The Facts: James played just 28 snaps on offense last season behind running backs Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter and Anthony Dixon. Dixon signed with the Buffalo Bills as a free agent, but things get no easier for James with the additions of Carlos Hyde, a second-round draft pick, and Marcus Lattimore. “It’s nothing against our running backs,” James said. “I think Frank’s the best, and I think Kendall is super-good, too. It’s nothing against them. But with that being said, am I supposed to be happy just returning kicks and catching punts? No, not really. “I’m a competitor. I want to go out and compete. Whatever it is, catching some passes, whatever. I want to play running back, too. I feel I can do it at the highest level. That’s the only thing that frustrates me.”

Diehards Line: James is certainly not satisfied getting the ball in his hands only as a return man. “I want to return kicks,” James said Tuesday after a voluntary offseason practice. “I do feel like I can be one of the best in the league at it. I need to embrace that role right now. I really want to be the best at it.” James tied for 10th in the NFL with a 10.9-yard average on 23 returns last season. This offseason, he looks more comfortable handling punts -- even in the stiff wind on the team's practice field. So while he's striving to be an elite return man in the NFL, James has no interest in being a return specialist. James said he knows the only way he can find a way into the 49ers’ offensive plan is to prove he is better than most of the other running backs on the team's loaded roster. Fantasy owners shouldn't expect James to climb too high in the pecking order.