Why do people think Gore is a top 5 back?

For some reason I see tons of posters saying that Gore is a top 5 back.

I know as Niner fans we can be a bit deliusional about our players but guys honestly there is no way Gore is a top 5 back, in fact I really don't even think he is a top 10 back.

Perhaps in 2007 he was a top 5 back, but last year wasn't very good for him and neither is this year. You can blame the OL and I agree that doesn't help him, but he is getting older, has had tons of injuries, and even though he is likeable and a good player he is not an elite back period.

So guys please let the notion of Gore being a top 5 back go, and realize that we need to pick up a fast quick hitting back like Spiller.

It's the Niners fan site homie what do you expect. and i have no problem with getting Spiller I just think the team has more pressing needs but you have to look at what players are there when they draft. i wouldn't want them to pass on spiller b/c of Gore but b/c they addressed another position.

cuz he is

Originally posted by joey82:
For some reason I see tons of posters saying that Gore is a top 5 back.

I know as Niner fans we can be a bit deliusional about our players but guys honestly there is no way Gore is a top 5 back, in fact I really don't even think he is a top 10 back.

Perhaps in 2007 he was a top 5 back, but last year wasn't very good for him and neither is this year. You can blame the OL and I agree that doesn't help him, but he is getting older, has had tons of injuries, and even though he is likeable and a good player he is not an elite back period.

So guys please let the notion of Gore being a top 5 back go, and realize that we need to pick up a fast quick hitting back like Spiller.

The only person in YPC he doesn't beat in the top five leading rushers in the league is Chris Johnson. And this is in an off year for him where the line can't block half a damn and we've started throwing the ball 30-40 times a game. Give me a break.

[ Edited by itlynstalyn on Dec 14, 2009 at 09:45:05 ]

Originally posted by itlynstalyn:

Originally posted by joey82:
For some reason I see tons of posters saying that Gore is a top 5 back.

I know as Niner fans we can be a bit deliusional about our players but guys honestly there is no way Gore is a top 5 back, in fact I really don't even think he is a top 10 back.

Perhaps in 2007 he was a top 5 back, but last year wasn't very good for him and neither is this year. You can blame the OL and I agree that doesn't help him, but he is getting older, has had tons of injuries, and even though he is likeable and a good player he is not an elite back period.

So guys please let the notion of Gore being a top 5 back go, and realize that we need to pick up a fast quick hitting back like Spiller.

Definitely not top 5, but I think he's top 10.

AP
CJ
steven jackson
MJD
Benson
ronnie brown
deangelo williams
michael turner
Gore

Originally posted by joey82:
For some reason I see tons of posters saying that Gore is a top 5 back.

I know as Niner fans we can be a bit deliusional about our players but guys honestly there is no way Gore is a top 5 back, in fact I really don't even think he is a top 10 back.

Perhaps in 2007 he was a top 5 back, but last year wasn't very good for him and neither is this year. You can blame the OL and I agree that doesn't help him, but he is getting older, has had tons of injuries, and even though he is likeable and a good player he is not an elite back period.

So guys please let the notion of Gore being a top 5 back go, and realize that we need to pick up a fast quick hitting back like Spiller.

A ton of injuries!!! Um, if it won't take you too long, bearing in mind that a ton of injuries must be a whole lot, can we please have a list of all of these injuries and the many games they caused him to miss? I mean, a ton of injuries, that would be like JJ, right?

I mean, I want some cover behind the guy and some genuine support, but let's stick to the facts

Gore is pretty close to being a top 5 back. He is only an Oline away. When I look at the best backs this season they are all victims of their oline play. When you look at the top 5 of alltime, They did it despite their olines.

I agree with the OP that Gore isnt a top 5 back anymore.

1) Chris Johnson
2) AP
3) Drew-Jones
4) Michael Turner when healthy
5) Steven Jackson

However, I do believe he is still a top 10 back that would flourish in a shared role with a fast 3rd down back like Spiller.

He's strictly a middle-of the road back as an NFL starter. Is tremendous if given a large hole up the middle with little shiftiness needed. Does not read holes well anymore, and doesn't break tackles as in the past.

Sorry, but he is on the down side of his career.

Originally posted by joey82:
For some reason I see tons of posters saying that Gore is a top 5 back.

I know as Niner fans we can be a bit deliusional about our players but guys honestly there is no way Gore is a top 5 back, in fact I really don't even think he is a top 10 back.

Perhaps in 2007 he was a top 5 back, but last year wasn't very good for him and neither is this year. You can blame the OL and I agree that doesn't help him, but he is getting older, has had tons of injuries, and even though he is likeable and a good player he is not an elite back period.

So guys please let the notion of Gore being a top 5 back go, and realize that we need to pick up a fast quick hitting back like Spiller.

dilusional is well put, we are homers, but if i were a fan of another team i wouldn't even consider gore a dominant player at all, a decent back at best.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
He's strictly a middle-of the road back as an NFL starter. Is tremendous if given a large hole up the middle with little shiftiness needed. Does not read holes well anymore, and doesn't break tackles as in the past.

Sorry, but he is on the down side of his career.

I agree with this. Gore used to be a force to try and bring down, I don't know what's happened now. Maybe coaching has been a bad thing?

-9fA

Here are backs that I think are currently better than Gore

AP
C. Johnson
S. Jackson
MJD
D. Williams
R. Brown
R. Rice
J. Addai
R. Grant



I think Gore belongs somewhere in this level of backs.

Turner
Forte
Mendenhall
Benson
Barber
LT
B. Westbrook
B. Jacobs
K. Smith

Good, servicable backs but not elite.

While a ton of injuries was an exaggeration he has had two torn ACLs, a groin injury, a broken bone in his hand, and the ankle sprain this year. The injuries don't concern me as much as this fact.

When you watch him on sundays, he lacks the explosiveness he seemed to have back in 06. He never did have break away speed but he used to be a tank to bring down and was a great yards after contact back. Now he just looks average, and honestly if you take away those two runs he had against the Seahawks he has had a terrible year.

I think Gore is still a servicable back but top 5 is laughable and top 10 is even questionable. Considering how many teams go with a multiback system (and how sucessful they usually are with it) why not draft a dynamic back to compliment Gore since he is most likely on the down side of his career. Unless you guys think Coffee is the change of pace back we need.

Originally posted by MadDog49er:
He's strictly a middle-of the road back as an NFL starter. Is tremendous if given a large hole up the middle with little shiftiness needed. Does not read holes well anymore, and doesn't break tackles as in the past.

Sorry, but he is on the down side of his career.

Co-signed.

btw that list someone posted, I would consider DeAngelo Williams better too.

Gore still does an excellent job of making tacklers miss in space, but I am not sure where to rate him any more as a back. He is definitely better than our other back (he is so bad, I forgot his name). This may be the year to draft a back to challenge Gore.

But still, how often have you seen our RBs have to dodge a tackler in the backfield before they even get to the line of scrimmage? Very few, if any, could do well in that kind of environment. Despite all of the problems, Gore still has 3 runs of 75 yards or more this year, I think, so he still has something in the tank. I just wish that he would sometimes break his runs outside, and not always try to run into a hole that isn't there.

He's definitely top-10, not convinced he's top-5 but we'll never know with the way our o-line is blocking. But I wouldn't be at all disappointed with a CJ Spiller pick, we'd have the best 1-2 punch in the league with that combination.