The Facts: A year after the 49ers took him in the fourth round of the NFL draft, Lattimore says he’s healthy enough in recovery from the gruesome knee injury that ended his college career that he could take the field today. Lattimore said his next steps aren’t about rehabbing his knee, they’re just about convincing HC Jim Harbaugh that he deserves significant playing time.“If he wants to put me in, he’ll put me in,” Lattimore told GoGamecocks.com. “If I prove it in practice, I don’t think there’s no excuse why I can’t play. I’m ready.”

Diehards Line: Lattimore has heard the reports that backup running back LaMichael James is not in the 49ers’ long-term plans, which means Lattimore would move up to third on the depth chart behind Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter. “If that happens, it does put me in that No. 3 spot,” Lattimore said. “But I’ve just got to go in there and work hard. I can pass-protect and run the ball. I’ve got to show that. ...” And if he does, Lattimore's future is intriguing given Gore's advancing age.