Husky Maven's Kaila Olin: 49ers Are a Good Fit for Free-Agent Salvon Ahmed

Salvon Ahmed is looking for an opening.

He's faced with a different kind of line of scrimmage, though, just trying to bust through.

It's called future employment.

Ahmed has gone from the University of Washington's starting running back to a free-agent signee with the San Francisco 49ers. He passed up his final year of college eligibility and didn't get drafted.

He could get stacked up and brought down fairly quickly or he could bust through and go all the way. Get cut or win a job.

It's kind of up to him.

Ahmed raced 89 yards for a score against USC, the fifth-longest touchdown run in Husky history. He ran 60 yards to the end zone against Oregon State, where our video was taken.

He's capable of instant points.

Yet he didn't show off his blazing speed (4.32) at the NFL combine for whatever reason, and it hurt him. Too many extra pounds? No zip that day?

The 49ers, however, have given him a three-year deal to make good.

Our Kaila Olin of Husky Maven/Sports Illustrated recently shared her Ahmed insights with Grant Cohn of All49ers in the Maven/SI network. Listen in, she has great hope for him. Kaila always knows what she's talking about. Her final assessment:

"I think the the 49ers are a really good fit for him, in terms of developing running backs who weren't drafted. Ahmed has the potential. He has the film. He has to want to do so, and he has to really fight for that position. He always has fought for it, in terms of beating those upperclassmen who were already in there, but never really got much playing time. I think we saw in the Super Bow that running is a big strong suit for the 49ers. And so, if Ahmed can do that, he can be successful, especially with the 49ers. He has a three-year deal, so they're saying, 'We want to give you this opportunity; you just need to earn it and prove to us why you deserve to be here for three years and then some.' "

You can listen to Kaila Olin and her unique observations -- hey, she's a football official in the fall -- on a regular basis on Husky Maven/Sports Illustrated.