards after contact per attempt and forced missed tackle rate," writes Yahoo! Sports Chris Allen. "Some might point to the injury, but that clip of him flying through Buffalo’s defensive front says otherwise. Let’s also remember the state of the 49ers’ offensive line last year.

"They ranked 24th in run-block win rate by season’s end, and their 1.3 adjusted yards before contact sat slightly above the league average. In other words, two things could be true at once. McCaffrey’s ailments sapped some of his burst, and San Francisco’s blocking had some issues."

The 49ers' offensive line certainly had some issues. Unfortunately, they lost Aaron Banks and Jaylon Moore this offseason and didn't replace either player with upgrades.

In addition, when McCaffrey "flew" through the Bills' defensive line that one time, he hit 17 miles per hour, which is fast, but he used to hit 20 miles per hour in games routinely before he had bilateral Achilles tendonitis. It's still unclear if he can hit those top speeds anymore. And it's equally unclear if he can stay healthy for a full season anymore.

Proceed with caution.