Is it time to release Frank Gore?

Is it time to have your head examined? Until Frank shows he's got absolutely nothing left, he's still the best RB on this team (running, blocking, leadership).

dump the heart and soul of the team right before we move into the new stadium just as he is on the cusp of 10,000 career rushing yards. yeah man great plan, i'm on board.

Yes. Thanks Frank, bye!

Originally posted by mutant-man49:
Frank is scheduled to make 6 mil this coming season, granted the FO will ask Frank to take a pay cut but is the 2-4 mil he'll still make worth his dwindling production? Look, I'll forever love Frank. One of the best 49ers of all-time but I feel keeping him on the roster/on the field hinders what our offense can do. His production fell off drastically big time towards the end of the season. hunter looked effective when give the opportunity and Latimore is ready for his chance. Whether he works out or not, the offense has to move on from Frank. Maybe Frank has a little left in the tank but if LT can get cut by the Jets, then the same can be done with Frank. Let's give LatImore and Hunter the chance to be a one-two punch, keep Dixon for short yardage. I'm tired of all of Gore's 1-2 yard runs up the middle every time.

Opinions? Good or bad lets hear em

How have you survived for 200 posts?

Originally posted by crabman82:
dump the heart and soul of the team right before we move into the new stadium just as he is on the cusp of 10,000 career rushing yards. yeah man great plan, i'm on board.

I think we do have a tendency to get into a groove with Frank (as opposed to utilizing a little more diversity in the backfield, a la Hunter, James, etc). But 1) there's no guarantee that a more committee-based approach would be more effective than Frank bulldozing away and 2) if we did decide the committee approach would work better, there's no reason you couldn't include Frank in it.

I wouldn't release him, I'd like to see him mentor our other RB's. I'd like to see him take a few less snaps and give the opportunity to others to step up. I still think Gore has one more solid 1,000+ rushing year.

Originally posted by Mr.Mcgibblets:

NO! now go in the corner and flog yourself for your shameful, despicable thread!

^^ I'm with this . Frank is the heart and soul of this tteam , you can't disrespect a legend over a couple million bucks. Wehave to be loyal and do things the right way. When our Niners take down #6, Frank needs to be the first guy clutching the Lombardi trophy .

I keep him one, maybe even two more years in a mentor roll for lattimore.

PUT. THE. CRACK. PIPE. DOWN.

Frank Gore's 2013 Rushing Total: 1,128 yards

The rest of the running backs (Hunter, James, Dixon, Miller): 486 yards Combined.

I wouldn't release him, but I also wouldn't pay him $6.4M this year. I'd get him to restructure that contract to around $3M and let him retire a 49er.

Btw, Bill Walsh would release him in a heartbeat and not think twice of it.

Originally posted by TheGoldStandard:
PUT. THE. CRACK. PIPE. DOWN.

Frank Gore's 2013 Rushing Total: 1,128 yards

The rest of the running backs (Hunter, James, Dixon, Miller): 486 yards Combined.

A little deceiving don't you think?

Gore - 1128 yards rushing on 276 attempts (4.09, 9 TDS)
Hunter - 358 yards rushing on 78 attempts (4.59, 3 TDs)
James - 59 yards rushing on 12 attempts (4.92)
Boobie - 56 yards rushing, 28 attempts (2.00, 2 TDs) - short yardage back

Hunter had a real nice bounce-back year from the injury, and if he and Frank shared the load equally in the backfield, I wouldn't doubt they'd have very similar numbers. People rag on James all the time, but he produces when he touches the ball...he just doesn't get enough touches.

Originally posted by cciowa:
no. you release him , hoping other guys can do the job, hoping a guy who has zero carries in the nfl can do the job,,, you cut him hoping some guy with potential can do the job? i think the question has been answered. besides gore has done nothing to make you think he can not do the job anymore

Sadly, this is what many of the posters on this very board were saying about Kevin Barlow when Gore was drafted. And I know you remember those days. I'm not advocating we release Gore, but perspective is important.

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:

Originally posted by TheGoldStandard:
PUT. THE. CRACK. PIPE. DOWN.

Frank Gore's 2013 Rushing Total: 1,128 yards

The rest of the running backs (Hunter, James, Dixon, Miller): 486 yards Combined.

A little deceiving don't you think?

Gore - 1128 yards rushing on 276 attempts (4.09, 9 TDS)
Hunter - 358 yards rushing on 78 attempts (4.59, 3 TDs)
James - 59 yards rushing on 12 attempts (4.92)
Boobie - 56 yards rushing, 28 attempts (2.00, 2 TDs) - short yardage back

Hunter had a real nice bounce-back year from the injury, and if he and Frank shared the load equally in the backfield, I wouldn't doubt they'd have very similar numbers. People rag on James all the time, but he produces when he touches the ball...he just doesn't get enough touches.

Very true, but there is something that needs to be said for the guy who shoulders the load. Frank has proven he can handle 250-300 carries and be consistent about it. I just think back to Barlow when he was a 5 ypc guy sharing the load with Hearst, then he got the full-time gig and plummeted to 3 ypc. Hunter and James very well could be just as effective with increased snaps, but they're not proven like Frank is.

Originally posted by SofaKing:

Originally posted by GhostofFredDean74:

Originally posted by TheGoldStandard:
PUT. THE. CRACK. PIPE. DOWN.

Frank Gore's 2013 Rushing Total: 1,128 yards

The rest of the running backs (Hunter, James, Dixon, Miller): 486 yards Combined.

A little deceiving don't you think?

Gore - 1128 yards rushing on 276 attempts (4.09, 9 TDS)
Hunter - 358 yards rushing on 78 attempts (4.59, 3 TDs)
James - 59 yards rushing on 12 attempts (4.92)
Boobie - 56 yards rushing, 28 attempts (2.00, 2 TDs) - short yardage back

Hunter had a real nice bounce-back year from the injury, and if he and Frank shared the load equally in the backfield, I wouldn't doubt they'd have very similar numbers. People rag on James all the time, but he produces when he touches the ball...he just doesn't get enough touches.

Very true, but there is something that needs to be said for the guy who shoulders the load. Frank has proven he can handle 250-300 carries and be consistent about it. I just think back to Barlow when he was a 5 ypc guy sharing the load with Hearst, then he got the full-time gig and plummeted to 3 ypc. Hunter and James very well could be just as effective with increased snaps, but they're not proven like Frank is.

Agreed, but Gore hadn't proven anything yet, other than he was making plays when called upon his rookie year (which wasn't often until the Washington game late in the season). The FEAR of the unknown though compelled a lot of guys on this board to want to stick with Barlow, even though Barlow was horse s**t.

Point being, Gore couldn't have proven he was ready to shoulder the load if he hadn't been given the opportunity. Same with Hunter, James, Lattimore or anyone else we bring in....we won't know what they can/can't do unless given more opportunities. Who knows, maybe Hunter was able to put up Gore-like numbers the whole time AND with his breakaway speed, was able to take some of those long runs that Frank had over the last few years all the way to the house (where Gore now gets caught from behind regularly).

The need to hold on to the familiar is strong, I get it....but of all the positions in the NFL, the RB position is the ONE position that is easiest to replace. So once Frank hangs it up, I don't think we'll see a lot of drop-off in terms of production. The intangibles, though??? No, Frank is/was one of a kind in terms of the leadership abilities, inspirational abilities, knowledge of the game, etc., etc., etc. That stuff will be nearly impossible to replace. The production though, that shouldn't be too difficult.

Bottom line for me....no, it's not time to release Frank. Gore leaves when his contract is over, he deserves that. But, he does need to be ok with guys like Hunter, James and Lattimore seeing more playing time now that his career here is coming to an end.