Frank Gore Thread

Frank the tank is here for one last stand... this is all but a good problem to have... he can mentor all the while, giving some reps to LATT (fingers crossed he's everything we hoped for) and Hunter- sorry just don't know how LMJ will fit in besides returns.

Why is everyone so anxious to see this warrior go? No one leaves it all on the field like Frank; there are just too many intangibles besides break away speed he gives us. It can only get better -- i prefer to see him gradually give up reps to LATT because he's da^^n good and see him go off on a high note- hopefully carried off in Arizona in early Feb '15.

We really should have done a better job at working our other RBs into the fold. At least we'd know what we have. Jury is still out on Kendall and LMJ because we either don't use them enough or don't call plays that maximize their talents. We're pretty much banking on Lattimore if we let frank Walk. That bothers me.

"I'm a football player, Jim, I love the game," said Gore. "I'm at the stage of my career, where I want the trophy. I want the trophy." http://jimrome.com/2014/01/10/gore-im-at-the-stage-of-my-career-where-i-want-the-trophy/

He has to get it next year with us (even if it means playing a lot less than he's used to) and then retire. Don't want him to be like Barry Sanders, where people talk about how he was really good even though he never got a ring.

Originally posted by fryet:

Originally posted by socalniner:
Gore needs to restructure his contact. That said, he's our best pass blocking back.

And why is he the best? It is because he gets the most reps. The other RB won't grow if they aren't on the field.

uhm, maybe they can not beat frank for playing time? yes lets just throw frank on the bench in order to let other guys "grow". this is not oprah . their time will come for more playing time when frank either retires or he can not do the job. i certainly hope it does not end in a sad sudden way for frank like it did with franco harris, tony dorsett and roger craig. all of a sudden they just do not have it anymore

It won't end that way. Frank is the type of player who will end it when he's not ready to go anymore.

I admire Frank Gore so much. All he has been through and had to overcome from his learning disability, taking care of his sick mother, overcoming two huge knee injuries, the passing of his mother, and being the heart and soul of this team during the dark years. He has amazing work ethic, character, and is just an all around great person/player on and off the field. The dude has so much class and is so humble and down to earth. Pretty much the opposite of Richard Sherman. The man deserves a ring! We must get him his ring and win Superbowl 49.

Originally posted by brodiebluebanaszak:

Originally posted by fryet:
And why is he the best? It is because he gets the most reps. The other RB won't grow if they aren't on the field.

Right.It's not as if he has any skill or anything.

The general consensus among almost 100% of the people who analyze NFL football is that Frank Gore is the best blitz blocker in the league. This is still the case. He's the best blitz blocker partly because he gets low and has almost perfect technique (according to Rathman), but also because he has tremendous skill in recognizing where blitzes are coming from. This is why I don't think Gore is going anywhere this next season. I won't be surprised if he restructures his contract to help the team. What I think is that if Lattimore shows the staff that he has what it takes to block and be a work-horse, Gore will transition to a third down & passing down back who will be there to pick up blitzes with the occasional run out of a passing formation or draw play.

Originally posted by fryet:

The Sac Bee had an article on Frank Gore and they mentioned that he had a YPC in 2013 of 4.1 (I think Hunter was 4.7). The Bee argued that they should keep Frank Gore because he is so well loved in the locker room. However, I think that is a bad way to run a team. Walsh would get rid of players while they still had a little bit left in the tank (Montana, Lott). It is the way to field the best football team TODAY and compete for a championship. Will Gore's YPC improve in 2014? Most likely not - it will probably regress more. Will the offense stall without having a 4.1 YPC running back? Most likely not. Boldin at 6 mil per year had a much greater impact on the game than Gore will. We could ask Gore to come back for a vet minimum, however it is probably best to just part ways, and let Hunter, LMJ, and Lattimore duke it out to determine who gets the carries. The coaching staff hasn't worked out the other RB enough for us to know what they have, and it is time to rip the band-aid off now and find out. If they can't replace Gore, then we know what to draft in 2015.

Walsh didn't get rid of Montana or Lott. You're right, he would tell players they were done before they thought they were done, but Walsh wasn't there when Montana and Lott were traded.

Originally posted by socal1632:

No, not better than Craig.Sorry. Not even close as both a power running and pass catching disruption out of the backfield. (Of course Craig had Montana) Gore does have a quarterback with horseblinders on back there most of the time by comparison. You hit his age and it's just the way it is. He looks like he belongs in a wheelchair now compaired to any other current best in the game.Can still take a several step burst through initial holes and seams here and there. Safety's don't need to play shallow with him out there. If we had Lynch back there on last play, Crab's is prob open by several more yards at least. Gore has been a beast for us. We need a backfield that Seattle and other good teams will have to pay much more attention to by safety's, etc. With HarRoman's apparent lack of game day offensive flexibility and adjusting foresight. God, I am starting to really miss having a Walsh or a Belechik type mind on the sidelines. Obvious now that Harb's is a good to maybe very good head choach who was able to ride a titlewave of momentum into the NFL by Andrew Luck. I hope we get over the hump here with him as head coach, but getting out coached/gameplanned by most of the good teams we have faced for 3 years now is getting old

Well that had nothing to do with Gore since it was Hunter in on that last play. And I doubt that if Lynch was back there Crabs would have been open "by several more yards at least."

Sometimes i read these let's-put-Frank-out-to-pasture posts and I wonder, damn, do these people know anything about football? Have they ever watched a football game? Frank helps on so many levels I have to wonder what kind of fantasy land people must be living in to give him up for the perfect running back that doesn't exist.

I get the speed thing. I really do. But honestly, he makes so many crazy plays look easy, I can't get worked up about it.

I never get the sense that if Frank were faster, he could be turning a 5 yard gain into a 7 yard gain. That would be a problem. A big problem.

But, it never works out that way when I watch him. I never get the sense he's leaving those two yards on the table.

If he were faster, sure, the 40 yard runs he might take to the house for 60 yards. No question. But, that doesn't really bother me. I'm pretty happy with 40.

And, the 11 carries for 14 yards thing, well, he's getting hit practically before the ball gets there, so that's not on him either.

I'm just glad he's a 49er.

Gore probably best back at pass blocking in football, hard to replace that, but this year probably last year

Originally posted by ninerfan52:
Gore probably best back at pass blocking in football, hard to replace that, but this year probably last year

This would be more valuable if Kap could actually hit his target in stride

Gore still has some left in the tank, but Lattimore would have to be a complete bust for there to be a loss in production. I've seen some highlights of Lattimore catching passes that were similar to Gore drops.

Last years RB class was pretty solid, and when healthy Lattimore is supposed to be better than them all. When healthy, which he appears to be, start him. I love Gore, but his production isn't exactly irreplaceable.

Originally posted by senseimatt:
This would be more valuable if Kap could actually hit his target in stride

Gore still has some left in the tank, but Lattimore would have to be a complete bust for there to be a loss in production. I've seen some highlights of Lattimore catching passes that were similar to Gore drops.

Last years RB class was pretty solid, and when healthy Lattimore is supposed to be better than them all. When healthy, which he appears to be, start him. I love Gore, but his production isn't exactly irreplaceable.

lol, he's the best back in the HISTORY OF THE 49ERS ORGANIZATION! Statistically speaking, he had one of his finest years last year, he's the best pass protection back in football. I know he's almost 31, he doesn't have the speed he used 2 but you guys are all nuts if you don't think Gore is still extremely valuable to this team. Everybody wants to just put Lattimore in there, what if he gets hurt again? What if he's not the same? What if he comes in and although healthy isn't the guy we saw in college (meaning his game doesn't translate like that to the NFL?).

This is a running team that has relied heavily on Frank Gore, yes I believe we should rotate our backs more (especially in the early part of the year/end of wins) yes I think Gore will eventually need to be replaced, but dude is coming off a Pro-Bowl year of over 1100 yards with 2 quality playoff performances. I just don't get this sentiment.

The only negative I've ever had with Frank is he usually runs out of gas on his long runs and gets caught from behind.Its like playing NBA Jam and using up all your Turbo before you cross half court.

Originally posted by matt49er:

Originally posted by senseimatt:
This would be more valuable if Kap could actually hit his target in stride

Gore still has some left in the tank, but Lattimore would have to be a complete bust for there to be a loss in production. I've seen some highlights of Lattimore catching passes that were similar to Gore drops.

Last years RB class was pretty solid, and when healthy Lattimore is supposed to be better than them all. When healthy, which he appears to be, start him. I love Gore, but his production isn't exactly irreplaceable.

lol, he's the best back in the HISTORY OF THE 49ERS ORGANIZATION! Statistically speaking, he had one of his finest years last year, he's the best pass protection back in football. I know he's almost 31, he doesn't have the speed he used 2 but you guys are all nuts if you don't think Gore is still extremely valuable to this team. Everybody wants to just put Lattimore in there, what if he gets hurt again? What if he's not the same? What if he comes in and although healthy isn't the guy we saw in college (meaning his game doesn't translate like that to the NFL?).

This is a running team that has relied heavily on Frank Gore, yes I believe we should rotate our backs more (especially in the early part of the year/end of wins) yes I think Gore will eventually need to be replaced, but dude is coming off a Pro-Bowl year of over 1100 yards with 2 quality playoff performances. I just don't get this sentiment.

No he didn't.
What if Gore gets hurt?
Then they draft another RB who will come with the same "what if?"
1100 is towards the low end for a RB with his workload. His YDS/G and YDS/A were the lowest among full time backs and near the bottom of the league overall.
He struggled against GB and Seattle.

He may be the best in the 9ers organization, but AP has more yards in 3 less seasons. He's towards the bottom compared to his peers, and his production has Statisically declined each year. So again, his production isn't exactly irreplaceable, and could possibly be improved with players we have.