Carlos Hyde has had an up-and-down career with the San Francisco 49ers, but over the past couple of years, he has proven himself to be a capable workhorse running back. Now, it appears that his future in San Francisco is in doubt.

Ahead of the 2017 NFL trade deadline, the 49ers were reportedly shopping Hyde in trade talks. They ended up keeping their star running back, but he is set to hit Free Agency this coming offseason. That could lead to Hyde heading elsewhere and starting a new chapter of his career with a different team.

Losing Hyde would be a tough blow for the 49ers.

They already have quite a few offensive issues and losing the most consistent offensive threat that they have would not be good.

Looking ahead to next season, the 49ers could very well have Jimmy Garoppolo as their starting quarterback. Having a legitimate passing game alongside the ground support that Hyde could offer would be big for the 49ers.

What has Hyde done this season?

Throughout the eight games that Hyde has played this season with the 49ers, he has carried the football 112 times for 453 yards and four touchdowns. He has done that with opposing defenses not worrying too much about San Francisco's passing game.

Those numbers may not show how talented Hyde is and what he is capable of becoming in the right system.

Last season with the 49ers, Hyde rushed for 988 yards and six touchdowns. Putting him in a situation where he has a passing game to take pressure off of him could unlock all of his full potential.

Why should Cleveland get involved?

One team that should seriously pursue Hyde this offseason is the Cleveland Browns. They have not had a legitimate starting running back in years and Hyde would likely consider heading home to Ohio, where he played his college football career at Ohio State.

Cleveland has had their own share of passing woes, but DeShone Kizer has shown a lot of potential. Adding Hyde to play alongside Kizer would be a big step in the right direction for the Browns. He would also give Cleveland the workhorse style of running back that they have been needing in recent years.

Isaiah Crowell is the current starting running back in Cleveland.

He is a quick, playmaking back, but is not capable of handling an every-down workload. Putting him as a compliment back to Hyde would make it tough on defenses to game plan against the Browns' ground game.

Hyde is going to receive plenty of interest from other teams as well. Cleveland may not end up getting him, but Hyde certainly appears to be an ideal fit in the backfield if they choose to pursue a running back in free agency.

Do you think the Cleveland Browns should try to sign Carlos Hyde this offseason? If not, who do you want the Browns' starting running back to be next season? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!
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