Brandon Jacobs: San Francisco 49ers Double Down on 2011 with Thunder and Thunder

The San Francisco 49ers have signed ex-New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs to a one-year deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Jacobs will obviously be a backup to Frank Gore, who will be 29 and coming off a heavy workload in 2011 with 311 carries between the regular season and postseason.

He will also join a backfield with Kendall Hunter and Anthony Dixon. 

Signing Jacobs to a one-year deal doesn't make a whole lot of sense, unless the 49ers' plan is to continue to pound the football, play great defense, keep games close and win it in the fourth quarter.

With a featured back coming off a 300-plus-carry season, I think having Jacobs there for a year is a good way to keep Gore fresh for the fourth quarters of games—a bit of thunder and thunder, if you will. 

Hunter is a talented back who makes things happen when he's on the field. I would have thought the idea heading into 2012 would be to get things opened up a little bit more on offense and create some opportunities for the young back.

Dixon, unfortunately, is probably the odd man out. 

Obviously, 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh wants to keep things buttoned up and to limit what he asks from recently re-signed quarterback Alex Smith. Looking at last year's results, it's hard to argue with that approach.