| Jacobs is thrilled to sign with the 49ers. (Getty Images) |
The 49ers were big players in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes, but eventually struck out. That's not stopping them from doing whatever's necessary to improve their offense, and they took another step on Wednesday when they reportedly signed running back Brandon Jacobs.
Jacobs had previously stated that he wanted to stay with the Giants and/or close to New York, so he did the most Brandon Jacobs thing possible ... and signed with San Francisco. Hopefully you don't need me to give you a Google map link to see how geographically close those two cities are.
The 49ers were run-heavy in 2011, rushing the ball 498 times, third most in the NFL. But they struggled on offense later in the season when Frank Gore was injured. Jacobs will provide a nice addition in terms of a short-yardage guy who can take the load of off Gore at times. (Fantasy owners might not like his ability to hijack touchdowns, but I doubt Jim Harbaugh cares.)
Additionally, the 49ers will save some wear and tear on Gore by bringing in Jacobs to salt away the clock when they have a lead.
Jacobs has lost a step or two over the past few years and has, at times, danced too much instead of just physically attacking holes. He's got no business being a feature back these days, but that shouldn't be an issue in San Francisco.