Is Frank Gore a Top-10 All Time 49er?

Originally posted by GolittaCamper:
Leo Nomellini,Joe Perry,Hugh McElhenny,Y.A. Tittle,John Henry Johnson,Bob St. Clair,Jimmy, Johnson,Joe Montana,Ronnie Lott,Dave Wilcox,Steve Young, Fred Dean, and Jerry Rice, all Hall Of Famers, who are you going to bump to add Frank?

http://www.49ers.com/team/history/hall-of-famers.html

John Henry Johnson would be an easy bump for Frank.

Originally posted by brodiebluebanaszak:

Originally posted by GolittaCamper:
Gore would not have played for Walsh, his pass catching skills would not meet Walsh's standards. Also since Walsh used very little I-formation, mostly split back, Gore would not have had the chance to showcase his greatest skill. Also back under Walsh the Niners ran lots of toss sweep, and Gore is not particularly suited to the sweep, and the zone, stretch blocking schemes employed by Walsh, may or may not have been suited to Gores style. Walsh would have used Gore if he inherited him, but Walsh never would have drafted Gore.

Walsh also never used Shotgun so that might have been a plus for Frank.

Being an actual creative thinker, Walsh may have modified some of his run strategy to take advantage of the talent he had.

I see Gore working well in a split back situation, complementing and participating in the WCO pass game. I have to think about your other points. I think Gore does best getting the ball 7 yards in the backfield and looking. But I also think he is productive in other sets too, as long as the success of the play is not predicated on speed around the corner.

Like I said, I think Walsh would have been more than happy to have Frank on the roster, and would have used him, but I think Bill passes on Frank in the draft. Watch some old game film, Walsh did not tolerate, nor did he draft plays who did not have top level pass catching skills, and Frank is average on a good day as a receiver. The toss sweep, was Walsh's bread and butter play, it set up the off tackle and the counter. The speed to the corner was of paramount importance to the west cost running game.

Don't get me wrong, I love Frank Gore as a power back, there may not have ever been a more consistent force out of the offset I, but he is not a multidimensional player. When we line up in the I and every one knows Frank is about to get ball and go ISO, or counter, Frank gains yardage, it's freaking unfair, how good he is at it. My son and I while watching the game like to quote the movie, "Die Hard" when Frank is in the I, we shout, "No Hans, you've made your point", and then we say, "Hit it again". Love Frank Gore!

Originally posted by ElephantHaley:
I just cannot place Gore ahead of Roger Craig at this point. Let Gore get his last season in and then see. Craig was and should be a Hall of Fame RB. From 1984-1989, there was NOT a more productive RB in the NFL period. Craig did it all, ran, blocked, caught passes, two minute drill, short yeardage etc etc etc.

gore does all those things

Originally posted by GolittaCamper:
Like I said, I think Walsh would have been more than happy to have Frank on the roster, and would have used him, but I think Bill passes on Frank in the draft. Watch some old game film, Walsh did not tolerate, nor did he draft plays who did not have top level pass catching skills, and Frank is average on a good day as a receiver. The toss sweep, was Walsh's bread and butter play, it set up the off tackle and the counter. The speed to the corner was of paramount importance to the west cost running game.

Don't get me wrong, I love Frank Gore as a power back, there may not have ever been a more consistent force out of the offset I, but he is not a multidimensional player. When we line up in the I and every one knows Frank is about to get ball and go ISO, or counter, Frank gains yardage, it's freaking unfair, how good he is at it. My son and I while watching the game like to quote the movie, "Die Hard" when Frank is in the I, we shout, "No Hans, you've made your point", and then we say, "Hit it again". Love Frank Gore!

From 2006-2010 he averaged 51 catches for 430 yards, for comparison - (career avg) Matt Forte:53 for 465, Ray Rice: 62 for 543, Chris Johnson: 46 for 332, Arian Foster: 53 for 479 & LeSean McCoy: 55 for 397. Harbaugh just doesn't use the RB in the pass game.

Originally posted by cciowa:

Originally posted by ElephantHaley:
I just cannot place Gore ahead of Roger Craig at this point. Let Gore get his last season in and then see. Craig was and should be a Hall of Fame RB. From 1984-1989, there was NOT a more productive RB in the NFL period. Craig did it all, ran, blocked, caught passes, two minute drill, short yeardage etc etc etc.

gore does all those things

Don't be a prisoner of the moment. Gore was a very good player but Roger Craig is a 49er LEGEND.

More like will he be a Hall of famer?, hes 866 yards from breaking the 10,000 yard plateau

Originally posted by ElephantHaley:
Don't be a prisoner of the moment. Gore was a very good player but Roger Craig is a 49er LEGEND.

They both are legends. I watched every game in the 80's. Loved Roger. Great churn. Dude had enough heart to give a transplant to every eligible coronary patient in California. But as far as running the football is concerned, Frank Gore is unusual. Barry Sanders-type unusual ( but with a different set of physical attributes of course). That's all i can really say about it.

How old, how beat up is this guy, with knee surgeries coming out of college? Look what he's still doing. On plays where he has to invent, improvise the run vector. That's a tip off right there that something pretty odd is going on with this guy.

People tend to label Frank as a "power back." Why? Because he gets handed the ball deep? I don't think of Frank like that at all. I don't know what he is really. He's a jazz back. When Frank's running, the play is always everybody block the person in front of you, and let Frank improv the rest. He'll make it right. usually that kind of running style is suicidal for a running backs career -- too much split second hesitation behind the line. But, Frank has made it work for the last decade. Who am I to argue.

Gore > Craig


Craig was on loaded teams. Imagine Gore on those offenses, instead of facing stacked boxes his whole career.

Question is, will Gore make the HOF?

Gore is a Top 20 at least 49er of all time.

My guys:

Tittle
Rice
Montana
Young
B.Young
Craig
Lott
Gore
Willis
Dean
Wilcox
Brent Jones
Vernon
Clark
John Taylor

YA, Dean and Wicox I am going of what I have heard, too young to know of them.

Best FA pickup, Justin Smith

Can't think of the my final 5. Maybe Haley, Hanks, always liked those 2.

Hey, where's Brodie?

Hardman? Kwalick? The man who invented possession tight end. No love for the OL? Barton? For one glorious season, Hicks.That's my indulgence.

Originally posted by ElephantHaley:

Originally posted by cciowa:

Originally posted by ElephantHaley:
I just cannot place Gore ahead of Roger Craig at this point. Let Gore get his last season in and then see. Craig was and should be a Hall of Fame RB. From 1984-1989, there was NOT a more productive RB in the NFL period. Craig did it all, ran, blocked, caught passes, two minute drill, short yeardage etc etc etc.

gore does all those things

Don't be a prisoner of the moment. Gore was a very good player but Roger Craig is a 49er LEGEND.

do not be so connected to the past that you can not see gore is every much as good as craig. I am well aware of the legend of roger craig. in my opinion, the only thing that craig has over gore are rings and that is not gores fault. would roger have done as well as he did had he had to play with the trash gore had to in his early days?

Originally posted by AB81Rules:
Question is, will Gore make the HOF?

Gore is a Top 20 at least 49er of all time.

My guys:

Tittle
Rice
Montana
Young
B.Young
Craig
Lott
Gore
Willis
Dean
Wilcox
Brent Jones
Vernon
Clark
John Taylor

YA, Dean and Wicox I am going of what I have heard, too young to know of them.

Best FA pickup, Justin Smith

Can't think of the my final 5. Maybe Haley, Hanks, always liked those 2.

probably gotta stick jimmy johnson in there,, probably the best corner we ever had,,, i hope my last opinion does not start any deon blather

Originally posted by brodiebluebanaszak:
Hey, where's Brodie?

Hardman? Kwalick? The man who invented possession tight end. No love for the OL? Barton? For one glorious season, Hicks.That's my indulgence.

no offense to haley but hardman invented the outside pass rush. you could also make a case for steve spurrier

Originally posted by cciowa:
probably gotta stick jimmy johnson in there,, probably the best corner we ever had,,, i hope my last opinion does not start any deon blather

Oh yeah. sure. You could strongly argue that Lott, johnson, Wilcox are the three best defenders the franchise ever had.

You could make a case for Young, but injury I think would enter into it.

You could argue JSmith too, but he hasn't been here long enough. IMO.

I think he makes the Top 10 by virtue of being the all-time leading rusher.

I don't think he's the best RB in Niner history though.