After four seasons with minimal opportunities, Toby Gerhart finally had a chance to emerge from Adrian Peterson’s shadow by signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a free agent. But last season was a big disappointment, as Gerhart finished with 326 rushing yards on 101 carries in 14 games played.

A horse collar tackle in Week 1 led to a lingering right foot and ankle issue that hampered Gerhart for a big chunk of last season, and Denard Robinson then emerged as Jacksonville’s No. 1 running back before a foot injury of his own ended his season early. In Week 15 and 16 combined, after Robinson was sidelined, Gerhart had 107 rushing yards on 25 carries with a touchdown on the ground.

There was some offseason talk that Gerhart would see time at fullback this season, and that was before the Jaguars drafted T.J. Yeldon in the second round of the draft to likely become their lead running back. Robinson is a lock for the 53-man roster as Yeldon’s top backup, but Bernard Pierce, Storm Johnson and undrafted free agent Corey Grant are likely to be competing for one or two roster spots during training camp.

The Jaguars theoretically have a lot of depth at running back right now, but I think Gerhart would have be particularly bad during camp to not secure a roster spot. Johnson drew criticism from head coach Gus Bradley throughout offseason work, which has made him a popular predicted cut before Week 1, and Pierce is not a special talent that is likely to stand out. Grant reportedly did well during OTAs, but he will have to carry that momentum into training camp to earn a roster spot.

Jacksonville would surely like to get something out of their investment in Gerhart this year, even if it’s in a fullback/h-back type of role that does not put him in line for big numbers. When he does get carries, a switch in offensive scheme that will feature more inside runs should help Gerhart be a productive runner.

It’s nothing new for Gerhart to embrace a backup role, and succeed when he does get chances. That’s what I think he will put himself on track to do with a solid 2015 training camp, while leaving behind the high expectations from a year ago.

Brad Berreman is a Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter.