49ers waive Hayne, promote Gaskins to roster

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ST. LOUIS -- The 49ers on Saturday made a surprise move, waiving running back Jarryd Hayne in order to promote running back Kendall Gaskins to the team's 53-man roster.

Gaskins is expected to be active for Sunday's game against the St. Louis Rams with starter Carlos Hyde ruled out with a stress fracture in his left foot. Gaskins will wear No. 30.

Reggie Bush, rookie Mike Davis and Gaskins are the only healthy running backs on the 49ers' roster. Each is expected to be among the team's 46 active players to face the Rams.

A source told CSNBayArea.com the 49ers hope Hayne, a rookie, will clear waivers and re-sign to the 49ers' practice squad on Monday.

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With Hyde expected to miss multiple games due to the foot injury, the 49ers believed Gaskins was better-equipped to step into a backup role, a source said. One year ago, Hayne stepped away from stardom in Australia’s National Rugby League to pursue an NFL career. He had never before played the sport of American football.

Hayne, 27, won a 49ers roster spot against long odds with his ability in the return game. He also led the 49ers in rushing during the exhibition season with 175 yards on 25 attempts for a 7.0 average.

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However, the 49ers’ coaching staff never felt confident in his ability to handle his assignments in pass protection. Since the start of the regular season, Hayne saw limited playing time and gained 25 yards on eight carries.

As a return man, Hayne averaged 9.5 yards on eight returns. Hayne had a muffed punt in the season opener for a turnover against the Minnesota Vikings. He also fumbled a return against the Baltimore Ravens.

Bush replaced him on punt returns last week against the Seattle Seahawks, making Hayne inactive for the first time. Bruce Ellington, who handled the 49ers' punt-return duties last season, will likely be in that role on Sunday with Bush taking on a bigger role on offense with Hyde out of action.

Gaskins (6-foot-1, 238 pounds) originally joined the 49ers’ practice squad at the beginning of last season. He attended Richmond University, where he rushed for 605 yards as a senior. He scored 38 career touchdowns in college, and was named First-Team All-Colonial Conference honors in 2010 and 2012.

Gaskins rushed for 55 yards on 21 rushing attempts during the exhibition season.

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