Is Frank Gore Still Going to be Frank Gore?

Frank has an interview in the Merc, talking about the newly crowded backfield in which he reins. Frank gave Brandon Jacobs a veteran's respect; welcoming him to the team, and also noting his "great career in New York". He was much more measured in his assessment of LaMichael James showing a healthy amount of skepticism about the new kid on the 'blocks ability to contribute, tempering all of his praises, stating that LaMichael was "a pretty good college player", that he had "watched a little film on", and who had " a little toughness in him for a little guy".

Not exactly high praise for someone who may be taking a sizable load out of Frank's workload this season. Is Frank overconfident? Can he really hold off LaMichael, and Kendall, and Brandon, and continue to be the "bell cow"? Can Frank still be Frank?

No, he's gonna be Gire

gire gonna gire

I don't think so.
I think he will still be productive but not as effective as before.

I think this year we see more Khunt and LMJ

Originally posted by DaDivaRecieva15:
No, he's gonna be Gire

Well, yeah, obviously.

Originally posted by Garcia:
I don't think so.
I think he will still be productive but not as effective as before.

I think this year we see more Khunt and LMJ

If Frank can't be as effective as before the passing game will need to pick up the slack. I hope everyone is ready for more Alex Smith.

Originally posted by TheGoldStandard:

Originally posted by DaDivaRecieva15:
No, he's gonna be Gire

Well, yeah, obviously.

Originally posted by Garcia:
I don't think so.
I think he will still be productive but not as effective as before.

I think this year we see more Khunt and LMJ

If Frank can't be as effective as before the passing game will need to pick up the slack. I hope everyone is ready for more Alex Smith.

I doubt it. Though i love Frank and he's been the ultimate 9'er, he wasn't really the Gore of old the second half of last season and has shown signs of decline before that. He can look like his old self AT TIMES, but I just don't believe he can with consistency, and over the course of an entire season. I AM ALSO SKEPTICAL OF JACOBS BEING ABLE TO REGAIN HIS OLD BATTERING RAM FORM. Oops, just noticed I was still in caps. Sorry. And though Balke seems to think James and or Hunter are capable of being every down backs, I think we should have gone with a bruiser to compliment Hunter, but hey, what do i know?

this is why we'll keep 4 RB's.

I think so. I think his demise has been exaggerated a little bit. He's slowed down a little bit, but is nowhere near finished IMO.

He showed no signs of slowing down during that great 5-game stretch that he had. He looked like the same ole Frank Gore, with a great burst through the hole and enough shimmy to make the 1st defender miss.

I think teams eventually adjusted to our new running schemes, and the passing game wasn't quite potent enough to counter that. Frank was once again the focal point for all opposing teams to stop, and the running game as a whole bogged down late in the year.

The players we've added at WR and RB should allow this offense to be very diverse, forcing opposing defenses to play us honest. We have the personnel to show many different looks and be good at it.

The old dog is in for a rude awakening.

Originally posted by TheGoldStandard:

Originally posted by DaDivaRecieva15:
No, he's gonna be Gire

Well, yeah, obviously.

Originally posted by Garcia:
I don't think so.
I think he will still be productive but not as effective as before.

I think this year we see more Khunt and LMJ

If Frank can't be as effective as before the passing game will need to pick up the slack. I hope everyone is ready for more Alex Smith.

Sweet! I love seeing Khunt!!!!!

Worse than the physical pounding Gore took last season, he said, was the emotional anguish of losing in the NFC championship game in overtime to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

"Oh, man, it was tough," Gore said. "That's one of the reasons I didn't want to go to the Pro Bowl. It broke me down for a while. How close we were and looking back at all the tough times we had here and to be that close to going to the big dance, that was very tough."

Was just reading this, and was gonna post this comment somewhere I guess here works. But yeah, I think he has lost a step and will continue to do so, but having the back-ups we have will take some of the load off him. He's still a damn good back when healthy.
http://www.csnbayarea.com/football-san-francisco-niners/niners-talk/Gore-changes-offseason-routine-says-resu?blockID=712428&feedID=5936

Until the day he dies. I don't think he'll break many runs though. I envision a Thomas Jones type year from two years ago.

Originally posted by Garcia:

right click save.

Originally posted by 4evrfan:
I doubt it. Though i love Frank and he's been the ultimate 9'er, he wasn't really the Gore of old the second half of last season and has shown signs of decline before that. He can look like his old self AT TIMES, but I just don't believe he can with consistency, and over the course of an entire season. I AM ALSO SKEPTICAL OF JACOBS BEING ABLE TO REGAIN HIS OLD BATTERING RAM FORM. Oops, just noticed I was still in caps. Sorry. And though Balke seems to think James and or Hunter are capable of being every down backs, I think we should have gone with a bruiser to compliment Hunter, but hey, what do i know?

So who carries the ball? If Frank and Brandon are declining, and Kendall and Lamichael are too slight to carry the load, who's left? Anthony "Boobie" Dixon?

We are supposedly a power running team, but where is the power runner at? Is the combination of Kendall Hunter and LaMichael James equal to one Frank Gore? Or are we going all in with Alex Smith and the new receiving core and becoming a pass first offense?