Usually in Miami this time of year, Frank Gore is spending the offseason at the 49ers' facility.
Gore usually trains with his former Hurricanes teammates in Florida, but he's a grizzled 29-year-old veteran at this point and a team leader. "I feel like I still got a lot left in my tank," Gore insisted. "I want to show it off that I still got a lot left in my tank and I can play at a high level. I will play at a high level as long as God blesses me to be healthy."


(rotoworld.com)

The San Francisco 49ers won't look the same in 2012. After years of handing the rock to Frank Gore -- and, often, only Frank Gore -- they now house a versatile stable of backs.

Gore, participating in the team's offseason workout program, is joined on the roster by Brandon Jacobs, Kendall Hunter, Anthony Dixon, Rock Cartwright, fullback Bruce Miller and second-round pick LaMichael James (not to mention undrafted free-agent back Jewel Hampton, who looms as a dark horse).

Comcast SportsNet Bay Area charted every play from last season to reveal that Gore played two-thirds of the snaps as San Francisco's featured back. Hunter played when Gore didn't, and the 49ers plan to use more of the younger back, not less. All of this points to a reduced role, but Gore isn't fading quietly into the night. His 1,211 yards in 2011 were the second best of his career.

"I feel like I still got a lot left in my tank," Gore told the team's official website. "I want to show it off that I still got a lot left in my tank and I can play at a high level. I will play at a high level as long as God blesses me to be healthy so I can go out and do something that I love."

Gore is days away from his 29th birthday and even if he leads the way, we expect a changed backfield in San Francisco. The Jacobs addition remains puzzling, but the 49ers have successfully stocked the position with fresh legs. After narrowly missing a Super Bowl berth last season, coach Jim Harbaugh will employ every weapon they possess in 2012.


(nfl.com)

Including Frank Gore and Patrick Willis (IDP leagues), are there any 49ers that you would label safe as fantasy picks? - @ThisCantBRight (via Twitter)

Michael Fabiano: I do like Vernon Davis at the tight end position, and I still think Willis is a terrific option in IDP formats. However, I do have some concerns about Gore. There have already been reports out of the Bay area that suggest the veteran back is "likely" to experience a decrease in playing time following the glut of offensive additions the Niners made this offseason. Kendall Hunter and Anthony Dixon are in the mix, the team signed Brandon Jacobs and LaMichael James was selected in the second round of last month's draft. Does that mean Gore is in danger of losing his starting job? No, but that's a lot of mouths to feed and enough reason to knock Gore down a few notches on your 2012 running back rankings. Aside from Gore, I don't trust Alex Smith, Michael Crabtree, Mario Manningham or Randy Moss as more than fantasy reserves or occasional matchup-based starters.


(nfl.com)

Coach Jim Harbaugh says the 49ers' selection of RB LaMichael James with the No. 61 pick is not a reflection on Frank Gore.

"My God, no," Harbaugh said. Harbaugh also claimed the 49ers could enter the season with six running backs; Brandon Jacobs, Kendall Hunter, Anthony Dixon and Rock Cartwright joining Gore and James. The reality is Dixon's roster spot is in grave danger, while Jacobs is no longer assured of cracking the final 53. Cartwright is expected to serve as a special-teams dynamo. James will cut into Hunter's snaps much more than Gore's.


(rotoworld.com)

49ers running back Frank Gore will join receiver Randy Moss in missing the team's voluntary workouts, according to comments made by coach Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh told KNBR-AM in San Francisco about Gore's absence, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Saturday. Harbaugh also said that kicker David Akers and center Jonathan Goodwin would miss the offseason program, explaining that the three players do not live nearby and have commitments to their families. Safety Dashon Goldson, who has yet to sign the franchise tag placed on him by the team, will not participate in the program either, Harbaugh said. Gore, 28, is currently under contract through 2014 after receiving a three-year contract extension worth as much as $21 million last August.


(yardbarker.com)

Miami hasn't produced a first-round draft pick since 2008. It's only fitting that a running back has the best chance to end that drought.

Yes, it's a bit of a reach to refer to three years without a first-round pick as a "drought." That represents a long slide only because Miami had produced at least one first-round draft pick every year from 1995-2008.

Lamar Miller could become Miami's first opening-round pick since Kenny Phillips went to the New York Giants with the 31st overall pick in 2008. Miller is set to become the latest in a long line of Miami running backs to earn a shot in the NFL.

Even though both of Miami's Heisman Trophy winners were quarterbacks (Vinny Testaverde and Gino Torretta), the Hurricanes' running backs have made much more of an impact in the pro ranks lately.

"As much as any position for Miami, the running back position has been strong," said Rob Rang, a senior draft analyst for nfldraftscout.com.
Frank Gore of the San Francisco 49ers and Willis McGahee of the Denver Broncos earned Pro Bowl invitations last season. Gore ranked sixth in the NFL with 1,211 rushing yards, while McGahee was eighth with 1,199 yards. No other school had multiple 1,000-yard rushers in the NFL last season.

And it isn't as if Gore and McGahee are one-year wonders. They've been doing this for quite some time.

Gore is a three-time Pro Bowl pick who has rushed for over 1,000 yards five of the last six seasons. He has run for a total of 7,625 yards and 43 touchdowns during his seven-year career. McGahee is a two-time Pro Bowl selection who has exceeded the 1,000-yard mark four times.

Other former Miami running backs on NFL rosters include Damien Berry (Baltimore Ravens) and Graig Cooper (Philadelphia Eagles), though neither player has a single career carry thus far.

Miami's running back contingent looks even stronger if you add Clinton Portis, a two-time Pro Bowl pick who has run for nearly 10,000 yards in his pro career. Although Portis didn't play last season after getting released by the Washington Redskins, he indicated earlier this year that he wants to play again and has been medically cleared.

Texas' collection of NFL running backs looks equally impressive.

Ricky Williams retired in February after rushing for more than 10,000 yards in a career that included five 1,000-yard seasons. Cedric Benson ran for 1,067 yards with the Cincinnati Bengals last year, which marked the third straight season he had exceeded the 1,000-yard mark.

Jamaal Charles of the Kansas City Chiefs rushed for a combined 2,567 yards in 2009 and 2010 before a torn anterior cruciate ligament limited him to two games last season. Chris Ogbonnaya rushed for 340 yards with the Cleveland Browns last year.

Texas very easily could have been the choice. After all, while Miami seemingly sent running backs to the NFL with assembly-line precision about a decade or so ago, it's worth noting that not a single Miami running back has been drafted since the 49ers selected Gore in 2005. Berry and Cooper were both undrafted free agents.

Miami ultimately got a slight edge in part because of Miller's pending arrival.

"We have him as a second-round pick," Rang said. "He is a slashing style of running back who runs a little upright, but he has excellent straight-line speed. And he showed a little more toughness last year than a lot of people anticipated from him because he had been kind of typecast as kind of just a speed threat.

"At the same time, he's only been productive for one year. ... He's not quite as polished as other Miami running backs have been in prior years."
History is on Miller's side. Miami running backs have a habit of outperforming their draft position.

Although McGahee and former Indianapolis Colts star Edgerrin James were first-round draft picks, Portis went in the second round and Gore lasted until the third round. If Miller is as productive as either Portis or Gore, whichever team drafts him will be thrilled.



Our choice: Miami.
Who they've sent: Damien Berry (Baltimore Ravens), Graig Cooper (Philadelphia Eagles), Frank Gore (San Francisco 49ers), Willis McGahee (Denver Broncos), Clinton Portis* (free agent, intends to play in 2012).
Who's next: Lamar Miller is a projected second-round pick in this year's draft.
Why we picked them: Gore and McGahee each earned Pro Bowl invitations and ranked among the NFL's top 10 rushers last year. Miami was the only school that had two of its former players rush for at least 1,000 yards last season. Portis also is a former Pro Bowl selection. Gore, McGahee and Portis have each accumulated over 7,000 career rushing yards.
Other finalists: Arkansas (Cleveland's Peyton Hillis, Dallas' Felix Jones, Oakland's Darren McFadden), California (Detroit's Jahvid Best, Seattle's Justin Forsett, Seattle's Marshawn Lynch, New England's Shane Vereen), Oklahoma (Dallas' DeMarco Murray, Minnesota's Adrian Peterson), Texas (free agent Cedric Benson, Kansas City's Jamaal Charles, Baltimore's Chris Ogbonnaya, recently retired Ricky Williams).
Candidate you might not have considered: Tulane has produced 2011 Pro Bowl pick Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears and Mewelde Moore of the Pittsburgh Steelers.


(yahoosports.com)

Niners land Brandon Jacobs: Remember when I said the running back position was going to be a huge question mark for fantasy owners in 2012? Well, the addition of Jacobs in San Francisco is going to do nothing but create more doubt. The bruising veteran, who joins Mario Manningham as former Giants to land with the Niners, will put a dent into the draft value of Frank Gore. With Kendall Hunter also in the mix, the 49ers now have three capable runners on their roster. Gore will continue to start and see a majority of the backfield touches, but he’s certain to lose some short-yardage and goal-line work to Jacobs. What’s more, Gore will be 29 and is coming off one of his heaviest workloads (311 carries through the regular season and postseason), so it’s a bad idea to draft him as more than a No. 2 fantasy runner. Jacobs is worth a late-round look in most leagues, but I still see Hunter as the best handcuff for Gore.


(nfl.com)

These are anxious times for Frank Gore, who helplessly watches as his San Francisco 49ers play a dangerous game of chicken at quarterback.
Gore could have Peyton Manning as his new teammate in the next 24 hours. The 49ers just as easily could have no one behind center at all.

Alex Smith landed in South Florida on Sunday morning for a meeting with the Miami Dolphins. With Manning also considering the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans, it's feasible that the two free-agent quarterbacks could sign with teams other than San Francisco, leaving the 49ers in a serious lurch.

"It's crazy," Gore told The Associated Press on Sunday. "I'm waiting for whatever happens. I know coach Harbaugh and (general manager) Trent Baalke feel good about what they're doing."

Gore always has been vocal in his support of Smith during the quarterback's seven enigmatic seasons in San Francisco, but that didn't stop him from heaping praise on Manning.

"He's a Hall of Famer, first ballot, that's all I got to say," Gore said Sunday. "He's one of the best ever to play the game."


(nfl.com)

During a press conference Thursday, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters that RB Kendall Hunter should see more action next season. Anyone who watched the 49ers regularly in 2011 likely isn’t completely surprised by that statement. Hunter averaged 4.22 yards per carry as Frank Gore’s backup last season and performed admirably in place of the injured starter on more than one occasion. But before you hang a “by committee” tag on one more NFL running back situation, there’s nothing to indicate Gore won’t get the bulk of the carries. With the veteran approaching 29, however, and having been injury prone throughout his seven-year career, it makes sense that San Francisco will do whatever it can to preserve him for awhile longer — even if that means he sees fewer touches.


(nfl.com)

The 49ers began the 2011 season with a power-running offense, one that leaned heavily on workhorse tailback, Frank Gore. At the midpoint of the season, however, something changed. Gore became less of a focal point, and the 49ers went from a team that ran more than it threw to one that called 33 pass plays against 24 run plays in the NFC Championship game. That seemed odd, especially for a team that was built for power football in December and January and for an offensive unit whose most valuable weapon for years had been its running back.

The explanation is partly due to the way defenses played the 49ers - they decided that San Francisco's passing game was the lesser of the two evils. And that itself is a very good reason for the team to spend a good chunk of its offseason capital bolstering the passing game with pass catchers.

But it also was because of Gore. He did not suffer a serious injury like he did in 2010 when he broke his hip. But his heavy workload at the beginning of the season left him with an array of nagging, smaller injuries by midseason that, according to a source with knowledge of Gore's condition, kept him from shouldering the same load he did at the beginning of the season.

As Gore's workload began to wane over the second half of the season, observers figured the 49ers were saving him for the playoffs, and that his role would return to normal in January. That didn't happen. Gore, who will turn 29 in May, averaged nearly 20 carries over the first half of the season. He averaged 15 in the second half and the playoffs.

When Gore had the ball in his hands, he seemed to fine. But he often removed himself from games at the end of the season and in the playoffs. During a critical fourth-quarter drive against the Giants in which the 49ers ground attack appeared to be gaining the advantage against the New York defense, it was third-string runner Anthony Dixon who entered the game. He was tripped up on a potentially big run on 2nd and 4, and ended up gaining three yards. On third and 1, he was stopped for no gain.

What occurred in 2011 points to the 49ers adding a runner in the offseason.

The 49ers may have overused Gore early in the season, but what other choice did they have? The passing game was still in its infancy, and the two other running backs on the roster were, in Kendall Hunter, a rookie, and in Dixon, a young runner who still hasn't won over the coaching staff. Dixon carried the ball only 29 times in the regular season and averaged three yards a carry. Gore averaged 4.3 yards and Hunter 4.2.

Hunter proved to be a pleasant surprise, hitting the line of scrimmage sharply and taking care of the football. But the 49ers see him as more of a change-of-pace runner. Even if the 49ers added a wide receiver - or two or three - in the offseason, they still are a team that at its core wants to overpower defenses and run the ball down their throats. That's something they were unable to do at the most critical part of the season and something they will have to remedy in the offseason.

49ers top rushers
Frank Gore: 282, 1211 yards, 4.3 avg.
Kendall Hunter: 112, 473 yards, 4.2 avg.
Alex Smith: 52, 179 yards, 3.4 avg.
Anthony Dixon: 29, 87 yards, 3.0 avg.


(sacbee.com)

Q: Why was Anthony Dixon running the ball on 3rd & 1 and not Frank Gore in the fourth quarter? (Anthony Barton)

A: This is a question that I pondered at the time, and I still can't make sense of it.

As the No. 3 running back, Anthony Dixon carried the ball 29 times all season and averaged 3.0 yards a carry. At the start of the fourth quarter, the 49ers were driving. Gore picked up 11 yards. Then, he had a 6-yard gain.

On second-and-four from the Giants' 49, the 49ers got a little too cute. Dixon came into the game for his first offensive snap of the game. Defensive linemen Justin Smith and Isaac Sopoaga joined him.

Dixon picked up 3 yards to set up a third-and-1. Dixon, Smith and Sopoaga remained on the field for that crucial play.

Left guard Mike Iupati moved to right guard, as the 49ers overloaded that side of their formation. Dixon appeared to have an opening between Iupati and right tackle Anthony Davis, but Dixon chose the next gap and was stopped for no gain.

The 49ers punted it away on fourth down and squandered an opportunity to build on their 14-10 lead.

In two playoff games, Gore carried 29 times for 163 yards (5.6 average). He had not been limited in a practice in more than a month due to any injury. Gore played 105 of the 49ers' 125 offensive snaps in the postseason. He was healthy, as his production in the playoffs seemed to prove.

But the 49ers got away from running on first down. When Kendall Hunter gained 18 yards on a run play with 7:39 remaining in regulation, that was the last time in the game the 49ers attempted a run on first down.


(csnbayarea.com)

Frank Gore's injury withdrawal from the Pro Bowl clears the way for Marshawn Lynch to participate as an alternate. It also amplifies questions about Gore's health late in the season.

Gore carried the ball 311 times in 18 games this season, counting playoffs. That was within one carry of his career high previously. But his 17 receptions were well less than half his previous single-season low since becoming a full-time starter in 2006.

Gore put together a string of five consecutive 100-yard rushing performances ending in Week 9. He finished with zero yards the next week after a hard tackle from the New York Giants' Jason Pierre-Paul left Gore with an apparent right knee injury. He suffered an ankle injury earlier in the season.

Gore never exceeded 89 yards in a game from that point forward. His yards per attempt exceeded 3.7 just once over the final eight regular-season games after five consecutive games between 4.3 and 9.4.

The chart, from Doug Clawson of ESPN Stats & Information, shows Gore's playing time over the course of the season.

I noticed Gore asking out of games following contact a few times, including early in a game at Arizona. Running backs come out on occasion; I have no way to know whether Gore did this more than usual in 2011. The 49ers like to mix up their personnel groups, anyway. Kendall Hunter is a big part of their ground game.

Someone suggested to me via Twitter -- I couldn't immediately find that tweet, unfortunately -- that Gore did not seem to be carrying the ball on back-to-back plays as frequently. I had the same feeling.

Clawson investigated. The results weren't conclusive. Gore had a season-high 11 back-to-back rushes in Week 8. He had seven in Weeks 1 and 11, six in Week 16, five in Week 5 and four in three games (two of them in Week 13 or later).

Gore still managed to rush for 1,211 yards, his highest regular-season total since 2006. His per-carry average spiked during the playoffs. Lots of players withdraw from the Pro Bowl. There should be no panic. But as Gore approaches his 29th birthday in May, about the age when running backs tend to slow, durability questions aren't likely to go away.


(espn.com)

Comments

Frank Gore rushed for 74 yards on 16 carries and caught six balls for 45 yards in the 49ers' playoff loss to the Giants.

Gore finished strong with 163 yards on 29 postseason carries (5.62 YPC), but his regular season stretch-run struggles are a concern entering his age-29 campaign. (Gore turns in late May.) 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh's run-first scheme led to Gore registering his lowest reception total (17) since his rookie year, and Gore's rushing production dropped significantly in the season's second half. With Kendall Hunter deserving a larger role, Gore will be a risky early-round pick in 2012 fantasy drafts.


(rotoworld.com)

Giants S Kenny Phillips, who played at University of Miami, is close with former college teammate Frank Gore, the 49ers' running back. “I spoke to Frank (and) wished him good luck,” Phillips said. Phillips said he’s been fielding calls from players around the league who are wishing him good luck. “It’s a great feeling,” he added.


(cbssports.com)

Frank Gore, Vince Wilfork, Ray Lewis, Jimmy Graham and Ed Reed all made the 2012 Pro Bowl, this being Graham’s first Pro Bowl selection of his career. This will be Gore’s 4th Pro Bowl (2nd consecutive), Wilfork’s 5th Pro Bowl (4th consecutive), Ray Lewis’ 14 Pro Bowl (7th consecutive) and Ed Reed’s 9th Pro Bowl (7th consecutive).

Chris Myers and Andre Johnson have been named alternates. Stay tuned for a couple of more players to be named alternates soon.

By the way: The Florida State Seminoles have ONE Pro Bowler and the Florida Gators also have only ONE Pro Bowler.

Since the 1959 Pro Bowl a proCane has been on a Pro Bowl roster 51 out of 52 seasons. Since the 1984 Pro Bowl, a proCane has been named to the Pro Bowl for 28 straight years. Check out the full history of every single proCane in a Pro Bowl below.

Frank Gore says he always watches “Monday Night Football,” but tonight he’ll have a special interest. “I’m going for Atlanta right now,” Gore said of tonight’s matchup between the host New Orleans Saints and the Falcons. If the Falcons win, the 49ers (12-3) will clinch the NFC playoffs’ No. 2 seed ahead of the Saints (currently 11-3).

Gore’s playoff forecast doesn’t yet include the top-seeded Green Bay Packers (14-1). Rather than watch the Packers’ rout of the Chicago Bears on Christmas night, Gore went to the Golden State Warriors home opener and didn’t even see any of the Packers’ highlights. “We ain’t worried about no Packers right now,” said Gore, referring to the 49ers’ immediate focus rather than any disrespect toward the Packers.

Even if the Saints don’t lose tonight to Atlanta — two NFC South teams who’ve already locked up playoff berths and are jostling for the division title — the 49ers can secure the No. 2 seed and a key first-round bye with a win Sunday at St. Louis.

“If New Orleans doesn’ tlose, we’ll go to St. Louis, try to get a ‘W’, lock up the second seed and get the bye week,” Gore said. “To play on our home field in our first (playoff) game, it will be big for us and I’m excited.”

In reflecting to Saturday’s 19-17 win at Seattle, Gore said the 49ers were confident they would rally after falling behind on a blocked punt and an ensuing Seahawks touchdown. He admitted that feeling didn’t exist in previous years and those miscues would doom the 49ers.

“Back in the day, after the blocked punt, everyone would have been like, ‘Oh man,’ ” Gore said. “Now it’s, ‘Let’s go get some points on the board.’
“We just know we’re a good team. We don’t panic at all,” Gore added. “When things don’t go right, we tell ourselves we need to settle down and make plays. … I felt we were going to win the game. We wanted a touchdown, it didn’t come to that but we wanted the points.



(mercurynews.com)

On Sunday, running back Frank Gore had just 10 carries against the Cardinals.

On Monday, Niners coach Jim Harbaugh said Gore wasn’t 100 percent healthy.

On Thursday, Gore wasn’t on the injury report, a full participant in the first full practice of the week.

Today, Gore spoke to the media for the first time this week to answer the question of … what’s going on here?

Before Gore spoke, offensive coordinator Greg Roman did his best to not shed any light on why Gore had such a modest workload against Arizona.
“Now, wait a second, a couple weeks ago you guys were complaining that we were running it too much,” Roman said. “Now you’ve flipped the switch, huh? Every week it’s different, the strategies are what they are. I’m not going to get into strategy.

Was Roman told Gore wasn’t available for his typical number of carries?

“All conversations are kept internal,” he said.

So, there you have it.

Here’s the highlights from Gore’s Q&A:

Q: Why didn’t you have more than 10 carries last week?
FG: Because that’s the game plan. Me and Kendall were in and out of the game and I guess that’s how the game was called.

Q: After the very first play of the game, you left the field and went and sat down. Were you injured?
FG: No, I just had to get my mind right. I was good. I was good, man. I kind of landed funny and I had to shake that.

Q: Arm?
FG: Yeah, my arm. Yeah.

Q: Is sharing the carries with Kendall designed to keep you fresh for the playoffs?
FG: I feel that any back in this league who, at this time of the year, can share carries here and there can remain fresh. Last week, the game was called, different personnel. And Kendall’s personnel got called pretty much. I’m fine, man.

Q: How much do you really have to focus on the run game to be successful in the red zone?
FG: We have to focus on everything. It’s not just the run game. We’ve got to score touchdowns, whether it’s running or throwing the ball, we’ve got to do both. We’ve got get better in the red zone.

Q: On Monday, Jim Harbaugh said that ‘Frank’s not 100 percent.’ Are you 100 percent good?
FG: I feel good. I’m good. Everybody in the league gets nicks and bruises here and there. It’s the 15th week. NFL football is a physical sport. I’m good enough to go out there and try to get my team a win. Do the best I can.

Q: Do you agree with the philosophy of resting the workhorse back so he is fresher towards the end of the season?
FG: Well, right now we’re just trying to do whatever it takes to be successful. When that time comes and it’s the playoffs, we’ll try to whatever it takes. If it’s that, and my coach wants to do that, I can’t do nothing but go by what he says. Right now, Monday night, we’ve got a good team coming in the Bay Area and we want to go out there and get a win.

Q: It doesn’t sound as if you think you need to be rested.
FG: I’m good. Like I said, whatever my coach wants. If he wants me out there, I’m out there. If he wants me and Kendall to go, I’ve got to do what he says.



(sfgate.com)

Frank Gore and the San Francisco 49ers are hoping for a strong finish to the regular season, beginning with Monday night's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 49ers have lost two of three since a 9-1 start, and Gore has gone five consecutive games with 88 yards rushing or fewer after stringing together a franchise-record five straight games of 100 yards or more on the ground.

But Gore and his team see Monday's game as a platform to regain momentum and resume the resurgence that has pushed the 49ers into the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons.

''It's a blessing the situation I'm in and the team's in, and everybody wants to win these last three games,'' Gore said Saturday. ''We know that Pittsburgh's a good team that's been playing together a while and is coming in here with a great defense. We just have to go out there Monday night against a tough defense and play 49ers ball, the kind of ball that got us here and this far.''

Gore has played a key role in San Francisco's first winning season and NFC West championship since 2002. He ranks fourth in the NFL with 1,054 yards rushing, recording his team-record fifth 1,000-yard season in six years while becoming the franchise's career leading career rusher two weeks ago.

But opponents have been stacking the line of scrimmage more to stop him, an approach that has become more effective since mid-November. That has caused problems for a struggling San Francisco offense that has been held below 234 yards twice in the past three games.

Next up is Pittsburgh, which features the same 3-4 defensive scheme that gave the 49ers fits in recent losses to Baltimore and Arizona. The Steelers rank second in the NFL in total defense and sixth in rushing defense, and they're likely to follow the blueprint for stopping San Francisco's offense established recently by the Ravens and Cardinals.

''Frank can be productive against anybody,'' 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. ''I think we've seen that. But the running game is a fixture of 11 people doing their job. All 11 people have to do their job to be successful.''

Gore has been hampered by ankle and knee injuries, and the 49ers have had to consider balancing his playing time with keeping their workhorse fresh.

Gore's 37-yard touchdown run last week gave San Francisco a 19-7 lead early in the third quarter. But Gore carried the ball just twice more the rest of the game and San Francisco managed just 41 yards of offense over the final 27 minutes while Arizona rallied to end the 49ers' five-game winning streak between the two NFC West rivals.

The 49ers settled for field goals in all three of their red zone opportunities and were just 3 of 17 on third-down conversion attempts, continuing their season-long problems in both areas.

''There's certain situations where we have to get better, and we're going to get there,'' Gore said. ''We just have to start scoring more points when we have the opportunity. We've had a good week of practice and feel good. We're going to go out there and enjoy this game.''

The 49ers might be without Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis for the second consecutive week. Willis missed practice again Saturday and is listed as questionable to play against the Steelers.

Left tackle Joe Staley, who suffered a concussion last week, returned to practice in a limited fashion after sitting out Thursday and Friday. He's also listed as questionable.

Coach Jim Harbaugh has been pleased this week with how his team reacted to a recent stretch of adversity that included injuries and offensive ineptitude. He's eager to see how the 49ers respond Monday.

''I feel good about where we are right now,'' Harbaugh said Saturday. ''This is what we prepare for. Look forward to going out there and putting it on the line. That's what these guys do: They go put it on the line. That's the pressure. That's the excitement of it.''



(foxsports.com)

SANTA CLARA -- Running back Frank Gore said earlier in the day that he felt fine.

And the 49ers' practice participation report on Thursday supported his claim. On the 49ers' first day of practice to prepare for their game Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Gore went through the entire practice, the club reported.

Last week, the 49ers did not list Gore with any injuries, either. But Sunday, he played just 39 of the team's 63 offensive plays. At times when he came off the field, he looked to be ailing. But when he had the football in his hands, he looked as good as ever.

Gore had just 10 rushes for 72 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown on the 49ers' first play of the second half. He carried just two more times in the 49ers' 21-19 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. A day later, coach Jim Harbaugh said Gore was "not 100 percent."

Gore has experienced sprains to both ankles and a knee bruise this season. So, perhaps, the 49ers were trying to conserve Gore during the game against the Cardinals. However, the team's pass-heavy game plan backfired.

Quarterback Alex Smith completed 18 of 37 passes for 175 yards against the Cardinals on Sunday. He was also sacked five times. Smith attempted a season-high 38 passes Nov. 20 against the Cardinals, but the 49ers also ran a season-high 87 offensive plays in that game.

So there appears to be no question that Gore will be healthy for the Monday night game against the Steelers. However, there are questions about linebacker Patrick Willis and left tackle Joe Staley.



(csnbayarea.com)

The 49ers have played 13 games and running back Frank Gore is bruised and battered.

Of course he is.

It's impossible for Gore to have touched the ball 250 times and not be feeling the physical toll that it takes on his body. He doesn't avoid contact, and he churns for every yard.

So a banged-up Gore is like Sir Edmund Hillary with chapped lips. It's to be expected. Here's a look at the wear-and-tear his body has absorbed this season:

Sept. 25 at Bengals: Gore sustained a right ankle sprain late in the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals. Gore gained 32 yards on eight carries before the injury, and had nine carries for 10 yards the rest of the game.

Oct. 2 at Eagles: He was listed as going through limited practice the next week in Youngstown, Ohio. Coach Jim Harbaugh said recently that Gore did not practice at all in preparation to face the Philadelphia Eagles. Gore did not start that game, but he came off the sideline to rush for 127 yards and a touchdown on 15 attempts.

Nov. 6 at Redskins: Gore sustained a left ankle sprain in the second quarter against Washington. He rushed for 65 yards on seven carries in the first half, and 42 yards on 12 attempts in the second half. Afterward, he could barely walk. This time more than any other, I thought Gore would not be able to play the following game.

* * *

Through this point in the season, Gore had 159 attempts for 782 yards (4.9 average). After this point, Gore has 75 rushes for 272 yards (3.6 yards).

* * *
Nov. 13 vs. N.Y. Giants: Gore started the game, but he left at the end of the first half when he landed hard on his right knee. He sustained a hyperextended knee and bruise. His final stat line: 0 rushing yards on six attempts.

Nov. 20 vs. Cardinals: He did not practice Wednesday, and was limited the next two days. Gore was listed as questionable for the game against the Cardinals with the knee injury. He started and rushed for 88 yards on 24 rushing attempts. With the game firmly in hand, Gore sat out the final 18 minutes of the game.

Nov. 24 at Baltimore: Gore was limited (knee) in practice for the three days leading up the Thanksgiving game against the Ravens. He was listed as probable. Gore gained 39 yards rushing on 14 carries.

Dec. 4 vs. St. Louis: He was limited in each of the three practices in preparation to face the Rams. The injury designation this week changed to "ankle." He gained 73 yards on 21 rushes, including a long of 20 yards.

Dec. 11 at Cardinals: Gore entered the game healthy, according to the report the 49ers submitted to the NFL. He took part in full practices. But Gore played 38 of the 49ers' 63 offensive snaps. Harbaugh on Monday described Gore this way: "He's got some things. He's not 100 percent."



(csnbayarea.com)

49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh chatted with the media on Monday and the most intriguing bit of news to come out was that Frank Gore is not 100%. That isn't exactly shocking, but it was still interesting to hear Coach Harbaugh say something.

In a brief stretch he was asked about Gore only getting two carries after his third quarter touchdown. He said he did not have an answer. That was followed up with a question as to whether Gore was healthy. In response, Harbaugh said "He's got some things. He's not 100%. We have other backs that got carries in the second half."

Given the relatively tight-lipped nature of Coach Harbaugh, this is about as expansive an answer as you are going to get. Of course, it still leaves plenty of room for speculation. People have suggested several possibilities:

1) Gore was legitimately banged up and just couldn't be given a ton of carries; and/or 2) He could have played the whole game but the team wanted to rest him more with playoffs in mind; and/or 3) The team wanted to try and give Alex Smith more throws to see if he could handle an increased workload.

We're never going to know the truth because Coach Harbaugh will not come right out and say it. Let me correct that. He might say it, but given the way his press conferences go, we might not actually know if he's said it. That's fine and just gives us more to chatter about.

Frank Gore scored the touchdown early in the third quarter and had two carries after that. Why so few throughout the game and especially after? It seemed like you were getting something going with the run game.
"Why so few carries for Frank after..."

Why so few carries for Frank in general? There weren't a lot of carries in the second half.
"I don't have an answer for you."

Is he healthy?
"He's got some things. He's not 100%. We have other backs that got carries in the second half."

Have you guys thought about using RB Anthony Dixon in those short yardage situations?
"Yes."

Why hasn't that materialized yet?
"It hasn't. We know there's going to be criticisms. We know that there's going to be ‘Why's? What happened? What took place? Why didn't you do this? Why didn't you do that? Why didn't you throw the ball here? Who's your go-to guy?' and we're not going to talk about it. We're going to talk about it to our players, to our team. Make a real effort as we always do, every single day this is what we do, try to address problems and get them fixed. Smart guys. We've got those as coaches, we've got those as players and we'll work together to get them fixed, to improve."



(ninersnation.com)

Reggie Wayne started a new streak last week by scoring 56-yard TD (his 1st TD since Week 1) finishing the game with 5 receptions for 122 yards and Jimmy Graham added 2 TDs to go along with his team leading 84 yards on 5 receptions for the New Orleans Saints in their victory over the NY Giants in Week 13 of the 2011 NFL Season.

This Week there were FIVE proCane TDs. The day was started off buy Vince Wilfork who scored his first career NFL TD by recovering a fumble in the end zone and was capped by a Frank Gore TD.

To see the old full 149 week streak click here.

Week 14 2011:
Vince Wilfork - 1 TD - New England Patriots
Jeremy Shockey - 1 TD - Carolina Panthers
Greg Olsen - 1 TD - Carolina Panthers
Santana Moss - 1 TD - Washington Redksins
Frank Gore - 1 TD - San Francisco


Week 13 2011:
Willis McGahee - 1 TD - Denver Broncos

Week 12 2011:
Reggie Wayne - 1 TD - Indianapolis Colts
Jimmy Graham - 2 TDs - New Orleans Saints

Frank Gore said he wasn't injured.

And 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh also said his running back wasn't hurting.

The obvious question: Why did Gore have only 10 carries in San Francisco's 21-19 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday?

The 10 carries were the fewest he has had in a game in which he didn't leave with an injury since he had nine in a loss to Seattle on Dec. 6, 2009.
"Whatever personnel coaches call, that's what I've got to go by," said Gore, who went over 1,000 yards for the fifth time in his seven-year career.

Gore, who has been limited in practice since sustaining an ankle injury in a win over the Giants on Nov. 13, appeared healthy enough. He had 72 yards - averaging 7.2 yards a carry - and scored on a 37-yard run in the third quarter. He had two more carries than backup Kendall Hunter, but Harbaugh said there was no plan to limit Gore's workload, saying the 49ers had a pass-first game plan.

"There was no pitch count," Harbaugh said. "We were doing our best to move the ball, convert, pick up those first downs, and we fell short."

On the 49ers' final drive, they had a 3rd-and-1 at their 41-yard line with 2:14 left and no timeouts remaining. They finished the drive with two straight incompletions as Gore watched from the sideline.

Harbaugh was asked about the game-ending play-calling.

"I don't want to get into the, 'You should have run it when you threw it; why didn't you throw it when you ran it?' " Harbaugh said. "We tried to pick up the first down. We were in two-minute mode, and we're trying to move the ball to get into field-goal range."



(sfgate.com)

On Monday, a day after becoming the franchise's all-time rushing leader, 49ers running back Frank Gore said he wasn't sure if he would receive a game ball for his performance in a 26-0 win over the Rams.

A few hours later, head coach Jim Harbaugh shed no light on the subject. Harbaugh, however, did offer his plan for paying tribute to Gore's milestone in the future.

A game ball? Please. How about having Gore in bronze?

"There should be a statue to Frank," Harbaugh said. "Maybe with the new stadium ... A life-size statue of him in one of those cool positions he gets in - about 6 inches off the ground, or a leg going one way, and the other going the other, twisting and turning. It's just so cool. It's just so cool to slow the tape down and watch what he does."

Staley has message for fans: After quarterback Alex Smith was sacked on a third-down play in the third quarter Sunday, left tackle Joe Staley attempted to rip off his chinstrap and, with his fists clenched, screamed in frustration as he walked off the field.

Staley, who didn't allow the sack, wasn't peeved with what happened on the field. Instead, he wasn't thrilled by the Candlestick Park fans doing the wave while the offense was on the field. The noise-generating wave is considered a distraction to offenses.

On Sunday night, Staley wrote on his Twitter account, "Thanks to the fans for being so supportive and great this year so far. Keep it up. Just don't start the wave anymore when we are on offense."



(sfgate.com)

Frank Gore summed up his upbeat feelings Monday in a six-minute session with reporters. Turns out it was a warm-up act for defensive line coach Jim Tomsula’s 60-minute interview during the lunch hour. I’ll post the highlights from Tomsula later, complete with an anecdote about Justin Smith chipping his teeth at a non-padded practice and the defensive linemen cast as Muppets.

For now, here is what Gore said, a day after he became the 49ers’ all-time leading rusher in a 26-0 win over St. Louis that clinched the 49ers’ first NFC West title since 2002:

– On what it’s like to have a playoff berth for the first time in his career: “It’s been a  tough time for us since we’ve been here. It’s the first time to win the division and get to the playoffs. It’s big, big.”

– On any interaction with fellow 2005 draft class product Alex Smith: “I talked to Alex after the game a little bit, in the locker room. We were happy.”

– On seeing fellow co-captain Patrick Willis get hurt: “I was kind of nervous, kind of scared. We need Pat. He’s a big part of this team. He’s a leader. I feel real good when 52 is on the field. I’m happy it was a hamstring. He’ll be fine. He’ll be good. Pat, he’ll be back.”

– On the next order of business: “Our goal was to be division champs. Now we did that. Now we’ll try to be the No. 1 or No. 2 seed. We’ll go from there.”

 – On whether he wants to rest down the stretch: “Nah, nah. We’re playing. We’re playing ball. We’ve got four more games left, right? So we’re playing ball. We’ll try to win these last four. Hopefully whatever happens withGreen Bay, we can get the No. 1 or No. 2 seed, and that will be great for us.”

– On a recent lack of 100-yard games and how defenses are keying on him more: “Yeah, they are, but we’re winning. In some of the games, I haven’t played. In the Arizona game, I didn’t play some of the third or fourth quarter, and that would have been a 100-yard game. Yesterday I didn’t play the fourth quarter. We’re still doing good in the running game. A lot of guys are gearing up to stop the run, but we’re winning and I’m good with it.”

– On seeing big plays in the passing game: “I love it. I love it. I love it. If they want to keep playing eight or nine men in the box (near the line of scrimmage), Alex will keep killing them. As long as we get the win, I’m good with whatever happens, if it’s running or passing.”

– On last night’s celebration: ”I just hung out with some of my teammates and enjoyed the win and our first time in the playoffs since 2002. Now that we got that out the way, the next step is to get the No. 1 or No. 2 seed.”

- On passing Joe Perry as the 49ers’ all-time leading rusher: “It’s a blessing, to do something in this organization with a lot of great players. My name being mentioned amongst them guys, I’m happy about it. It was hard work. Had some ups and downs. It’s a blessing.”

(mercurynews.com)

After the game, Frank Gore's emotion could not be tackled easily. Sort of like Frank Gore himself.

The man was pumped. He jogged to Candlestick Park's south end zone and raised his arms to screaming fans who'd stuck around to celebrate the 26-0 victory over St. Louis -- a victory that created a relevant 49ers' January for the first time since the 2002 season.

Did the last three months really happen? They did. Gore let out a whoop. He decided raising his arms wasn't enough, not on a day when he set the all-time 49ers career rushing record and also clinched his first playoff trip, ever.

And so Gore spontaneously grabbed a large 49ers flag, snatching it from Lucas Ortiz, a personal trainer from Mountain View who moonlights on weekends as one of those peppy-cheery-banner-running guys.

"Frank just ran up and took it away from me," Ortiz reported about his absent flag. "I wasn't going to stop him. He earned it."

Gore took his earned income and waved it. He waved the flag in one corner of the end zone, jogged to the other corner and did the same thing. He didn't want to let the flag go. He carried it down the dugout tunnel. He carried it into the locker room. A puzzled Ortiz tried to follow Gore and reclaim the flag, but failed.

"I'm sure he'll give it back to me later -- hopefully, signed," Ortiz said.

Gore's plan did run into a glitch. Once he entered the locker room, the ceilings were too low for him to do more waving. So he decided just to bask and enjoy and yell, along with his teammates.

"I was just having fun," he said. "I am just happy."

Frank Gore cannot tell a lie. The past six years, he wasn't happy. After each season, he sat and watched NFL playoff games with a stomach that felt like it was trying to digest a wad of discarded ankle tape.

Gore's stomach felt this way because those six years, after he spent so many games being tackled and tenderized and bruised in loss after loss, he was forced to witness other teams dance across his television screen in the postseason. It really bothered him. Especially after the 2008 season. That bothered him most of all.

"It was the year Arizona made it to the Super Bowl," Gore said. "When you see that, it lets you know that anything can happen in the postseason ... us against Arizona that year, the games were neck and neck. That year, their team clicked at the right time."

And the 49ers, of course, never clicked -- until this season, when under new coach Jim Harbaugh, the clicking was deafening.

Sunday's game, which featured many slog-it-out moments, was not a pretty victory. But for Gore and the other 49ers who had endured the past six seasons, it was still giddy. For Gore, it even made all of those wad-of-ankle-tape-in-the-stomach nights worth the misery.

Gore didn't score a touchdown, didn't have a spectacular game. He finished with 21 carries for 73 yards, an average of 3.5 yards per carry -- typical of the way his odometer works. Yet it was special when, on the second play of the second quarter, he took the ball and bulled around right end for 2 yards and officially pushed himself to first place on the all-time list of 49ers running backs.

Harbaugh, watching from the sideline, was leading the applause.

"It's a powerful thing to set that kind of a record," Harbaugh said. "You start talking about some of the injuries he's had, injuries that would end the career of a lesser man. Shoulder, knee, hip. What it takes to bounce back from that, mentally and the physical rehab. ... That's all just strength. That's strong will."

Gore, who acknowledged the crowd's ovation when the news of his record was posted on the scoreboard, later gave his own quasi-acceptance speech.

"I first have to say thanks to the man up above," Gore said, "for letting me do something that I love to do and to have my name be mentioned with some of the guys who were here before me. I also have to give a shout-out to all of my O-linemen that have helped me get this record -- the ones who are here now and one who were here before."

As has often been noted, Gore is the most popular veteran in the 49ers locker room, largely because of the way he has endured and persevered. But his leadership skills are often underrated. Harbaugh told a story that illustrated why they shouldn't be. Last week, Gore sensed his coach was uptight as the 49ers approached their possible playoff-clincher.

"He came up to me probably half a dozen times and said, 'Coach, we got this,' " Harbaugh said. "And I believed him. I trusted him."

In Gore they always trust. With his record carry Sunday, he surpassed the club record held by Joe "The Jet" Perry, who gained his 7,344 yards from 1950-60 and 1963. Gore might be more famous nationally if, like "The Jet," Gore had a colorful nickname. If that were the case, he might be known as Frank "Grinder" Gore, because that's the way he runs.

For the record, some of the other 49ers players do call him "Big Frank." It's a salute to the way he's often carried the team on his back since 2005. It's also amusing, given Gore's stature. He is hardly a big man. At 5-foot-9 and 217 pounds, he can at time disappear into the clump of opposing tacklers, only to pop out of the clump and grind out more yardage. Gore's offensive linemen never cease to be amazed.

"It's just an honor to be a part of it," offensive tackle Anthony Davis said.

As of this morning, Gore is officially at 7,396 yards. And grinding.


(mercurynews.com)

SANTA CLARA -- Since Frank Gore became the full-time starter in 2006, he has been widely regarded as one of the NFL's top all-around running backs.

Gore is in the elite class because of the consistency he has shown with his ability to run, catch and block.

He remains one of the top runners in the league. And his determination and skills in pass protection are considered so unique for a player who produces as many yards. In fact, his blocking skills are so valuable that this season he has not been asked to catch as many passes.

Through 11 games, Gore has caught just 16 passes for 101 yards and no touchdowns. In his previous five seasons as the starter, Gore averaged 51 receptions for 430 yards.

When asked why Gore hasn't caught as many passes this season, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh answered, "There might be some reasons schematically that we're looking at in that area."

Quarterback Alex Smith said the changes in the 49ers' offensive system have required that Gore take on more responsibility in pass protection.
"Scheme, obviously, is a little different," Smith said. "Protections are different. That all impacts it, especially a running back getting out into his check-downs. Frank is one of the best in the game, I think, in protecting and he takes a lot of pride in that and the way we use him in our protections.

"Sometimes he doesn't get out (into a pass route) all of the time. You play that game. Do you want the backs out right now? Or do you want them helping out in protection?"

Gore said the 49ers have made the wideouts more a part of the offense, which has taken away opportunities for him to catch passes. And he is not complaining.

"Alex has done a great job of getting the ball down the field," Gore said. "I'm good with that. We have more success with Alex throwing the ball down the field than just looking at me and checking the ball down. It's more about the team than me and my stats."

Here are Gore's receiving stats since entering the league in 2005 as Kevan Barlow's backup (in parenthesis games played/games started):

2011 (11/10): 16 catches, 101 yards, 6.3 avg, 0 TDs 2010 (11/11): 46 catches, 452 yards, 9.8 avg, 2 TDs 2009 (14/14): 52 catches, 406 yards, 7.8 avg, 3 TDs 2008 (14/14): 43 catches, 373 yards, 8.7 avg, 2 TDs 2007 (15/15): *53 catches, 436 yards, 8.2 avg, 1 TD 2006 (16/16): *61 catches, 485 yards, 8.0 avg, 1 TD 2005 (14/1): 15 catches, 131 yards, 8.7 avg, 0 TD
*-Team lead


(csnbayarea.com)

In the SI story, running back Frank Gore said Harbaugh’s aggressive style was a welcome change, contrasting it with former Niners coach Mike Nolan.

“(Nolan) just wanted us to stay in the game instead of saying, Let’s go attack them and see what we can do,” Gore said. “It ain’t about them, it’s about us — that’s the attitude you have to have. Coach Harbaugh? That’s how he and his coaches are. Look at his swag. I love it.”

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(sfgate.com)

The 49ers proved they could win without running back Frank Gore in their 27-20 win over the Giants, but it doesn't appear they'll have to make the point again when they host the Cardinals on Sunday.

Coach Jim Harbaugh said he expects Gore to be able to play this week after he didn't finish the win over New York because of a knee injury. Gore had six carries for zero yards and took part in just one play in the second half.

In Gore's absence, rookie Kendall Hunter (six carries, 40 yards) had a 17-yard touchdown run, and Anthony Dixon had 10 yards on two carries. Dixon had four carries for 10 yards in the season's first eight games.

"I would plan on (Gore) playing, but you just feel like right now that we've got a stable of backs," Harbaugh said. "We've got Frank Gore. We've got Kendall Hunter. We've got fresh legs in Anthony Dixon. This bodes really well for our football team."

Given Gore's health status - and the 49ers' upcoming schedule - it's possible the Niners will use their full complement of backs against Arizona. San Francisco will visit the Ravens on Thanksgiving, four days after playing the Cardinals.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(sfgate.com)

Frank Gore was nearly on the ground when Jason Pierre-Paul, the New York Giants' 278-pound defensive end, rocked the San Francisco 49ers' running back with a clean, tough hit.

It was the sort of hit that is tough to anticipate, increasing vulnerability to injury. Gore got up, quickly located his backup on the sideline and signaled for Kendall Hunter to replace him.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says Gore's knee injury does not appear to be serious. Barrows: "Gore was seen moving around Monday without a limp, and Jim Harbaugh said he thought the running back would be able to play Sunday against the Cardinals. Gore entered Sunday's game against the Giants with a sprained left ankle, then appeared to injure his right knee after a hard tackle by defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul in the second quarter." Noted: Do the 49ers absolutely need Gore to win at home against the Cardinals? They might. No victories are gimmes. Still, if the 49ers can get away with significantly scaling back Gore's work or holding him out of the game entirely, that could serve them well for the remainder of the season. Gore lasted 11 games in 2010 before suffering a season-ending injury.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com says Gore told him he felt fine.

Also from Maiocco: Harbaugh says multiple 49ers assistants project as head coaching candidates. Noted: Harbaugh is making a concerted effort to promote selflessness among the 49ers. He regularly gives all credit to players. Players regularly deflect praise. Winning makes everyone happy.

Scott Kacsmar of Cold, Hard Football Facts breaks down the 49ers' victory over the Giants. Thanks for passing along, Scott.

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News says Alex Smith played Sunday with confidence he had not shown previously.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle quotes Harbaugh as saying there was nothing lucky about the play Justin Smith made to preserve the victory Sunday.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(espn.com)

The 49ers didn’t get a lot out of Frank Gore in their win over the Giants on Sunday, but they expect their top running back to play against Arizona.

Gore carried the ball six times for zero yards in the first half and then spent most of the second half on the sideline after injuring his right knee. Gore has also been battling an ankle injury for a few weeks, which meant Kendall Hunter and Anthony Dixon carried the load while he was out of the game. Hunter had a 17-yard touchdown run, but the Niners mostly relied on Alex Smith’s arm to beat the Giants.

Coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday that he plans on playing Gore in Week 11, but also hinted that there is an MRI in the running back’s future to rule out any serious damage to the knee.

“He’ll get it checked on, yeah,” Harbaugh said, via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. “Spare no expense checking on Frank.”

While the 49ers would obviously like a full strength Gore in the backfield, Sunday’s win proved to them that they can succeed offensively when they don’t get a big game from the tailback. Gore’s five-game streak of 100-plus rushing yards came to an end, but San Francisco extended their winning streak to seven games anyway.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(profootballtalk.com)

On a conference call with the Bay Area media Wednesday, Giants quarterback Eli Manning said he wasn’t sure why Niners running back Frank Gore ultimately decided to sign with Miami instead of joining Manning at Ole Miss in 2001.

“Y’all can ask him that,” Manning said.

Today, following Manning’s suggestion, we did ask Gore about why he stayed in his home state for college. He explained that his late mother was in declining health and Miami coaches offered a persuasive sales pitch.

“They were like: ‘You want to be the best? Then come play with the best. I know you’re not scared of competing. Come to Miami,’” Gore said.
Gore also discussed his status for Sunday’s game and sounded like a running back who will be ready to go. He said his left ankle felt much better than it did in the days leading up to the 24-23 win against the Eagles in Week 4. Gore, a game-time decision, rushed for 127 carries on 15 carries and scored the game-winning touchdown against Philadelphia.

Here’s the Q&A with Gore:

Q: You thought about playing at Ole Miss?
FG: I was looking at wanting to play early. I thought going to Ole Miss I had a chance to start. But, you know, I had my mom situation. And (Miami) coach C.J. (Curtis Johnson), the receiver coach from New Orleans, and coach Kiel (?), they really recruited me good.
They were like: “You want to be the best? Then come play with the best. I know you’re not scared of competing. Come to Miami.”

Q: You wound up getting a lot of carries as a true freshman. And then the following spring you beat out McGahee for the starting job, right?
FG: Yeah, I was going to be named the starter. And I was a freshman All-American. I was just young, coming out of high school, wanting to play. You look at that Miami roster and they had Najeh Davenport, McGahee, Clinton Portis.
If I go to Ole Miss, Deuce (McCallister), he was leaving. And there wasn’t anybody there. He was leaving.

Q: When was that trip?
FG: I forgot. It was my senior year, though.

Q: During football season?
FG: I don’t remember.

Q: Did you see a game?
FG: Nah. But Eli was like, ‘Yeah, man, we’re going to be like Peyton and Edgerrin James if you come here.’ It was cool. It was cool.

Q: Had he been the QB at that point?
FG: Yeah, he was the quarterback.

Q: But had he been THE quarterback?
FG: Yeah.

Q: Thoughts on Giants run defense?
FG: They play well as a group. You look at statistics and they say they don’t play well against the run, but when you watch film … in the Buffalo game, he had an 80-yard run and finished up with like 110, 120 (yards). So they’ve got to be doing something good, give up an 80-yard run, but only give up 120. It’s just that they broke down on that one play. But they play well as a group.

Q: Is their defensive line they similar to the Lions in how they rotate so much?
FG: As a group, they’re probably more athletic. They’ve got some big guys, (Justin) Tuck. They play well together.

Q: How do feel physically?
FG: I feel good. I’ll practice today, and practice Friday, and get ready for Sunday.

Q: Do you feel a lot better than (before the Eagles game)?
FG: Yeah. Yeah.

Q: If you guys secure a playoff spot early, would you be OK playing less and less in December as the playoffs approach?
FG: It’s up to coach. Whatever he feels is best for our team, for us. (That’s) what we would do. I don’t have any say-so, should I play less, or whatever. Whatever coach Harbaugh wants to do, that’s what we’re going to do.

Q: Is there a fine line? You want to be sharp for the playoffs and you would need a certain number of carries to stay sharp?
FG: Like I said, whatever coach wants us to do, that’s what I’m going to do.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(sfgate.com)

During the 49ers' long stretch of futility, Frank Gore often was reluctant to share the load. He wanted to do anything he could to stave off the mounting losses -- even if that meant withstanding his own mounting injuries.

Now that the 49ers have a commanding lead in the NFC West, Gore sounds a lot more open to the idea of backing off. Looking ahead, the 49ers (7-1) might be able to clinch the division title early enough to let their leading rusher freshen up for the first playoff game of his seven-year career.
"It's up to Coach. Whatever he feels is best for our team, for us. (That's) what we would do," Gore said Thursday. "I don't have any say-so about whether I should play less, or whatever."

Gore said his latest injury, to his left ankle, will not prevent him from taking the Candlestick Park field Sunday against the New York Giants. He said he "feels good" and vowed to practice all week.

Gore has five consecutive 100-yard games. He needs 149 yards to surpass Joe "The Jet" Perry (7,344 yards) for the 49ers' all-time franchise record.

The Giants rank only 25th in the NFL against the run (allowing 127.1 yards per game), but Gore said the stat is deceiving. He pointed to a game in which Buffalo's Fred Jackson racked up 121 rushing yards -- but 80 came on one touchdown run.

"They broke down on that one play. But they play well as a group," Gore said. "As a group, they're athletic. They've got some big guys in there, like (Justin) Tuck."

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(mercurynews.com)

An ankle injury suffered by running back Frank Gore was severe enough to warrant X-rays. However, neither Gore nor 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh on Monday seemed very concerned.

Gore emerged from a 19-11 victory over the Washington Redskins on Sunday with a bothersome ankle, though it wasn't enough to slow him in his march toward a fifth straight 100-yard game rushing.

"I'll be all right," said Gore, who rushed for 107 yards and is third in the league at 782. "I'm cool. Just checking up some things on my body. Yeah, I'll be all right."

Harbaugh said he isn't surprised that several of his players came away from the Redskins game banged up.

"That was a tough, physical game for everybody on our football team," Harbaugh said. "We knew it was going to be that way going in, and it played out that way."

Gore appeared far more comfortable discussing the prospect of playing for a playoff-bound team than his health. He is one of numerous players on the 49ers' 53-man roster who have yet to experience a winning season, let alone a trip to the NFC playoffs.

The 49ers hold a commanding five-game lead in the NFC West at the midpoint of the season. It's conceivable that they could clinch the division title well before December.

"That would be a big thing," defensive lineman Ricky Jean Francois said. "Our goal, we're trying not to let another team have to help us get to the playoffs. ... We're trying to secure a playoff spot now, so we don't have to worry about that later in the season."

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(mercurynews.com)

The 49ers are closing in on the NFC West title, with Frank Gore leading the way.

Gore topped 100 rushing yards for the fifth consecutive game — something no one had ever done in 49ers history — and San Francisco cruised past the Redskins, 19-11 in Washington.

The 49ers improved to 7-1 with the victory, and with the Seahawks losing to the Cowboys and dropping to 2-6, the 49ers already have a whopping five-game lead in the NFC West. They should wrap up the division title by the end of the month.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(profootballtalk.com)

After his fifth straight 100-yard game, a 49ers franchise record, running back Frank Gore donned a dark green military-style jacket, green cargo pants, and designer jewel- encrusted dog tags.

"I told myself I'm going to wear this, because I felt I was going to come out hunting on Sunday," Gore said. "It's my hunting outfit."

Gore had 107 yards on 19 carries in San Francisco's 19-11 win over the collapsing Redskins.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(philly.com)

Not that Frank Gore's candidacy for MVP needs defending, but just in case: The San Francisco 49ers' running back has gained 28.6 percent of his rushing yards against eight or more defenders in the box.

That's the highest percentage among all players with at least 400 yards rushing this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

I put together the chart below after Lotharun2 asked in the comments section of an earlier item where Philadelphia's LeSean McCoy ranked in yards against these stacked defenses.

McCoy has 17 carries for 72 yards against eight or more defenders in the box. That works out to a healthy 4.2-yard average. But with a dynamic quarterback and playmakers on the perimeter, the Eagles make it tougher for defenses to load up against the run. In my view, that explains why McCoy has gained a relatively low percentage of his runs against eight or more in the box.

The 49ers prefer heavier personnel groupings featuring two tight ends. They have enough speed at tight end to enjoy flexibility from these groupings, but the team has not consistently put an emphasis on downfield strikes.

Tough Sledding: Percent Yardage vs. 8+ Defenders in Box (min. 400 yards total)

Rank	Running Back	7 or fewer	8 or more	Total	Pct. vs. 8 or more
1	Frank Gore	482	193	675	28.6%
2	Adrian Peterson	581	217	798	27.2%
3	Michael Turner	476	145	621	23.3%
4	Maurice Jones-Drew	587	153	740	20.7%
5	Ray Rice	392	97	489	19.8%
6	Ben Tate	420	88	508	17.3%
7	Arian Foster	440	92	532	17.3%
8	Willis McGahee	391	69	460	15.0%
9	Rashard Mendenhall	362	59	421	14.0%
10	Ryan Mathews	437	69	506	13.6%
11	Shonn Greene	370	56	426	13.1%
12	Darren McFadden	534	80	614	13.0%
13	Steven Jackson	393	56	449	12.5%
14	Cedric Benson	409	49	458	10.7%
15	Beanie Wells	455	51	506	10.1%
16	LeSean McCoy	682	72	754	9.5%
17	Ahmad Bradshaw	405	35	440	8.0%
18	Matt Forte	658	14	672	2.1%
19	Fred Jackson	707	14	721	1.9%

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.

Frank Gore, who comes to FedEx Field this weekend with the 49ers, had himself quite an October. He played in four games and rushed for 127 (vs. the Eagles), 125 (Bucs), 141 (Lions) and 134 (Seahawks) yards.

This is no small feat. Only a dozen NFL backs in the last 50-odd years have had a streak of four games or longer in which they rushed for 125-plus yards. And only Clinton Portis, a running mate of Gore’s at the University of Miami, has done it twice – once with Mike Shanahan’s Broncos, the other time with Jim Zorn’s Redskins.

Maybe you’d be more impressed if I listed some of the backs who haven’t done it: Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, Curtis Martin, Jerome Bettis, LaDainian Tomlinson, Tony Dorsett, Marshall Faulk, Edgerrin James, Franco Harris, Thurman Thomas, Fred Taylor, John Riggins, Corey Dillon, Warrick Dunn and Ricky Watters. (In other words, 15 of the top 20 rushers of all time.) Jamal Lewis never did it, either, not even in his 2,000-yard season with the Ravens. Tiki Barber? Eddie George? Shaun Alexander? Nope.

OK, without further ado, here is the company Gore keeps. By the way, the record for consecutive 125-yard rushing games is six, shared by three players (just in case Frank wants to keep his streak going Sunday):

● Earl Campbell, Houston Oilers, 1980 (6 straight, Games 6-11) – 178, 203, 202, 157, 130, 206.
● Eric Dickerson, Rams, 1984 (6 straight, Games 10-15) – 208, 149, 132, 191, 149, 215.
● Chris Johnson, Titans, 2009 (6 straight, Games 6-11) – 128, 228, 135, 132, 151, 154.
● Jim Brown, Browns, 1958 (5 straight, Games 1-5) – 171, 129, 182, 153, 180.
● O.J. Simpson, Bills, 1975 (5 straight, Games 1-5) – 173, 227, 138, 159, 126.
● Barry Sanders, Lions, 1997 (5 straight, Games 12-16) – 216, 167, 137, 138, 184.
● Clinton Portis, Broncos, 2003-04 (5 straight, Games 11-14, 1) – 165, 170, 218, 139, 148.
● Larry Johnson, Chiefs, 2005 (5 straight, Games 12-16) – 140, 143, 167, 131, 201.
● Otis Armstrong, Broncos, 1974 (4 straight, Games 11-14) – 146, 144, 183, 142.
● Marcus Allen, Raiders, 1985 (4 straight, Games 11-14) – 135, 173, 156, 135.
● Terrell Davis, Broncos, 1998 (4 straight, Games 5-8) – 168, 208, 136, 149.
● Clinton Portis, Redskins, 2008 (4 straight, Games 5-8) – 145, 129, 175, 126.
● Frank Gore, 49ers, 2011 (4 straight, Games 4-7) – 127, 125, 141, 134.

(FYI: Shanahan is the only coach to have two backs on the list – Portis and Davis.)

Click here to order Frank Gore’s or Clinton Portis’ proCane Rookie Card.


(washingtontimes.com)

San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore has been nominated for the FedEx Ground Player of the Week award. To vote for Gore, visit this link. He goes up against Steven Jackson of the St. Louis Rams and LeSean McCoy of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Gore had 31 carries for 134 yards and a touchdown in the 49ers' 20-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Gore has rushed for 125 yards in four straight games and has scored a touchdown in each of those games. Both are career firsts for Gore.

On Sunday, Gore passed Roger Craig for second in rushing on the all-time franchise ranks. Gore has grown close to Craig in the past couple years. 

"He (Craig) called me last night," Gore said on Monday. "He's happy for me. Me and Roger have gotten really close the last two years. When I got injured, he called me a lot during the offseason, telling me what I had to do and that I'd be fine.

"It's big. Especially with a guy who did great things in this league and this organization, I respect him a whole lot."

Gore won the award two weeks ago for his performance against the Lions. He had 141 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(examiner.com)

Like any elite running back, Frank Gore is happy to carry the load.

Since being drafted in 2005, Gore has been the 49ers workhorse, taking more than 1,500 handoffs and rushing for 7,089 yards.

On Sunday, in a 20-10 victory over the Bengals, he ran past Roger Craig into second place on the franchise’s all-time rushing yardage list, grinding out yards in typical Gore fashion, carrying 31 times for 134 yards and a TD.

It marked the fourth straight game Gore has rushed for more than 125 yards in a game, and the 49ers have ridden his slashing, cutting style to a 6-1 record and a big lead in the NFC West.

Though Gore is happy to get his carries and his yards, it’s nothing new. In years past, he’s had great seasons and been to the Pro Bowl. But this year is different.

For the first time, Gore has a chance to be on a winning team and go to the playoffs.

“I just want to keep it going,” he told reporters after Sunday’s win.

According to ESPN, Gore joins Larry Johnson, O.J. Simpson and Terrell Davis as the only running backs since 1970 to have at least 125 yards rushing and a rushing TD in four consecutive games. Johnson and Simpson are the only backs to do it in five consecutive games, which Gore could tie with another big effort this coming Sunday in Washington against the Redskins.

Meanwhile, the 49ers already have matched their six victories of 2010, and have matched the best record for an NFL team (through seven games) that had lost 10 games the previous season.

Gore, of course, has been at the heart of the 49ers turnaround under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff. The 49ers’ formula has been great special teams, a strong run defense and run offense and few turnovers.

In Sunday’s victory over Cleveland, even Browns defenders were talking about how good Gore is, and how effective he is in using his blockers.

“He’s just so patient,” linebacker D’Qwell Jackson told columnist Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News. “He has those big offensive linemen in front of him, and he understands what the offense is trying to get done when they run the ball. And he waits to make his move. Like I say, he’s just so patient.”

Added 49ers fullback Bruce Miller: “He almost makes the block for you. You just get in front of someone, and he makes the cut. He’s such a savvy football player.”

On a day when he acknowledged how happy he was to have a great game and to pass Craig – whom he admires so much – Gore was even more ecstatic to be part of a winning team.

“I’m so happy man,” Gore told the Sacramento Bee’s Ailene Voisin. “We’re 6-1. We’re winning. I’m just having fun. (Before) I was young, man. I was thinking about Pro Bowls and all other crazy stuff. Now I’m not thinking about yards, just enjoying the ride.”

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(nbcbayarea.com)

SAN FRANCISCO – Frank Gore is too tough on himself. His work ethic is twice the size (at least) of his ego. He never complains about having a bad day. His career has been disrupted by injuries, the Alex Smith circus and the 49ers' coaching carousel, but other than the occasional request for a few more carries, this is usually the guy who is just glad to have a job.

Sunday was different, though. Sunday was more than the average NFL work shift. After the 49ers completed their methodical victory over the visiting Cleveland Browns, Gore was so delighted, he practically begged to be pinched. He also opened up a little bit about his least favorite topic: himself.

"I'm so happy, man," said a smiling Gore, shaking his head. "We're 6-1. We're winning. I'm just having fun. (Before,) I was young, man. I was thinking about the Pro Bowls and all other crazy stuff. I was selfish. Now, I'm not thinking about yards, just enjoying the ride."

That's not exactly all he is doing, of course.

Against a stingy Browns defense, he carried the ball 31 times for 134 yards (4.3 average), scored a touchdown, scored what appeared to be a second touchdown and moved past Roger Craig into second place among the 49ers' all-time rushing leaders.

Gore has contributed at least 125 yards and a touchdown against four consecutive opponents, exploiting the Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Detroit Lions and Browns.

Additionally – and perhaps most impressively – he has been emblematic of these surprising 49ers – stubborn, resilient, occasionally spectacular.
And this is not a huge man. At 5-foot-9 and 217 pounds, with much of his thickness in his upper body, he relies on a combination of speed and power, little wasted motion and, increasingly, the improved blocking of teammates.

In one of the most impressive possessions of the afternoon – the seven-yard touchdown that was called back early in the second quarter when officials thought Gore's knee hit the ground outside the end zone – the 323-pound Anthony Davis appeared to clear out three Browns, creating a gaping hole over the left side.

"The linemen love (Gore)," said Alex Smith. "Great vision as a back. But, you look at yards after contact, he's such a great runner."

That hasn't changed, though Gore swears he has become a different player in some respects, particularly in his approach to conditioning. Because of his history of ankle and groin injuries, and a hip fracture that ended his 2010 season a month early, he has spent innumerable hours consulting 49ers trainers and coaches. Running backs coach Tom Rathman has been particularly influential, Gore said, urging him to incorporate cardio exercises into his morning routine.

As much as anything, he had to incorporate a who-gives-a-hoot attitude toward his early-season skeptics.

And there were plenty. The 49ers' signing of Gore to a three-year extension, coupled with his perplexing and sluggish three-game start, was debated almost as heatedly as his quarterback's prospects under new head coach Jim Harbaugh.

But when you win? No one remembers. Contracts remain expensive, but talk becomes cheap. Negative water cooler chatter simply evaporates. Gore isn't the type to hold grudges, either.

"That was big," he acknowledged of his individual effort. "The Cleveland Browns had a very disciplined defense. They don't make mistakes. But they did a great job up front.

"Our coordinator did a great job. We just got rolling. Offense can't be one man. And my man Alex (Smith) is making plays."

Of course, then he turned the conversation back to the 49ers and that 6-1 record. There will be no need to wear a mask this year on Halloween.
Asked if he remembers what it feels like to feel this good with November approaching, he just grinned.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(sacbee.com)

Frank Gore moved into second place on the 49ers' all-time rushing list Sunday, surpassing Roger Craig on a 2-yard run in the third quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Candlestick Park.

Gore came out of the game to get his right ankle taped after the play. He had 19 carries for 103 yards in the first half as the 49ers took a 17-3 lead into halftime.

The seventh-year running back out of Miami entered was looking to eclipse the 100-yard mark for a fourth straight game, something he'd never done in his career.

Gore entered Sunday's game with 6,955 yards rushing, 109 shy of Craig's total. The late Joe Perry owns the 49ers record with 7,344 yards.

Gore moved into a tie with Craig with a 6-yard run on the 49ers' first series after halftime. He took sole possession of the No. 2 spot on the following series, gaining two yards on a run to the left side.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(mercurynews.com)

Running back Frank Gore needs 110 yards to pass Roger Craig and move into second place on the 49ers’ all-time rushing list.

Funny, it sounds as if Craig is more excited about the upcoming milestone than Gore.

Craig, who at the 49ers’ facility today in advance of his induction into the team’s Hall of Fame in November, said Gore wasn’t aware that he was one big game removed from moving into second place.

Gore and Craig, who have forged a close friendship over the years, spoke today while Gore was receiving treatment in the training room.

“It just shows how mentally he’s just involved in winning and doing his job every day,” Craig said. “He wasn’t aware that he was that close. He wasn’t even aware that he was Fed Ex (Ground) Player of the Week (last week). I texted him and said congratulations on being the Fed Ex Player of the Week. He said ‘When did that happen?’ That shows how focused he is and I like that.”

Craig (7,064 yards) will attend Sunday’s game against the Browns, hoping to see Gore (6,955) surpass him at Candlestick.

“I hope he gets there,” Craig said. “Because if he gets 110 yards, that means we’re winning. When Frank gets over 100, we win. And I’d love to be there to see him do it in person.”

Gore is 390 yards away from surpassing Joe Perry and becoming the franchise’s all-time leading rusher.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(sfgate.com)

Three weeks ago, the 49ers had the league’s 30th-ranked rushing offense at 69.7 yards per game. Today, the 49ers are all the way up to No. 5, courtesy of Frank Gore surpassing the 100-yard rushing mark in three consecutive games.  Gore had a season-high 141-yard rushing effort in Sunday’s 25-19 win over Detroit.

For Sunday’s output, Gore has been nominated for the FedEx Ground NFL Players of the Week award. He also was nominated last week, and quarterback Alex Smith was dominated the week prior. Voting is done by fans through noon on Friday at NFL.com/FedEx.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(mercurynews.com)

When he started coaching Frank Gore two years ago, Tom Rathman quickly learned a new piece of football strategy: Switch the cell phone to vibrate before bedtime on Sunday nights, because the call could come at any hour.

Usually, the phone would go off between 1 and 2 a.m., and Rathman wanted a shot at keeping everyone else in the house asleep. He'd answer, stumbling sleepily to take the call. The 49ers' star running back would be on the line, obsessing over the game and eager for a critique of certain plays.

" 'Did I read that one right?' " Rathman said, impersonating a wired Gore before he mimicked his own drowsy voice. "Yeah, you read it right, Frank. Go to sleep."

One might think that dozing off would be easier for Gore now that the 49ers are 4-1 and becoming more offensively proficient than they've been at any previous time in his seven-year NFL career. But he says he can't sleep after any game, win or lose.

"Some things you can't get out of your head," he said. "You know what I mean?"

A lot of football players obsess into the night after games. Very few make the kinds of compulsive demands on their bosses that Gore does. None, at least in this region, has ever turned a string of coaches into sentimental mush, smiling like doting parents whenever they discuss him in public. It's the one style point that Mike Nolan, Mike Singletary and Jim Harbaugh - the three head coaches in Gore's 49ers career - have shared.
He has a similar effect on the matriarch of the franchise. Denise DeBartolo York deliberately stays in the background of the 49ers, allowing her husband and son to run the team. But she becomes fairly visible when she visits Gore outside the locker room after a game. She has been known to greet him with hugs and kisses, exclaiming: "There's my guy."

In a typical offseason, Gore said, he can expect her to check in by phone, and occasionally he calls the team owner "Ma." Gore can't explain exactly how the two of them bonded, but the connection grew stronger when DeBartolo York attended his mother's funeral in South Florida four years ago.

"I was kind of out of it that day, so I don't remember who all came," he said. "But I remember seeing Denise sitting there in the front row."

In keeping with her low profile, DeBartolo York declined an interview about Gore through the 49ers' public relations office. So we can only assume why she has such a fondness for the 28-year-old running back. The coaches' reasons are easier to discern.

He has long been the 49ers' most productive skill-position player on offense, and with a combined 252 yards rushing the last two weeks, he erased any concerns about whether he can still deliver with a body that has endured multiple severe injuries, including a fractured right hip that ended the 2010 season for him.

The rushing numbers alone would warm any coach's heart, but Gore's football IQ and the completeness of his game - especially his pass-protection skills - explain his special charm.

"A lot of guys struggle with retention of what you're coaching," Rathman said. "It takes them a period of time to learn it, maybe six months, maybe two months, maybe a month, maybe a week. Frank, you can tell him something one time, and it doesn't come up till Week 11, and it had not been addressed or emphasized from Week 1 to 11, and he'll know exactly what it is."

He soaks up every bit of information he can get, Rathman said, meeting with coaches at times that other players wouldn't consider. The preparation helps him read defenses better and faster, understanding an opponent's body language. He has always been attuned to defenders' eye movement and what that suggests about an upcoming play.

Tight end Delanie Walker said Gore had been counseling him on how to read defenders for a while. "Now I'm starting to see it," he said. "A couple of years ago, I didn't really see it the way he does."

Defensive lineman Ricky Jean Francois works out with Gore in the Miami area during the offseason. This year, he said, their training took on special purpose because Gore had to prove he could return from the hip injury and because the lockout put so much else in doubt. They trained at a community center with several other NFL players, and Gore insisted that they behave as if they were in game-day mode, not revealing a single weakness, Francois said.

"He was trying to show we were going to outwork everybody that was there," he said. "Frank was like, 'Don't you bend over and grab your knees; don't you quit. We're going to show them what's the difference between a 49er and the rest of the league.' "

All in all, he sounds like a 1950s coach.

"Actually, he's the exact image of coach Harbaugh," Francois said. "He's all ball."

Though the 49ers have moved on with a new administration, Gore stays in touch with many of the former coaches, from Nolan, who now works in Miami, to Jimmy Raye, the deposed offensive coordinator from the Singletary era and a recipient of some of those late-night calls.

Rathman thinks he has found a way to eliminate the post-midnight chats. On game days, he and Gore now talk shortly after they get home. Then Rathman goes over the film, grading him before they talk again.

"I've got him down to 9:30 or 10 o'clock," Rathman said, sounding a little overconfident. Containing Frank Gore just isn't that easy. He'd better keep that phone on vibrate.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(blogs.sfagte.com)

The best running backs are patient when they need to be, waiting for openings to develop before running into the clear.

Frank Gore waited three weeks for his opening with the San Francisco 49ers this season. He's rushed for 252 yards over his past two games, a leading reason the 49ers have improved to 4-1 with victories over Philadelphia and Tampa Bay. The recent surge has landed Gore in the No. 10 spot on the weekly MVP Watch.

"He had his burst back," 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said after Gore gashed the Bucs for 125 yards on 20 carries. "He looked like Frank. He’s having fun out there. That’s the thing I see in Frank most of all right now, is that he’s enjoying football."

Gore did it all against the Eagles as well. He broke a 40-yard run on his first carry. He added a 25-yarder during the drive to his winning 12-yard scoring run. And when the 49ers needed to run out the clock on their final possession, Gore carried five times in a row, getting at least 4 yards every time, as the Eagles burned through their timeouts.

For the season, Gore's 400 yards and three touchdowns put him on pace for 1,280 and 10, respectively. But if the last two games provide a more meaningful representation of Gore's projected production, the two-time Pro Bowl choice would be on his way to nearly 1,800 yards and 14 touchdowns.

The first three games of the season were rough on Gore. His offensive line was struggling and Gore didn't look quite right. An ankle injury suffered against Cincinnati raised questions about his ability to produce. Gore has answered those questions resoundingly. He was the choice to represent the 49ers on this list, even though teammate Alex Smith is on pace for 22 TDs and three INTs. Another game or two from Smith like the one he played Sunday might change the equation.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(espn.com)

The whispers began to grow, week by week, as Frank Gore struggled with a slow start this season.

He had lost a step. There was too much wear on his running-back tires. The 49ers never should have given him that big contract extension in August.

But the 49ers' star delivered a resounding message Sunday as he cranked out his second consecutive 100-yard game in a 48-3 rout of Tampa Bay at Candlestick Park: He's nowhere close to being done yet.

"Nah, I never heard any of that stuff," said Gore, who rushed for 125 yards on 20 carries with one touchdown. "Those were some tough games, no doubt. But defenses were gearing up to stop the run. But now my man Alex Smith is playing well, and they can't do that."

And Gore is running wild again.

"He has his burst back," coach Jim Harbaugh said. "He looked like Frank. He's having fun out there. That's the thing I see in Frank -- that he's enjoying football."

Gore clearly is benefiting from the 49ers' improved offensive balance as he and Smith, the 49ers' much-maligned quarterback, are forming a nice synergy under Harbaugh's direction.

Smith was coolly efficient against Tampa Bay, throwing for 170 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. That, in turn, helped create running space for Gore -- and vice versa.

It's completely different from what Gore said he saw as he studied game film from the first three weeks of the season.

"I could see what defenses were doing," said Gore, who also caught two passes for 18 yards Sunday. "They were out to stop me. You can't do anything with eight, nine men in the box. But everything has changed."

Those early games, though, stoked mounting concerns that perhaps everything was beginning to change for Gore. After all, he had spent his entire 49ers career finding a way to gain yardage despite a feeble passing attack.

But the third-leading rusher in franchise history had run for only 148 yards on 59 carries after three games. He also was hobbling because of an ankle injury suffered against Cincinnati on Sept. 25.

That just added to the already existing questions about the wisdom of awarding Gore -- who at 28 has reached an age when most NFL running backs are slowing down -- a three-year, $21 million contract extension. (In that deal, $13.5 million is guaranteed by the 49ers.)

If Gore was hurting, maybe it was even time to work rookie Kendall Hunter more into the offense.

Uh, not so fast.

Gore ran for 127 yards in the come-from-behind victory over Philadelphia on Oct. 2, scoring the game-winning touchdown on a 12-yard run with three minutes remaining.

And he looked like vintage Gore on Sunday against the Buccaneers. His 2-yard touchdown dive midway through the second quarter capped a short drive that gave the 49ers a 21-3 lead as the game quickly progressed into a blowout.

"It's amazing how he hits the holes," tackle Joe Staley said. "There were a couple of times where I thought he was stopped and got nothing. But then he managed to break them for 8 or 10 yards."

Gore was positively giddy after posting his 26th career 100-yard rushing game. He said his ankle no longer was giving him any problems. Each time he was asked a question about his personal performance, he tried to redirect it into praise of the entire offensive unit.

But he did acknowledge that the 49ers' 4-1 start is sweet redemption for both him and Smith after enduring so many losing seasons.

"I'm just happy, man," Gore said. "We came into the league together, and we've been through some rough times. But we believed. Now we're getting the opportunity to let everyone know that we know how to play ball."

Actually, Gore has been showing that from the moment he put on a 49ers jersey. Sunday was just another reminder.

"I've still got room to grow," he added. "And I will get there."

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(mercurynews.com)

Frank Gore practiced in an extremely limited fashion last week because of a right ankle injury, one he says feel better this week. “It’s alright. I’ll be good,” Gore said in anticipation of Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay.

As for how his 127-yard rushing effort looked upon film review, Gore responded: “The offensive line did a great job and the receivers did a great job down field. I do what I always do: run the ball.”

Coach Jim Harbaugh praised Gore’s ability to mentally prepare himself during the week and run plays in the game he didn’t even practice. Said Gore: “I feel that’s being a pro — when you’re not in, watch the play and see how it develops. It opened and I had a big run.”


(mercurynews.com)

PHILADELPHIA -- Frank Gore said he was "cool" with 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh's decision to start rookie Kendall Hunter at running back. In the end, it was Gore who finished off Sunday's 24-23 comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Gore overcame a right-ankle injury and ran for a season-high 127 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown run with three minutes left that was followed by David Akers' go-ahead, point-after kick.

"I just got in a zone," Gore said. "I told myself, 'I'm out here, let's go play.' The offensive line did a great job, and I just run the ball like I do."
Gore entered the game on the 49ers' third snap and delivered a 40-yard dash down the middle of the field. However, "I still wasn't sure I'd finish the game out," Gore said.

Once the 49ers recovered an Eagles fumble with 2:06 remaining, Gore helped run out the clock on five consecutive plays before Alex Smith took a knee on the final snap. Gore was extremely limited in practice last week because of his ankle.

"Being a captain of the team, the guys saw me all week standing around. I couldn't practice, couldn't be me," Gore said. "I was frustrated. Coach Harbaugh told me to keep my chin up, that everybody's watching me."


(sunherald.com)

49ers coach Jim Harbaugh was less committal Wednesday when asked about Frank Gore's (ankle) Week 4 status.

Two days after declaring Gore "good to go," Harbaugh only said, "We'll see." Kendall Hunter remains a prime pickup in fantasy leagues. The 49ers are prepping to face the Eagles, who are yielding a whopping 4.93 yards per rush attempt.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(rotoworld.com)

Frank Gore, 49ers running back: Gore is averaging 2.5 yards per carry through three games. He lost a fumble and had a pass bounce off his helmet during critical points of the 49ers' victory over Cincinnati. Gore's rookie replacement hasn't fared any better from a yards-per-carry standpoint, a reflection of shaky blocking. The 49ers haven't fielded offensive lines packed with Pro Bowl players in seasons past, yet Gore managed to get his yardage then. An ankle injury might have slowed Gore some against the Bengals.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(espn.com)

SAN FRANCISCO -- 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh expects running back Frank Gore to play this week at Philadelphia despite a sprained right ankle that limited him in Sunday's win at Cincinnati.

Harbaugh, whose 2-1 Niners lead the NFC West, is game-planning this week as if Gore will start against the Eagles. San Francisco is practicing in Youngstown, Ohio, to avoid a return trip to the West Coast before facing Philadelphia.

"Frank's status, in my mind right now, Frank is good to go," Harbaugh said in a conference call. "We'll plan, we'll scheme and prepare for this game with Frank, along with the rest of the players on this team."

Harbaugh said Gore was walking without a boot Monday and also referred to rookie Kendall Hunter as "the backup tailback" -- leaving little question that Gore remains the guy, for now at least. Hunter ran 7 yards for the game's only touchdown with 3:59 left Sunday.

Gore received a new $21 million, three-year contract late last month.

While Harbaugh isn't ready to shake up a running game that ranks 29th in the NFL through the season's first three weeks, he might be headed for a change on the struggling offensive line.

Quarterback Alex Smith has been sacked 11 times over the past two games and sustained a concussion in a 27-24 Week 2 overtime loss to the Cowboys. Harbaugh said he is considering a change at right guard in place of Chilo Rachal before Sunday's game with the Eagles. Adam Snyder finished the game at right guard.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(espn.com)

Running back Frank Gore suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter Sunday and was mostly on the bench for the 49ers' decisive touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.

"I kind of tweaked it and I couldn't go the way I wanted to," Gore said. "Yeah, I couldn't be myself. Some of the runs, I couldn't make the cut I wanted to make. Hopefully, I get better this week."

Gore said he’d have to see how the ankle felt on Monday before determining whether he’d be available to play Sunday in Philadelphia.

Gore continued to play after the injury. However, following a Gore fumble early in the fourth quarter, rookie Kendall Hunter entered the game. His first carry was for eight yards and he later scored a touchdown on a 7-yard scamper off the left side.

Hunter seems to have more explosion than Gore, who once again was bottled up and averaged 2.5 yards. However, Hunter also had a hard time getting out of the backfield. He rushed nine times for 26 yards and had a 2.9 yards-per-carry average.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(sportingnews.com)

Comrade Bach tells us from the far-flung outpost in Santa Clara that Frank Gore, the 49ers running back, endorsed the idea of faking an injury to slow down or change the pace of a game.

“Whatever it takes to win,” was the way he put it.

And there is why the sports’ various rulebooks are thicker than a whale omelet.

Every now and then someone complains that the rules are too complicated, especially in football, where 22 mesomorphs seek each other out at high speed in hopes of making new human shapes. They like the simpler game where the ground doesn’t cause a fumble, where a quarterback can be hit and not just engaged, where pass interference has the same rules in a bar fight that it does on Sunday afternoon.

And football was exactly that once. The NFL rulebook was once a hand towel. But competition attracts people who like to compete the hell out of something. And if there was only one rule in football – say, not shooting someone – there would be 31 head coaches and one general manager trying to figure how to smuggle concealed pistols on players.

Sport is about cheating, whether you like it or not, and all the things you teach your children about fair play and sportsmanship are put in abeyance (a fancy word meaning “ignored completely&rdquo when people get paid.

And every time someone figures out a way to bend an existing rule, a new one is introduced, to be circumvented and then repaired in an endless dance that leaves everyone properly cynicized about what is and what is not football any longer.

I mean, faking an injury is pretty greasy stuff in a sport whose proponents blather on endlessly about character and will and drive and an ongoing list of moral absolutes. But Gore speaks not only for himself, but for every player, coach, general manager, owner and cheerleader in the league.

“Whatever it takes to win, and if you get hit in the nethers in a pile-up, it’s your fault for not building up your nethers to withstand a human fist.”

In short, we are sending Comrade Bach out again tomorrow to see how many players believe carrying a gun into a game just in case is a good idea, and we are here to tell you that 91 percent will answer with some variation of “Lock and load.”

And the other nine percent will say, “I don’t know. What did Coach say?”

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(csnbayarea.com)

(09-19) 20:45 PDT -- Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett sought out 49ers running back Frank Gore after Sunday's game.

Garrett told Gore that he must have mentioned his name 80 times during the week of preparation for the game. He also told Gore that he admired how he ran against his team.

Yes, Gore gained only 47 yards on 20 carries in Sunday's 27-24 overtime loss, but the low yardage total is understandable considering Dallas used eight-man fronts and made a fundamental change in its approach: Instead of playing a standard 3-4 defense, the Cowboys stationed their rush linebackers right on the line of scrimmage on either side, essentially giving them five men on the defensive line.

The 49ers came out throwing, hoping to get Dallas to de-emphasize its run defense. The Cowboys did not, and their focus was all the sharper after wide receiver Braylon Edwards left with a knee injury.

"I've been in this predicament," Gore said Monday. "They know who I am out there. I know they are going to game-plan me. I know it's going to be tough."

Gore admits to being frustrated. He wants to live up to his recent three-year contract extension, which guaranteed him $13.5 million. He wants to improve his other numbers, such as his yards per carry, which stand at 2.5 for the season. Thirty-two of his 42 carries have resulted in 3 yards or less.

As Garrett noted, Gore ran with determination against Dallas. He finished most of his runs falling forward, and he flattened two linebackers, planting Keith Brooking and Bradie James on their backs.

But neither Gore nor the 49ers benefited from his efforts, and the offense often went in reverse.

"We have negative plays," 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh said. "Those plays - be it a tackle for a loss, or 1- or 2-yard gains, or sacks - those things we have to get better at and eliminate."

The offensive line is allowing too much penetration and the linemen are often failing to punch through the defensive line to block the linebackers. Against Dallas, the linebackers ran nearly free and were focused on Gore.

Center Jonathan Goodwin might have a partial solution: get 4 yards.

"Just because you've got eight guys in the box doesn't mean you can't find a way to get 4 yards," he said.

Gore and tackle Alex Boone believe that if they keep hammering away, the dam will break.

"You've got to pound, pound, pound, and then they start to give up a little bit, and then you take off with it," Boone said.

Whether it's limiting negative plays, setting the small goal of getting a consistent 4 yards or staying with the ground game until it produces, Harbaugh wants the running game to a be major piece of his team's offensive identity.

"We want to be a running team; we want to be a throwing team," Harbaugh said. "We want to be darn near 50/50, and equally good in both."

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(sfgate.com)

Back in August, before he was averaging 2.5 yards on 42 carries, 49ers running back Frank Gore spoke with great anticipation about playing in a creative West Coast offense that would better utilize the Niners’ talent.

In doing so, he looked back on previous San Francisco attacks that were so predictable (here’s comes Gore up the middle!) opposing defenses called out the 49ers’ plays at the line of scrimmage.

“That was tough,” Gore said, recalling the disastrous one-year reign of offensive coordinator Jim Hostler in 2007.

I recalled those words last week because, well, Gore basically repeated them.

Asked about running against a Seahawks defense that routinely threw eight defenders in the box to stop him, Gore said, “It was tough, man.”

Yes, the new offense is producing eerily similar quotes from Gore – and the opposition – two games into the season.

Said Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware after Dallas stuffed Gore (20 carries, 47 yards) on Sunday: “Frank Gore is their guy. That’s the guy. They have that ground-and-pound offense, really physical. We had to be able to make them one dimensional and stop Frank Gore.”

Sound vaguely familiar?

The results, so far, have actually been worse.

Consider that Gore has gained three yards or fewer on 32 of his 42 carries (76 percent) this season. In addition, he’s averaged less than three yards a carry in consecutive games for just the third time in his career (Nov. 23-30, 2008 and Nov. 29-Dec. 6, 2009).

What’s going on?

The run blocking — and Gore not being what he was circa 2006 — are certainly contributing factors. But the Niners’ inability to de-clog opposing defenses with a stretch-the-field passing game likely tops the list: Alex Smith ranks 30th in the NFL in yards per completion (9.8).

* As noted, 32 of Gore’s 42 carries have gained three yards or less.

Here’s a look at the breakdown:

Negative yardage: 7

No gain: 4
1 yard: 8 (one was a one-yard TD run)
2 yards: 6
3 yards: 7
4 yards: 1
5 yards: 2
6 yards: 1
7 yards: 3
8 yards: 0
9 yards: 1
10 or more: 2

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(sfgate.com)

Running back Frank Gore rued how the 49ers couldn't close out the Dallas Cowboys and suffered a 27-24 overtime loss Sunday.

"Coaches, players, we've just got to finish it," Gore said. "When it comes to getting first downs, we have to get it."

And it was there for the taking, according to Gore: "I give credit to us. We whupped their (butt) up and down the field all game. Key plays, man. And we didn't finish."

Gore managed just 47 yards on 20 carries, including a 1-yard touchdown run that gave the 49ers a 7-0 lead in the second quarter. Gore also struggled to gain yards in the 49ers' season-opening win at Seattle, totaling 22 carries for 59 yards.

Asked if he's concerned the 49ers couldn't run out the final minutes with a 24-21 lead, coach Jim Harbaugh said: "We didn't run the ball down anybody's throat, to use your question, but yeah, we need to get better."

Now in his seventh season, Gore insisted the 49ers deserve a better ending than Sunday's: "We aren't the old 49ers hoping to win. We're going out knowing that we can win. We can't let any more get away like this.”

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(contracostatimes.com)

Was Frank Gore, who had 22 carries for 59 yards Sunday, slower than normal? It's a question I received over and over again during a Tuesday chat. After re-watching the game tape the answer is both, 'No, I don't think so' and, 'It's hard to tell.'

That's because Gore, as has been the case in recent seasons, had a hard time finding running room against a defense that was intent on stopping him. His No. 1 scourge was second-year safety Earl Thomas, whom you'll recall is the safety Pete Carroll chose in the first round last year, disappointing Taylor Mays in the process.

During the lead-up to the Seattle game, both Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman were asked separately about the Seahawks defense. The first name out of both of their mouths was Thomas', and he lived up to their compliments. He finished with eight tackles - fellow safety Kam Chancellor (a one-time Barrows draft crash, I might add. Bigthroatclear) had a game-high nine stops - and continually flew in from the secondary to trip up Gore. Indeed, Thomas had a very Polamalu-like performance on Sunday.

One sequence in the second quarter typifies what happened with the 49ers run game on Sunday. The 49ers were facing 3rd and 2 at the Seattle 29-yard line with 5:54 left in the half.

3rd &2: Alex Smith pitches wide to his left to Gore. Tight ends Delanie Walker and Vernon Davis block down on Seahawk defenders and left tackle Joe Staley, who is very good at hitting moving targets, goes wide and absolutely crushes Chancellor. Gore seemingly has plenty of room to pick up the first down and much more, but Thomas, who was initially 15 yards from the play, comes streaking in, steers Gore back to the inside and then cuts him down after only a yard pickup.

4th&1: The Seahawks jump off sides when Adam Snyder, who checked in as an eligible receiver, starts to go in motion.

1st&10: On one of the few plays where he has running room, Gore looks like his old self and picks up seven yards before he's tackled by Thomas.

2nd&3: The 49ers use a play they've been working on all offseason, one in which the run is set up to go one way but in which the team takes advantage of the defense's dedication to stopping Gore by breaking it the other way. Walker comes flying in to deliver a textbook block on Thomas, taking out his legs and wiping him out of the play. But despite running room, Gore can't get around the corner, and he is tackled by cornerback Brandon Browner a yard short of the first down. It's one of the plays in which Gore seemingly should have picked up more yards than he got and likely prompted the questions of fans. Gore seems to be nicked on the play, and Kendall Hunter comes in for the next few snaps.

3rd&1: Hunter is stopped for no gain by Chancellor, one of several instances where a Seahawks safety quickly penetrated the 49ers' backfield. A final bit of evidence that Gore is fine: Hunter finished the game with a 2-yard average on two carries. Gore's average was 2.7 yards.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(sacbee.com)

Frank Gore said his ho-hum statistics Sunday were the results of the Seahawks stacking the line of scrimmage against him and playing good defense.

Gore has bludgeoned Seattle in past seasons, rushing for 212, 207 and 144 yards in previous meetings. In those games, he exposed Seattle’s safeties, who either were late in closing holes at the line of scrimmage or allowed Gore to break through their tackles.

Seattle has upgraded that position in recent years, and both their new safeties – Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor – were effective against him Sunday.

Chancellor finished with a game-high nine tackles. Thomas was right behind him with eight stops. Both also tackled Gore behind the line of scrimmage at times.

“After me whooping up on them for so many years, they didn't want that to happen again," Gore said.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(sportingnews.com)

Frank Gore played on 46 of the 49ers' 52 offensive snaps in Week 1, with Kendall Hunter getting the other six reps.

The 49ers' offensive line was overwhelmed by the Seahawks, leading to just 2.68 yards per carry on 22 attempts for Gore. The good news is that the 49ers aren't afraid to ride Gore, and he's proven he can handle monster workloads before. Look for another 25-touch outing against the Cowboys this week.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(rotoworld.com)

Frank Gore rushed for just 59 yards on 22 carries and caught three passes for 19 yards in the 49ers' Week 1 win.
Gore was stuffed countless times at the goal line in the second half, narrowly missing out on a short-yardage score that could have saved his fantasy day. The good news is the 49ers want to ride Gore relentlessly; his 25 touches were easily a game high. Expect a better performance in Week 2 against Dallas. When Gore did have lanes, he looked fast and quick through the hole Sunday. We don't think he's lost anything in terms of burst from last year.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(rotoworld.com)

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The San Francisco 49ers still are in learning mode as they prepare for Sunday's season opener, and nobody really knows what to expect from the team's new offense.

But the catalyst of the attack, running back Frank Gore, says the Niners have a lot of weapons and that other teams are going to see "some real good stuff."

"We've always had talent on the offensive side of the ball, but not like we have it now," Gore said Thursday. "And now we really have somebody to show us how it's done. It should be real good for us all. (Other) teams better be ready."

New head coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff didn't show much during an exhibition season when the 49ers ranked 31st in the NFL in total offense and last in passing offense.

While Harbaugh insists his offense wasn't "vanilla" during the preseason, the 49ers could have an element of surprise in their favor when they host defending NFC West champion Seattle to begin the season.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Gore is surrounded by more Pro Bowl talent at the skill positions in tight end Vernon Davis and newcomer receiver Braylon Edwards. The 49ers also welcomed the return this week of receiver Michael Crabtree, who says he's ready to play against the Seahawks.

Crabtree missed training camp and all four exhibition games for the third consecutive year with a left foot injury that required surgery at the end of July. But he practiced without limitations for the second day in a row Thursday and hopes to have a role in the opener.

"I'm full speed," Crabtree said . "I'm all good. I've been here before. This is nothing new to me. I'm ready and focused. It feels like a game today."
Crabtree led all San Francisco wide receivers last year with 55 receptions for 741 yards, one catch fewer than Davis, who led the team with 914 yards and seven touchdowns receiving.

Crabtree returned from the physically unable to perform list last week to find himself in the middle of a heated competition at wide receiver that includes Edwards, Ted Ginn Jr. and Josh Morgan, who had 44 receptions for 698 yards last season.

San Francisco added Edwards to that group in August, and like many players this summer he has been feeling his way around in Harbaugh's version of the West Coast offense while attempting to develop a rapport with quarterback Alex Smith.

The 49ers were far from impressive with Smith at the controls during a 2-2 preseason. But other players have shared Gore's excitement this week that the offense is ready for a breakout once the real games begin.

Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman were known for their creative use of different formations and personnel groups last year at Stanford, when the Cardinal scored a school-record 524 points. But Harbaugh and Roman are downplaying the suggestion this week that the 49ers have been holding back for the regular season.

"We're a new group," Roman said. "I met most of these guys a month ago. We've had a shorter time frame to work with, and therefore we're probably not going to have the volume that you would normally have. I'm not sure we've been able to get anything together that is really going to surprise anybody. But you are what you are. We're going to do everything we can to win the game."

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(sacbee.com)

Frank Gore doesn't feel old, but he was reminded of his advancing years during the offseason.

The 49ers running back has worked out at the same training facility in Miami for years alongside recently retired running back Fred Taylor, 35, and other NFL players.

This past offseason, Taylor was gone, but Gore's group included Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew, Detroit's Kevin Smith, Chicago's Matt Forte and even Kendall Hunter, who was training for the NFL combine.

At one point, Gore realized that, at 28, he was the oldest athlete around.

"Since Fred was gone the trainer wanted me to demonstrate everything," Gore said. "I said, 'Man, you're treating me like I'm Fred T.'"

Gore may be getting up there -- NFL backs age in dog years -- but as he noted in this article, he believes a creative offense will take defenses' focus off him and add years to his career.

Gore didn't directly slam any of his past coaches in the story (he did admit the brief Jim Hostler era was "tough"), but his praise of Jim Harbaugh also served as an indictment of past offensive regimes.

"We've got all the talent," Gore said. "And I think we have the right coaches now who can use all the talent ... Now I can see myself playing this last contract out just because of how they get the ball to everybody. People won't be able to just come in here and be like, 'They're running power.'"

It remains to be seen if Gore's high hopes for the new West Coast offense will be realized. But, let's face it, the bar is low.

Last year, the Niners' first offensive play in their opening five games was a run to Gore, generally up the middle. In a Week 5 loss to the Eagles, Gore ran on their first eight first-down plays.

Those days are over, Gore believes.

"We have great coaches," he said. "We have a great staff. They see what we have in the locker room and I think they're going to use it the best of their ability ... Everyone is just believing in the coaches and seeing the difference. Just seeing everyone sitting down and talking football with the coaches. They know what they're doing. Coach Harbaugh and his coaches are good."

More from Gore:
* Gore said there's only one running back he's excited about watching on film: LaDainian Tomlinson.

Gore brought up L.T. when asked about hearing whispers that, as a 28-year-old running back coming off a hairline hip fracture, he's on the downside of his career.

"Everybody has to go through that," Gore said. "One of the best backs in this league, who I think can still play, is LaDainian Tomlinson. That's just the position I play. I don't even think San Diego should have gotten rid of L.T. He's still got gas in the tank to me. I feel like if he was in New York as the only back, he would still be up there with the best NFL backs. That's how much I respect L.T."

During the course of a nearly 30-minute interview, Gore was perhaps at his most animated when he described a favorite Tomlinson run he was able to replicate.

"It was a game against the Rams," Gore said. "It was a power to the right and he got through the hole and stiff-armed a safety, No. 21, and scored a touchdown. A week later, I think, I kind of did the same thing and ran over 21, too."

* Before he signed his contract extension, Gore said there were moments where he imagined signing with a more successful franchise if he became a free agent after the 2011 season. But he was quick to say how happy he was to stay in San Francisco.

He said his teammates are the main reason he wants to retire with the 49ers.

"I see that we've got talent here and it's a great group of guys in that locker room," he said. "I hear a lot of stuff going on in different locker rooms about different player that don't like each other, and it's not like that here. It's like a family. We're all grown men, but when we're together we're like kids. And football is supposed to be fun, and I think when all of us are together, we make it fun. I love my team. I love my teammates here. I'm happy to have the opportunity to be here for 10, 11 years."

* Gore, who has watched the NFL playoffs at home after the first six seasons of his career, said the Seahawks' wild-card win over the Saints last year was the most painful postseason game he's watched.

"I'm not going to lie. I hated watching Seattle win that game," he said. "Oh, man, I hated that. That was supposed to be us."

(sfgate.com)

After talking with Jim Harbaugh in the offseason, 49ers running back Frank Gore began to believe that, finally, all that other talk would disappear.

For starters, his family members would stop openly dreaming about him playing for the Colts or Patriots, teams with elite quarterbacks directing visionary offenses.

And the NFL defensive players with whom he trained in Miami would stop telling him about their Gore-centered game plans from that past season: "They would come up to me and say, 'Man, that's all we talked about - you, you, you,' " he said.

And, best of all, Gore never again would line up in the backfield and hear defenders yelling out the 49ers' play before the snap. Gore says that happened in last year's 31-10 loss to the Chiefs and during the ill-fated tenure of offensive coordinator Jim Hostler three years earlier.

"In '07, when we had Jim Hoss," Gore said, shaking his head wearily, "yeah, that was tough."

Gore is the only back in franchise history with four straight 1,000-yard seasons, and he needs 931 yards to become the Niners' all-time leading rusher. Those are particularly impressive feats considering he hasn't been surrounded by a 3,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard receiver or an offense that has ranked higher than 23rd in the league.

"Like I told (Harbaugh), it's been tough out there, man," Gore said. "It's been tough in my career here facing defenses that knew what we were going to do. That's what's made me really think - would another running back be able to do what I did? In the position I was in?"

Gore, 28, is confident he'll be in a far better position this season thanks to the arrival of Harbaugh, the first offensive-minded head coach he has had.

Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman were known for their creative use of formations, motion and personnel groups at Stanford, where the Cardinal scored a school-record 524 points last year.

In contrast with former offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye, who announced his intention to run on 60 percent of San Francisco's plays, Harbaugh and Roman have been tight-lipped about their West Coast offense and kept the preseason play-calling vanilla - but what Gore heard from Harbaugh in the offseason had him, in effect, salivating. Gore has said those conversations contributed to his decision to end his contract holdout after four days at the start of training camp.

"Even though football should be simple, you don't have to make it look simple," Gore said. "And the coaches here now don't make it look simple. That's what I like."

And after signing a three-year, $21 million contract extension last week, he can envision playing until he's 31. He believes the creative use of other personnel will add years to his career by taking the bull's-eye off his back.

"We've got all the talent," Gore said. "And I think we have the right coaches now who can use all the talent. ... Now I can see myself playing this last contract out just because of how they get the ball to everybody. People won't be able to just come in here and be like, 'They're running power.' "

For his part, Harbaugh appears to be just as taken with Gore, whom he calls one of the NFL's best running backs. Gore is fully recovered from a hairline hip fracture he sustained in November, but he has missed nine games over the past three seasons because of injuries as his 5-foot-9, 217-pound frame pays the price for 1,371 career carries. Still, Harbaugh has said he doesn't anticipate Gore, who excels as a pass-catcher and blocker, coming off the field often.

Beyond his respect for Gore's on-field ability, Harbaugh loves the life story of an athlete who grew up in extreme poverty in Coral Gables, Fla., and overcame a learning disability.

"Frank is a true 49er," Harbaugh said. "I've said that from when I first got here, that's how I thought I would feel about Frank Gore. Now I know how I feel about Frank Gore. The guy is awesome. Somebody should do a movie. Somebody should do 'The Frank Gore Story,' because it's an awesome story."

The respect for Gore runs throughout the organization. His teammates voted him the offensive captain last week.

Gore is acclaimed for his football smarts and eye for talent - former head coach Mike Nolan used to call him to get his evaluations of teammates and players around the NFL. And general manager Trent Baalke and Gore have talked, somewhat jokingly, Gore says, about him filling a similar role in his retirement.

When Gore was sidelined by his hip injury last year, Baalke brought him upstairs to watch video of two Pac-10 running backs. It was an experience that might have given Gore second thoughts about getting into the talent-evaluation business.

"At first, I thought you've just got to watch one game," Gore said. "But, man, I had to watch like five games with one person. I told Trent, 'Man, you should know once you've seen one game or two games of a guy, you should know what type of player he is.' But, no, he told me I had to watch like five games. That's the tough part right there."

Gore was laughing. And with good reason. As a running back with a target on his back, he has experienced the toughest part of football.
But his toughest days, he believes, are finally behind him.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(sfgate.com)

On the day that cuts were made to 53 players, the 49ers held a vote to select their two captains for the season.

The result of the vote was interesting. It spoke to what the players value from a teammate.

Leadership might be great, but the quality that swayed the 49ers players was production.

The defensive captain is Patrick Willis, an understated tackling machine who has been named to the Pro Bowl each of his first four NFL seasons. He is on pace for a Hall-of-Fame career. Willis is the 49ers' best defensive player.

The captain on offense is running back Frank Gore. His team-record streak of four consecutive 1,000-plus-yard rushing seasons ended last year when he still gained 853 yards despite missing the final five games with a fractured hip. Gore is the 49ers' best offensive player.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(csnbayarea.com)

Frank Gore's agents announced yesterday that they had snagged the San Francisco running back a three-year contract extension worth about $21 million.

But as we've seen with many NFL contract lately, the truth is slightly less rosy that the headlines would want you to believe.

To begin, only $13.5 million of it is guaranteed money. Not bad for a 28-year-old running back, as most of the stories about the deal mentioned.
But NFL Network's Jason LaCanfora dug a little deeper and reminds us that "guaranteed money" isn't always so "guaranteed".

The guarantee for 2013-14 is an "injury" guarantee, not a "talent" guarantee. That means it only applies if Gore suffers a catastrophic injury and is unable to play. If his performance suffer and the Niners cut him, they're off the hook.

Also, the guarantee doesn't apply to the final year of the contract if he gets hurt before it begins.

Oh, and there's one other thing: $4.9 million of that $13.5 million total was money from Gore's existing 2011 contract, which they would have had to pay him anyway, with or without the extension. The contract adds nothing to his 2011 salary and provides no extra up-front money or signing bonuses.

So all Drew and Jason Rosenhaus really got him was $8.6 million spread over three years, and most of it guaranteed only if he's physically unable to play. If Gore simply wears down or becomes ineffective, the 49ers can cut him at almost any time and owe absolutely nothing. Even if they do end up paying the injury guarantees, the salary cap hit will be minimal.

Yes, if Gore is healthy and productive, he can earn all $21 million ($13.5 million in salary, plus another $7.5 million in performance and roster bonuses), which is great for him and the 49ers. Gore has stated that he hopes to finish his career with the team that drafted him in 2005 and technically this gives him the opportunity to do so.

But the commitment (and $21 million paycheck) is entirely dependent upon Gore and his ability to be an effective NFL runner for another four years. If he's not, it's no skin off the Niners' back. The risk for San Francisco with this deal is almost non-existent.

As we've seen with the Michael Vick deal and plenty of other big money contracts, the numbers are never what they seem. (Unlike Gore, Vick can't even reach his advertised selling price of $100M.)

But trying telling that to the agent who wants to brag about the big money they earn for their clients.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(businessinsider.com)

Running back Frank Gore on Wednesday signed a three-year extension through the 2014 season that will pay him $21 million in new money, including $13.5 million guaranteed.

Gore was the sixth running back taken in the 2005 draft. And he said being chosen in the third round continues to provide him with motivation even after six NFL seasons. In fact, Gore had no problem ticking off the names of the five running backs picked ahead of him.

"I still carry that chip on my shoulder, especially with the guys who went before me, like Ronnie Brown, Cadillac (Williams), Cedric Benson," Gore said Wednesday in a conference call with reporters. "They're all great players.

"J.J. Arrington, Eric Shelton, and then me. I told myself when I came into the league that I'm going to show everybody that they passed up the best back. Look at the career, look at the numbers, and it shows. I do carry that chip on my shoulder, and I'll continue to carry that on my shoulder."

Here are the career stats of those running backs:

Ronnie Brown, No. 2, Miami: 76 games, 1,128 att., 4,815 yards (4.3), 36 TDs Cedric Benson, No. 4, Bears: 76 games, 1,256 att., 4,702 yards (3.7) 25 TDs Cadillac Williams, No. 5, Buccaneers: 70 games, 968 att., 3,677 yards, 20 TDs J.J. Arrington, No. 44, Cardinals: 58 games, 183 att., 654 yards (3.2), 3 TDs Eric Shelton, No. 54, Panthers: 9 games, 8 att., 23 yards (2.9), 0 TDs Frank Gore, No. 65, 49ers: 84 games, 1,371 att., 6,414 (4.7), 35 TDs

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(csnbayarea.com)

Gore spoke with reporters on a conference call. Here is that transcript:

Q: How did this come about and what kind of relief is it for you to get this over with? Gore: "It's real big, especially knowing that the team drafted me and stepped up and told me they want me here for my whole career, and to my fans, I'm a Niner for life. I also want to recognize (team president) Jed (York), (general manager) Trent (Baalke), my coach (Jim) Harbaugh, (chief negotiator) Paraag (Marathe) and my agent Drew (Rosenhaus) and his brother Jason for working it out and getting a fair deal for both sides. That's a plus. And, now, I can just get ready for Seattle and try to take a step every week to win the West. It's blessing. I'm a Niner, and I'm happy."

Q: Why is it important for you to finish your career as a 49er? Gore: "Because of the guys in the locker room, and this is the team that drafted me. Coming out of college, they saw something in me. You rarely see running backs get to finish their career with the team with drafted them. Obviously, I'm one of them. And, hopefully, I can get my name on the 10-year wall, and break some more records out here."

Q: Frank, the 49ers haven't had a winning record since you've been here, your home is in Miami, why do you feel such an affinity for the 49ers? Gore: "Like you said, we haven't had a winning season, and fans here have been 100 percent. There are great fans here. I see coach Harbaugh and his coaching staff, they're football guys. I have no doubt. I know we can get it done. I know we have talent in the locker room -- probably more than a lot of teams in the NFL. I love my teammates and I feel we can get it done with the talent in the locker room."

Q: You followed career of LaDainian Tomlinson. He's one of the guys who started with one team and went to another. Is that what you're talking about, guys like him who don't end finishing their careers with their original team? Gore: "Yeah, LT, for example. Clinton Portis, for example. Larry Johnson, for example. The list goes on. The team stepped up and showed they wanted me here for at least 10, 11 years. I'm happy about that. I can go out there and keep giving it my all on Sundays."

Q: What running back did you try to pattern yourself after? Gore: "I always liked Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith. I liked those guys when I'm younger."

Q: Barry Sanders played 10 years, is that where you think you're going to max out and walk away from the game? Gore: "I won't say that. My body is feeling good. If can go more, I would love to go more because I love the game of football. I won't say that. But I would say, I'm happy to be on the Niners and they gave me a three-year extension."

Q: Have you thought about life after football? Do you foresee yourself remaining with 49ers after your playing career is over? Gore: "Trent and I joked around about it. He knows how much I love the game of football, and he knows how much I pay attention to other guys and see what kind players they are. He did say I do have a skill to pick talent out. We'll see when that time comes. If they want me here to help them pick out players, I'll do it."

Q: Mike Nolan always said you had a talent in that area. What is it that enables you to find out what a teammate is all about? Gore: "I go off, especially being from the University of Miami, being around Andre Johnson and Clinton Porton, Willis McGahee and Jonathan Vilma . . . I know they love the game. And I know I love the game. Just pick people by talking to them and watching them in practice, especially when you get into gear and pads. When go live, seeing who shies away from contact and who brings it every time. That's how I judge it . . . just by being from the University of Miami and playing high-school ball in Miami and being around a lot of talented guys."

Q: When both Jed and Trent said they wanted you to be a 49er for life, you believed them. What gave you a good feeling that these guys were being sincere and it would get done? Gore: "I know they wouldn't say it if they didn't mean it. Since I've been here, they've been true to me. Like my first deal, when I was coming off that good year in 2006, they said I'd be taken care of the following year, and they did it. Just knowing they wouldn't say anything unless it's true."

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(csnbayarea.com)

Last hour, the 49ers and running back Frank Gore had not agreed to terms on a new deal.

This hour, they have.

Per a league source, the player and the team have agreed to terms on a three-year extension.

The extension has $21 million in new money, with $13.5 million guaranteed.

Coupled with his current deal, which pays out $4.9 million in 2011, Gore can earn $25.9 million over four years.

It’s a far cry from DeAngelo Williams money, but no one not named Adrian Peterson or Chris Johnson is going to get close to what Williams got.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(profootballweekly.com)

Frank Gore is encouraged that progress might be made toward the new contract he wants.

His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, was scheduled to meet Monday with the team, though Gore wasn't sure when the process would begin. The two-time Pro Bowl running back has repeatedly said he would like a new, long-term commitment from the team before the Sept. 11 season opener against the Seattle Seahawks.

"He's here. I'm happy about that," Gore said about Rosenhaus during an interview with The Associated Press. "It may pick up. That's a positive. I hope I'll get a fair deal. I want to be a 49er for my career. I love it here. I love my teammates. I like the new coaching staff. I can see that we're going to get things together here. Having a football coach like Jim Harbaugh and his style of doing what they're doing and knowing what they want from each and every player, and that's being a football player."

The 28-year-old Gore, who missed the final five games last season with a broken right hip, said it's "a step" in the right direction that Rosenhaus and Niners executives are meeting face to face.

"I just want to get it done, man. Hopefully both sides will come to a fair deal and I can be here and get it out of my head and try to get (going on) these 16 weeks and move on and win the West," Gore said. "It's best for me to let the fans know I want to be here. It's not me. It comes down to the organization and the team."

Both general manager Trent Baalke and team president Jed York have said they would like to make Gore a "49er for life," while Harbaugh has made similar statements.

The 28-year-old Gore, who held out for the first four days of training camp, was sidelined for the last five games of 2010 after sustaining the hip injury in a Monday night game at Arizona on Nov. 29.

Gore would like a contract comparable to the $43 million, five-year deal running back DeAngelo Williams — 20 days older than San Francisco's star — recently received from the Carolina Panthers. That includes $21 million guaranteed. Williams missed the final 10 games last year with a sprained right foot.

Gore begins the year third on the franchise career rushing list. He needs 931 yards to be No. 1. He wants to have a big year to help turn the 49ers around after eight straight seasons without a playoff berth or winning record.

He ran for 853 yards and three touchdowns last year before getting hurt in his sixth NFL season. Gore also caught 46 passes for 452 yards and two TDs. His 24 100-yard rushing games are the most in 49ers history.

The 49ers rewarded two other key players with long-term contracts last year.

Tight end Vernon Davis signed a five-year extension worth $37 million overall, including $34 million guaranteed, a night before the 2010 season opener. That made him the highest-paid tight end in NFL history. In May of last year, All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis received a $50 million, five-year contract extension that takes him through the 2016 season and includes $29 million in guaranteed money. He earns $10 million per season.

Willis is one of several teammates to say he's hoping the offensive star will receive a new deal soon.

"Frank is a very valuable asset to our team. The offense for many years now has gone right through him," Willis told the AP on Monday. "I would love to just have him as a part of this team and I'd love to have him get that off his mind so he can put it all in what he knows how to do best, and that's to play football."

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(washingtonexaminer.com)

SAN FRANCISCO – Frank Gore spoke at his locker shortly after the game about the upcoming meeting between the 49ers and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. The meeting is scheduled for Monday.

Here are selected quotes from that interview.

Q: Your agent is scheduled to meet with the 49ers on Monday. Is there a goal in your head as far as what you’d like to happen?
GORE: I want something to get done. Hopefully it can get done. Hopefully I can get something done. But like I said, if it doesn’t happen I’ll be here for my teammates, you know, and try to stick it out.

Q: Will you be involved with the negotiations?
GORE: No, I’m a football player. If I was an agent I would, but that’s my agent’s job, and hopefully, hopefully, hopefully, I hope it gets done.

Q: Is your preseason over?
GORE: No. Whatever the coach tells me to do. Coach is a great coach and I like him a lot and I respect him a lot.

Q: Are you ready for the regular season?
GORE: I’m ready, I’ve been, hey, I trained my behind off this offseason, I practice hard every day. When my number is called, 21 is going to be ready. When it’s time to shoot my gun, I’m going to shoot my gun.

Q: So you’re not going to request a trade if a deal doesn’t get done?
GORE: I don’t have nothing, it’s up to the team. I don’t have anything to do with it. That’s my agent and the team. The team has to do that, and hopefully they don’t. I want to be here, I want to be a 49er, and I want to be treated right.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(pressdemocrat.com)

Drew Rosenhaus is scheduled to meet with the San Francisco 49ers beginning Monday in efforts to hammer out a contract extension for running back Frank Gore(notes), who recently has “snapped” at assistant coaches as the pressure of the situation wears on him.

Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area reports that it’s out of character for Gore, who staged a brief holdout at the start of training camp. The running back wants a big deal along the lines of the $43 million, five-year deal DeAngelo Williams(notes) received from the Carolina Panthers last month, a contract with $21 million guaranteed. Williams, however was an unrestricted free agent, and Gore is under contract so there is an element of comparing apples to oranges.

Per the report, Gore is unhappy he is being used as much as he is in preseason. Entering his seventh season, he should become the 49ers’ all-time leading rusher provided he remains healthy in 2011. He trails Joe “The Jet” Perry by 930 yards.

Gore’s considered the possibility he doesn’t get the extension he wants.

"I'd be upset, but I'm still a football player," Gore said. "I want to be here for my whole career. That's up to upstairs, the team. If they want me here, I want to be here. I'm just going to come out every day and practice hard."

From the sounds of things, he’s already upset by the situation.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(sports.yahoo.com)

Frank Gore views himself being in the middle of his career and as the 49ers' best offensive player. The 49ers may see Gore as a declining player coming off a hip fracture and with a history of ankle and knee injuries. Those two views are in deep conflict as the 49ers try to workout a contract extension for their prized running back. ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted yesterday that a face-to-face meeting between the two sides will take place Monday.

Gore and his agent will likely contend that his knee injuries are long in the past. He tore the ACL in his left knee in 2003 and then snapped the same ligament in his right knee a year later. Since then, his knees have been injury free.

But his knee history is one reason Gore lasted until the third round of the 2005 draft. Since then the injury label stuck. In 2008 and 2009, Gore hobbled through a frustrating string of ankle sprains but those injuries disappeared last season.

Niners management might find his 1,371 carries concerning. But several running backs have played well far past that threshold. Emmitt Smith enjoyed six straight 1,000 yards seasons after the 1,200 carry mark. Former Jet Curtis Martin gained 1,697 yards right around the 3,000 carry mark. Ram Steven Jackson galloped past 1,300 carry mark two years ago and is still running effectively.

So what does Gore deserve particularly in light of Panther DeAnglo Williams' five year, $43 million deal with $21 million guaranteed? Williams' career average of 5 yards per carry is slightly higher than Gore's 4.7. Williams missed more games in the last three seasons with injury, and it's hard to believe Williams is Gore's equal in pass protection or locker room leadership.

But Gore has 530 more carries than Williams, which means he's about two seasons further down his career than Williams. Gore deserves a three year, $30 million with $20 million in guarantees. Such a contract would probably be extended to a five-year, $42-$47 million deal with the final two years gratuitous and meaningless in order to inflate the overall contract value to make the agent look good - a common practice in the NFL.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(sfgate.com)

49ers running back and current preseason holdout Frank Gore is scheduled to meet with the team on Monday along with his agent Drew Rosenhaus, to see if the two sides can make any head way on contract talks, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Gore’s contract talks have been described as “volatile.” He is reportedly looking for an extension similar to what the Panthers gave DeAngelo Williams last month (five-years, $43 million).

Gore, 28, has rushed for over 1,000 yards four times in his six-year career. He is in the final year of his contract.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(sportingnews.com)

Frank Gore, who said he was happy to be back with his teammates after ending a short holdout earlier this training camp, acknowledged Monday that he is indeed frustrated by the status of contract negotiations with the 49ers and could become a free agent in March.

Gore is entering the final year of his contract with the 49ers that will pay him $4.9 million this season.

It is believed Gore and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, want a five-year, $43 million deal with $21 million guaranteed.

"If it doesn't happen, then I'm going to have to go out there and show everybody that I'm healthy and that I can be the Frank Gore I've always been," said Gore, a third-round draft pick by the 49ers in 2005. "If I have to test the market, that's what I'll have to do."

Gore said he plans to play out the season and become a free agent in March if no contract extension is reached. He said he wanted to finish his career with the 49ers but was prepared to move on if he doesn't get a deal he thinks is fair.

On Sunday, first-year 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh dismissed as "water-cooler talk" two national reports that said Gore was upset over stalled negotiations. One report called the situation volatile and said Gore could request a trade soon.

That did not appear to be Gore's intent. He spoke twice about playing out his contract, adding that he was "going to come to work and be here for my teammates and try to do the best for me."

Asked whether he would request a trade, he said he had no comment.

"That's up to the team and my agent," he said. "If they want to trade me, that's what it is."

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(sacbee.com)

49ers running back Frank Gore isn’t happy with his contract.  He’s frustrated regarding the lack of progress on a new deal, and he won’t comment on a PFT report that he could soon request a trade.

Coach Jim Harbaugh has dismissed accounts of frustration and a possible trade request as “water-cooler talk.”  Meanwhile, G.M. Trent Baalke has expressed a strong desire to keep Gore around.

“The best thing we can say is we’re doing everything we can to make Frank a 49er for life and whether that gets accomplished in the near future or not remains to be seen,” Baalke told Pat Kirwan and Tim Ryan of SiriusXM NFL Radio.  “But Frank’s a 49er.  He’s a heck of a football player, he’s a heck of a young man, and he’s a leader.  You can’t say enough good things about Frank.”

It all comes down, as it usually does, to money.  And with Gore, who is 29 and who has a lengthy injury history, wanting to be paid like Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams (five years, $43 million, $21 million guaranteed), our own money currently is on the “or not.”

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(profootballtalk.com)

Frank Gore has rushed for 6,414 yards in his 49ers career, and he has scored 44 touchdowns. But the number he most wants to change is 2.9.
That's the number, in millions, that Gore is due in base pay (he could get an additional $2 million should he stay healthy the entire season).

What Gore wants is a contract extension on par with the five-year, $43 million deal with $21 million in guarantees that the Panthers just gave running back DeAngelo Williams.

Gore, 28, is a month younger than Williams and has missed nine games in the past three years to Williams' 13. Gore also has 530 more career carries than Williams.

While many contend Gore is the team's best offensive player, tight end Vernon Davis signed a six-year deal last year worth more than $42 million, with $23 million in guaranteed money. Davis is also younger and plays a less demanding position. So what should a fair deal for Gore look like?

That's what Gore's agent and the 49ers are grappling over. The website Profootballtalk.com reported that Gore might insist on a trade if his contract demands are not met. Gore staged a four-day holdout at the start of training camp in hopes of getting an extension.

He spoke to the media about his contract status Monday and said he had no comment on trade demands.

"I'm a football player, and it's my job to play football and hopefully, things get right," Gore said. "I would like things to get done before the season so I could just focus on football, not whether they will get it done or not. Like I said before, I want to remain with the 49ers for my career. If it (doesn't) happen, hopefully I'll have a great year and I'll test the market."

In speaking with reporters Sunday, coach Jim Harbaugh said he believed a deal would be forthcoming. He also repeated his desire for Gore to be his main running back and possibly his chief offensive weapon.

Whether Gore gets an extension or not, he'll be highly motivated this year.

"I have to go out there and show everybody that I'm healthy, that I can be the Frank Gore that I've always been," he said.



(sfgate.com)

Frank Gore should be frustrated over his contract situation, and he is, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Unfortunately for Gore, he's a 28-year-old running back coming off an injury-shortened season with one year remaining on his contract. Getting a lucrative long-term extension right now will be harder than getting one when he's pushing 29 years old next offseason.

The reality is that Gore has probably signed the final long-term, big-money deal of his career. He's sacrificed his body for the 49ers when they didn't have enough help around him. He's played hurt, demonstrated tremendous toughness and remained a team player even when the organization was suffering through dysfunction, particularly on offense.

There are two sides to this story.

The 49ers tore up Gore's rookie deal in 2007 after only two years, rewarding him for exceeding expectations that came with his status as a third-round draft choice.

"It's a little early," then-49ers coach Mike Nolan said at the time. "Frank just finished his second year. But we identified somebody we want in Frank. He's a young player and we wanted to extend it and it's still very early in his career."

The alternative for Gore would have been playing out that rookie deal, then signing a more representative extension a year or two later, in which case Gore would have multiple years remaining on his deal. Cashing in when he did, in 2007, reset the clock.

I do not envision the 49ers giving Gore millions in new money under the current circumstances. The team has a first-year head coach, a promising backup in Kendall Hunter and legitimate questions about Gore's durability.



(espn.com)

Frank Gore said Tuesday he feels six years younger than his listed age.

The 49ers' running back would feel even better if his up-in-the-air contract situation is resolved within the next several weeks.

Gore, who held out the first four days of training camp in an effort to get an extension on his expiring contract, is still waiting for a new deal. Gore will earn a $2.9 million base salary and a $2 million roster bonus this season.

"Hopefully, it will get done before the season," Gore said. "If it doesn't, I've just got to go play and if I have to be a free agent, I'll be a free agent."

On Aug. 2, when Gore arrived at training camp, 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh said the team anticipated getting a deal done "sooner rather than later." On Tuesday, Harbaugh said of Gore's contract, "I'm confident we'll work out something fair, hopefully soon."

After missing last season's final seven games with a hairline hip fracture, Gore, 28, said he feels like "the 22-year-old Frank Gore. Ready to take the load. Ready to play. I feel like I can score any time I touch the ball."

Quarterback Alex Smith said Gore, post-injury, doesn't look any different.

"I think Frank looks great," Smith said. "Frank always looks great in my opinion, though. He's a true professional. I've never seen Frank out here and thought 'Man, Frank doesn't look very good.' It just doesn't happen. The guy just lives and breathes football."

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(sfgate.com)

Frank Gore walked in his white socks into the 49ers' locker room Tuesday, with his cleats carried like a football in his right hand.

Another three-hour shift was complete for the 49ers' most consistent offensive weapon.

"He's a joy to be out on the practice field with, because he really loves football," coach Jim Harbaugh said. "We were both kind of sharing that same topic today, how we felt about the game. You know, this is the medicine, when you're out here on the field and all you've got to think about is football."

Gore is not worried about the hip he fractured Nov. 29 to halt his season. Nor is he irate that his contract has yet to get extended beyond this season.

"Hopefully it will get done before the season," said Gore, a seventh-year veteran who is slated to make $4.9 million this season. "If it doesn't, I just have to go play here. If I have to be a free agent, I'll be a free agent."

Gore missed the first four days of training camp in search of a new deal. Harbaugh expressed confidence that "something fair" will get done, possibly soon.

If the 49ers sought assurances Gore is healthy, he has provided proof on a daily basis. He has not missed a practice since reporting, and he played Friday night in his first exhibition opener since 2008.

"I was hoping not to play because I like to work hard in practice," Gore said. "But I was happy Coach let me get out there for just a couple plays, to let me get some hits in and get the speed of the game back again. Once I got in, I didn't want to come out."

He took part in the 49ers' opening three series. The offense struggled mightily against the host New Orleans Saints to set the tone for a 24-3 loss. But Gore's four carries for 20 yards further convinced him he is healthy.

"I feel like 22-year-old Frank Gore, ready to take the load, ready to play," Gore said. "I feel I can score any time I touch the ball, block anybody I've got to block. Right now I'm just trying to get the offense down pat and get ready for Seattle" in the Sept. 11 season opener.

Gore did not undergo surgery for the non-displaced fracture in his right hip. Instead, he wore a brace and couldn't move his leg for a month, per doctor's orders.

When it comes to hip injuries and running backs, Bo Jackson's career-ending tale with the Raiders springs to mind. Did it with Gore?

"The doctor told me it was serious but it wasn't as risky as the Bo Jackson injury," Gore said. "I asked him, 'Would I ever be able to be the same?' He said, 'Yeah.' I was like, 'OK.' "

Before each practice, Gore goes through some individual conditioning, and Tuesday's stretching session included what appeared to be a cordial, supportive visit from general manager Trent Baalke.

Quarterback Alex Smith is in awe of his fellow member of the 2005 draft class.

"Frank looks great. But Frank always looks great in my opinion," Smith said. "He's a true professional. I've never seen Frank out here and thought, 'Man, Frank doesn't look very good.' It just doesn't happen.

"The guy just lives and breathes football, loves this team and this organization, and he's always ready to go," Smith added. "I know with the hip thing, he's worked extremely hard this offseason to make sure he's back 100 percent, and it shows."

As for how Gore fits in to the West Coast system being revived by the 49ers' offense, Harbaugh raved about being able to use Gore for any play, any run, any catch, any block. Gore expects to tally a lot of receptions in this quick-strike attack. In terms of rushing, he ranks third on the 49ers' all-time list with 6,414 yards, 930 shy of Joe Perry's record.

Up until two weeks ago, the 49ers didn't know if Gore's hip would permit him to take on that typically exhaustive workload.

"That was an unknown until he got here," Harbaugh said. "But he is in great shape. He's a tireless worker out there. There have been times I've had to say, 'OK, Frank, we're going to get another back in here to take a few reps."

And during those rare breaks, Gore now has an offensive-minded coach who shares his obvious passion for football.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(mercurynews.com)

Running back Frank Gore not only likes the 49ers revamped offense, he envisions quarterback Alex Smith thriving in the detail-oriented scheme.

"You can tell the (offense's) energy is different. You can see it in Alex," Gore said Tuesday. "He looks really confident. He's able to go. ... Alex is going to be really good in this offense."

Smith also expressed optimism a day earlier about the 49ers' return to the West Coast offense system. One reason: Having a capable running back like Gore.

Said Smith: "Checking the ball down is kind of the epicenter of the West Coast offense -- hitting backs quick, getting them the ball in space and letting them run."

Gore has not played in an exhibition opener since 2008, but he might do so Friday night when the 49ers visit New Orleans. Coach Jim Harbaugh has said he wants Gore to get a few touches in the opener, and Gore is willing to partake in the offense's unveiling.

"I know Coach doesn't like me saying this, but on the offensive side of the ball, everybody is on the same page," Gore said. "When you watch the film, man, it just looks different. Everybody knows what they're doing. They're flying around, motioning fast. It's not boring."

The 49ers offense ranked 24th last season during a 6-10 campaign.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(mercurynews.com)

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Frank Gore grabs the handoff from Alex Smith snap after snap, charges up the middle and adds a few extra yards to each carry as is his customary routine on the practice field.

He treats every carry as if he were in a game. Always has.

"Watcha think?" Gore said, chuckling, when asked if he's his old self again.

A week into training camp after his four-day holdout, the star running back is eagerly looking ahead to San Francisco's Sept. 11 season opener against Seattle. No. 21 isn't sure he needs many touches in the exhibition games to be ready, even this year coming off a fractured right hip that sidelined him for the final five games of 2010.

Gore seems as good-natured and geared up as ever to play under new coach Jim Harbaugh.

"I love it. I've been here a week and half. I like what Coach Harbaugh and the coaching staff are doing with the offense," he said. "You can tell the energy is different. You can see it in Alex (Smith), man. He looks really confident, like he's ready to go. I like what we're doing on the offensive side of the ball."

If Gore has any hard feelings about his unsettled contract situation, you can't tell. He obliged when a female fan asked for a hug during Tuesday's open practice.

Gore said he will get with Harbaugh soon to discuss the plan for him this preseason.

Harbaugh said he "would like to see Frank get some touches." Gore typically plays only a handful of snaps - last year, it was one series in one game with two carries for 58 yards.

"I'm used to not playing. I'll see," Gore said. "It's all about what coach says. He wants me to play, then I'll play."

Harbaugh has been encouraged by his team's progress, calling Monday's practice the best yet. The 49ers have been filling out their roster with new acquisitions left and right leading up to Friday's exhibition opener at New Orleans. That will be the first true test of how the players are grasping Harbaugh's complex system.

Gore isn't concerned about being up to speed in the West Coast offense. He doesn't feel behind despite missing the first four days of training camp, including three practices. In the final season of his contract, Gore is hoping for a big year and a big-paying new deal as he tries to become San Francisco's all-time leading rusher. The two-time Pro Bowler begins the year third on the list, needing 931 yards to be No. 1.

"I just want to continue and be the player I've always been, knowing they're going to get 110 percent from me every time I touch the field on Sundays, the practice field," Gore said. "And I can be myself. If I can be myself, that's great. So far I've been feeling good in practice, trying to give it my all and trying to get this offense down pat and get ready for Seattle - get ready and get going."

Gore fractured his hip at Arizona on Nov. 29. He's fully healthy again now.

Gore showed it to a couple of thousand people Tuesday as he plowed through the defensive line in one of a series of open practices for fans on a perfectly clear summer day in the South Bay.

"Makin' it look too easy, Frank!" one man cheered during 11-on-11 drills.

"He looks pretty damn good to me," defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said afterward. "He seems like a guy who is out here and loves football, competes hard. He's got great vision. He's an elite running back."

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(signonsandiego.com)

Frank Gore did more Tuesday than simply show up for his first practice of 49ers training camp after a four-day contract holdout.

He glided with ease through the 49ers' increasingly makeshift defense. He picked up blitzing linebackers. He instructed and encouraged teammates.

He didn't do any of it out of spite, either, while still awaiting a possible contract extension.

"I felt like a kid out there. I was happy," Gore said. "It's a blessing to come back from the (broken right hip). A lot of people doubted I would be back. I feel good. I feel like a 22-year-old running back out there."

Gore, 28, is entering the final year of a contract, one he wants extended to keep him in a 49ers uniform "forever." He is slated to make $2.9 million in base salary and $2 million in a roster bonus.

"There will be a resolution at some point," coach Jim Harbaugh said of Gore's contract status. "There will be diligent negotiations. We want Frank here, and we want Frank happy."

Gore, who ranks third on the 49ers' all-time rushing list, made a terrific first impression on Harbaugh, especially in terms of communication skills in the huddle and on the field.

After failing to report with his teammates Thursday and missing the first three days of practice, Gore couldn't cope with extending his absence further. He showed up Monday at the 49ers' facility and underwent a crash course in Harbaugh's playbook, spending nearly four hours with running-backs coach Tom Rathman.

"I'm a football player. I missed being out here with my team," Gore said. "I have a new coach and a new playbook I had to learn. Talking to Coach Harbaugh before the lockout was here, he had some good stuff. I told him I would be 100 percent behind him."

That is just how many of Gore's teammates feel about him.

"I was real excited," wide receiver Joshua (no longer just Josh) Morgan said. "I almost hugged him and gave him a kiss, but I tried to play it cool."
Added left tackle Joe Staley: "Frank's a leader on this team. It's good to have him back. The energy is up. Anytime he's back there, you know he's going to take care of business. The linemen especially, we like blocking for him."

Gore liked the way his body felt after its first practice, a frame he said wasn't fully healthy until midsummer.

"I'm 214 (pounds), 215 -- fighting weight. I'm back and ready to go," he said.

After praising the offense's potential and variety of calls, he expressed admiration for rookie quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

"What surprised me today is the quarterback,: Gore said. "Man, he's a rookie. He's looking real good. He gets in the huddle, and he's making great reads. I told him, 'Man, you're doing a great job.' "

Gore's upbeat return helped take the sting off nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin's departure for the New Orleans Saints after reaching a one-year deal, according to ESPN. Franklin is the fourth defensive starter to head elsewhere, the others being cornerback Nate Clements (Cincinnati Bengals) and linebackers Manny Lawson (Bengals) and Takeo Spikes (San Diego Chargers). Safety Dashon Goldson remains on the free-agent market.

Harbaugh downplayed those exits and instead relished Gore's vocal leadership and "extremely fast" speed through the line of scrimmage.
"He gives young backs a good example of what a top-notch pro looks like," Harbaugh said.

Second-year running back Anthony Dixon welcomed back the "funny dude" he rotates with in the backfield: "It's good to have him back. Frank brings confidence. He's got great talent."

Gore showed no signs of trouble from the broken right hip he sustained Nov. 29. He did have his left ankle taped 30 minutes into practice but soon was taking handoffs -- from Harbaugh -- in a running-backs drill.

"I felt good out there, and I'm happy to be back," Gore said. "I want to tell my friends I'm sorry about the little holdup. But I'm back and ready to go to work."

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(mercurynews.com)

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Frank Gore practiced Tuesday with the San Francisco 49ers for the first time this offseason, breathing life into an offense that has been working this summer without several top players.

The two-time Pro Bowl running back ended his four-day holdout Monday and was back on the field a day later as the 49ers conducted their second padded practice of camp.

Gore was welcomed back by a new coaching staff and several players that have been anticipating his arrival.

"I almost hugged him and gave him a kiss, but I tried to play it cool," wide receiver Josh Morgan said. "It was really exciting to see him."

Gore, who missed San Francisco's final five games last season with a fractured hip, is in the final year of his contract with the 49ers that will pay him $2.9 million this season with a $2 million roster bonus. He is seeking a contract extension.

Gore said the holdout was a mutual decision between him and agent Drew Rosenhaus. But a few days away from the team was all it took to convince Gore to return.

"I love the game and I missed the game," Gore said. "I'm a football player and I missed being out here with my team. I'm here to get better and try to take this organization where it needs to go."

Gore has led the 49ers in rushing every year since being drafted in 2005, including a team-record four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 2006-2009. Gore was on his way to extending that string last season before his injury. He finished the season with 853 yards rushing and 46 receptions for 452 yards.

The 49ers are installing a new offense this summer under new coach Jim Harbaugh, and Gore once again figures to be a key component of San Francisco's attack. Harbaugh wasted no time giving Gore extensive duty with the first-team offense during his first day back.

"There's quite a difference in communication when he's in the huddle," Harbaugh said. "I'm very impressed with the way he hits the hole extremely quick and fast. It raises the competition and gives some of our young backs an example of what a top-notch pro looks like."

The 49ers had second-year player Anthony Dixon and rookie Kendall Hunter taking most of the snaps at halfback with the first unit during previous camp practices.

Gore was a welcome addition to an offensive huddle that also has been missing incumbent starting quarterback Alex Smith and No. 1 wide receiver Michael Crabtree.

Smith and other free agents that recently signed contracts with the team can't practice until Thursday, and Crabtree has a foot injury that could keep him out several weeks.

Gore spent the offseason working out near his home in Miami and did not participate in player-organized 49ers workouts in June that were attended by most of his offensive teammates at San Jose State University.

The entire offensive tempo seemed to pick up with Gore back on the field.

"Frank's a leader on this football team and the energy is up," tackle Joe Staley said. "Any time Frank's back there, he's going to take care of business. Just having him back on the field, his presence, is good for everybody and it raises spirits. The way he prepares and the way he communicates is a standard to live up to."

Harbaugh said "diligent" contract negotiations continue with Gore's representatives and he expects there to be a resolution on a new deal "sooner rather than later."

"Frank's a 49er and we want Frank here," Harbaugh said. "We want Frank happy, too."

Said Gore: "I want to be a 49er forever, and if the contract comes, it comes. I felt like a kid out there today, and I'm just happy to be back. I'm sorry about the little holdup, but I'm back and I'm ready to go to work and get better."

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(espn.com)

Disgruntled San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore plans to end his holdout and report to training camp, first-year coach Jim Harbaugh told CSNBayArea.com on Sunday.

"I talked to Frank and it is my understanding that he is headed to Santa Clara," Harbaugh told the website. "I feel good about that. I'm really excited about that."

Gore has missed four days of camp while he openly seeks a new contract.

"He's coming back under his deal, and we'll earnestly look at that, in terms of extending," Harbaugh told CSNBayArea.com.

Gore, the heart of the 49ers' offense, is in the final year of his deal. He has been deemed healthy by his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, who hasn't responded to phone messages or emails from The Associated Press.

Gore went down with a season-ending fractured hip in a Monday night game at Arizona last Nov. 29. Gore, who avoided surgery on the hip, ran for 853 yards and three touchdowns in his sixth NFL season and caught 46 passes for 452 yards and two TDs.

He can be fined $30,000 for each day of camp missed under the new NFL labor agreement.

On Saturday, San Francisco general manager Trent Baalke said the 49ers were prepared to play without Gore this season.

"I think you always have to be prepared for everything that comes up. So are we prepared to (play without him)? Certainly," Baalke said. "There are other players that are going to have to step up. But at the same time, we fully expect Frank to be back."

(espn.com)

San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore will be 29 years old when his current contract expires following the 2011 season.

Gore apparently -- and correctly, in my view -- realizes teams won't be lining up to pay him lavishly at that time.

That's the best explanation for Gore's decision to hold out when the 49ers open training camp Thursday, as ESPN's Adam Schefter says Gore plans to do.

A few facts and opinions:
• Gore's contract pays him $2.9 million in salary with a $2 million roster bonus this season. His cap number is $7.1 million thanks to more than $2.1 million in bonus proration. The deal averages $6.9 million.

• The 49ers need Gore. Finding a way to resolve this issue and get Gore on the field will serve the team well. But there's no way the 49ers can give into Gore's demands while general manager Trent Baalke and coach Jim Harbaugh are still establishing themselves. This is a chance for Baalke, Harbaugh and the 49ers to take a stand. Gore will show up eventually.

• Running backs tend to wind down near age 30. Gore missed the final five games to injury last season. This was going to be his final big-money contract, most likely.

• Gore will take heat publicly if he does stay away, I predict. His timing is poor following the lockout. Fans love Gore, but it's tough for some to relate to someone turning up his nose at millions.

• Gore's agent is Drew Rosenhaus, who has experience taking these things public. I'm not expecting any driveway news conferences, however.

This is no way for the Harbaugh era to begin on the field, but he's in it for the long haul. He'll be there long after Gore is there. The 49ers have been talking all along about the long term. I doubt they'll cave to short-term demands here, even for a highly-respected player such as Gore.


(espn.com)

San Francisco 49ers' offense lacked subtlety under former coach Mike Singletary. That was the point. Singletary vowed to "hit people in the mouth" with a power running game.

If opponents loaded up against the run, too bad. The 49ers were going to establish physical dominance anyway. That was the mentality.

The 49ers' new coaching staff shares similar values, with a twist: more sophisticated run-game scheming from coach Jim Harbaugh.

"It's not that my running style will change," running back Frank Gore told Jonathan Jones of SI.com. "He's just going to get me catching the ball more and getting me a lot of space. He'll be doing a lot of different things instead of [running against] the eight or nine men in the box. He's just trying to get the box loosened up for me."

Questions arose upon reading that passage. How effective were the 49ers running against defenses with eight or more defenders in the box? Did Gore run against these fronts a disproportionate amount of the time? Might a shift in approach help extend his career?

Jason Starrett of ESPN Stats & Information came through with a file showing how NFL teams and running backs have fared in these situations over the past two seasons. I'll break out some of the findings below.

1. Gore was leading the NFL in yards per carry last season against defenses showing eight or more defenders in the box.

Twenty-three players had at least 25 carries in these situations through Week 12 last season, when Gore suffered a season-ending hip injury.
ore ranked only 19th on the list with 26 such carries, but he averaged an impressive 6.4 yards per attempt on them. That was the highest average among players with at least 25 attempts against these fronts.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' Rashard Mendenhall led the NFL with 70 such carries. He was among eight players with at least 45.

Mendenhall faced eight or more in the box on 29.4 percent of his carries through Week 12, compared to only 12.8 percent for Gore.

Such percentages vary for backs across the league. The Houston Texans' Arian Foster, who ranked second to Mendenhall with 57 carries against defenses with at least eight defenders in the box through Week 12, was at 25.4 percent. Seattle's Marshawn Lynch was at 24 percent. The St. Louis Rams' Steven Jackson was at 13.8 percent.

Brandon Jacobs (5.7), Adrian Peterson (5.6) and Chris Ivory joined Gore in averaging at least five yards per carry on these runs.

The seven lowest averages: Cedric Benson (1.3), Lynch (1.7), Marion Barber (1.7), Jackson (2.1), LaDainian Tomlinson (2.1), Ray Rice (2.4) and Chris Johnson (2.5).

The stats do not take into account variables such as down, distance, game situation or personnel groups. They tell us Gore wasn't especially likely to run the ball against defenses with eight or more defenders in the box.

2. Gore's carries against defenses showing eight or more defenders in the box have declined recently.

In 2009, Gore carried 84 times for 358 yards and a 4.3-yard average against these defenses. That worked out to six such carries per game for the 14 games Gore played. The average fell to 2.4 per game last season.

What changed from 2009 to 2010?

The 49ers changed offensive coordinators early in the 2010 season. Troy Smith brought a boom-or-bust dynamic to the offense for a while. The 49ers also added about five snaps per game with more than two wide receivers on the field, inviting different looks from opposing defenses. Gore's short-yardage carries did not vary much.

The offensive line changed.

First-round draft choices Mike Iupati and Anthony Davis started as rookies, with Iupati quickly establishing himself as an emerging player. David Baas took over at center. Right guard Chilo Rachal stood out to Pro Football Focus for improved run blocking. And rookie Nate Byham showed signs of becoming one of the better blocking tight ends in the league.

No matter the reason, Gore's carries against stacked fronts were already on the decline.

3. The number of blockers available matters, but the stats are confusing.

ESPN Stats & Information charts box counts apart from whether or not boxes were "loaded" with more defenders than available blockers.

Improbably, the 49ers led the NFL in 2009 with a 5.4-yard average against loaded boxes featuring at least eight defenders. They ranked only 29th that year with a 2.2-yard average when facing eight or more in the box in "unloaded" situations that should have proven more favorable.

This makes little sense on the surface.

The stats flipped in 2010. San Francisco ranked 25th with a 2.5-yard average against loaded boxes featuring at least eight defenders. They ranked second only to Houston with a 5.4-yard average when facing eight or more in the box in unloaded (more favorable) situations.

This makes more sense.

It's possible the 49ers' reliance on heavier personnel -- formations featuring two backs and/or two tight ends -- affected their averages in unexpected ways. For now, though, I'm not drawing any conclusions from the "loaded" and "unloaded" breakdowns.

They're a load of confusion at this point.

4. These stats included information of interest for teams other than the 49ers. More on that in a separate item (or two).

For example, the Arizona Cardinals' Beanie Wells faced less favorable running situations a very high percentage of the time.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(espn.com)

Frank Gore has been one of the most consistent backs in the league since he entered the NFL in 2005. But the closest his San Francisco 49ers have come to the playoffs was last year when they went 6-10, just a game behind NFC West champ Seattle. Now Gore has a new coach in Jim Harbaugh and is recovering from his 2010 season-ending hip injury. He spoke with SI.com's Jonathan Jones about the offensive-minded Harbaugh, his reaction to the James Harrison rant and how Terrelle Pryor looks in workouts.

SI.com: What are your initial impressions of new head coach Jim Harbaugh and how do you think he will benefit you?
Gore: Talking to him, you can tell that he's a very smart man. He told me that before I left to make sure that I'm in great shape after the lockout because he'll be counting on me this year. He also told me the way he's going to use me and show the whole world that I'm the best back in the league.

SI.com: How will he be able to do that?
Gore: It's not that my running style will change. He's just going to get me catching the ball more and getting me a lot of space. He'll be doing a lot of different things instead of the eight or nine men in the box. He's just trying to get the box loosened up for me.

SI.com: The writing was on the walls for Singletary's firing. What were your thoughts on your coach for the previous two seasons being shown the door?
Gore: In the league you got to win, you know? I love him and the attitude but you have to win. And I understand that. I think with our coach now, just going over little stuff on all sides of the ball, I think a lot of teams will a tough time defending us after just listening to what Harbaugh has talked about. He knows offense and I think that'll help us a lot. He played in the league. He was one of the best quarterbacks in the league at his time so he knows what he's talking about.

SI.com: How's your hip doing and do you think you'll be back to your 2009 form when you posted some of your best career numbers?
Gore: I feel great I've been working very hard. I've been taking one day at a time with my trainers with my therapy people. I'll be fine. I'll probably be a little nervous when I first touch the field. But being scared to move or make cuts or do anything? Nah I'll be great.

SI.com: The 49ers drafted Oklahoma State running back Kendall Hunter in the fourth round. What did that pick tell you and do you feel any pressure heading into training camp?
Gore: They let me know like they always do. I don't put nothing past no man who ever played the game of football. It let me know that I have to come in and prepare to work and I'm going to do that. I know we also need a backup if we don't bring Brian Westbrook back. And Kendall is a similar style guy and has a similar style of play (to Westbrook). But I'm not scared of any kind of competition. If I ever was, I would have never went to Miami where there are running backs everywhere. I'm not scared of any man.

SI.com: How much truth was there in James Harrison's most recent rant?
Gore: Hold up, what happened? I haven't heard anything about that.

SI.com: Well he called Roger Goodell a devil and a puppet. He said he wouldn't piss on him if he were on fire. And he called out Ben Roethlisberger to stop trying to act like Peyton Manning and said Rashard Mendenhall is a fumble machine.
Gore: I have no comments to that. He's a great defensive player but I've got no comments to that. He had his ups and downs and took his fines.

SI.com: How does it make you feel when defensive players call out offensive players?
Gore: Defensive guys don't really understand. It's totally different for offense. Defensive guys are convinced they know us but they just don't understand. Quarterbacks have so much that they have to read and adjust to. They have to look at everybody on the defense. It's totally different for the offense.

SI.com: The team has two quarterbacks in Alex Smith and Troy Smith, but in the past couple seasons neither has really shined. Do the 49ers need a Hall-of-Fame caliber QB in order to make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2002?
Gore: I just think that getting on the same page and everybody going out and playing ball. Alex is our quarterback and I think Alex can do it and I know he has a lot of talent. His career has had some ups and downs. Like last year, if he had never got hurt he would have had a great year. If he can just come out and play football with all the talent we have, we'll be fine.

SI.com: Because of the lockout, you've had more time to do...
Gore: To get better. To spend more time with my trainer in Miami who I feel very comfortable with to get me ready for the season whenever the season starts.

SI.com: You worked out with Terrelle Pryor recently. What did you see out of the guy and how do you think he'll fare in the NFL?
Gore: One thing I know being around him the first time working out with him, I know that every team likes a guy who's going to try their best and work very hard. He works very, very hard. I've seen him out there by himself throwing drop backs 100 yards. He wants to do everything right and if he does that, I think he'll be fine.

SI.com: Lil Wayne recently dropped a new mixtape, but in 2007 Lil Wayne mentioned you in his mixtape song "Get High, Screw Da World." What did that do for your street cred?
Gore: I didn't hear it at first but then a lot of people starting calling my phone saying, 'Aw Lil' Wayne talking about you on his new song.' I got the CD and I heard it. I was real surprised. It let me know that a lot of people see what I do out there. It's real big.

SI.com: The U is obviously known for its swag, but Al Golden doesn't really embody what some would consider that "U swag." What's your take on him taking over the Miami job?
Gore: You can't really say that. As long as he brings discipline and let them guys play ball. Don't have them up under pressure and scared to play and make mistakes. There's a lot of talent. I feel that he'll do a good job. I go back to us, some of the things on the offensive side of the ball used to be tight just because Singletary was so tough on us. He didn't know, if he just let us play ball we knew what to do and that's how we have success. As long as he let those guys at the U be themselves, we'll be back.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(cnnsi.com)

All but two of the 49ers' returning starters from a year ago participated in the two weeks of "Camp Alex" -- the offensive workshop sessions at San Jose State that took place in June.

Although a lot was made of Michael Crabtree's level of participation, he sat in on seven of the eight classroom sessions. That was the important stuff, as quarterback/head coach/offensive coordinator Alex Smith installed a sizable portion of the 49ers' base offense.

Likewise, I attended seven of the eight days. Each day, I scribbled notes on which players attended and which players were absent during the offense-only get-togethers.

Team player director Takeo Spikes cited that scrutiny as one of the reasons he did not like the idea of players getting together for workouts during he owners-imposed lockout.

"The next thing I hate about it is the fact that some guys legitimately they can't come," Spikes said last week on the 2 Live Stews radio program. "They can't come and so when you let the media come in and tape the workouts the first thing they are going to say is, 'Where is so-and-so?' From that point, on whether it is wrong or right or indifferent, the media guys will paint a picture to the public about a guy who can't legitimately come."

He's correct. It was duly noted that running back Frank Gore and right guard Chilo Rachal were the 49ers' only returning starters who did not attend any of the sessions.

Gore is reportedly 100 percent after sustaining a hairline fracture of his right hip Nov. 29 against the Arizona Cardinals. Gore chose to remain in Miami and continue to work at Bommarito Performance Systems, rather than disrupt his physical conditioning with cross-country flights.

My take?

It's not a big deal at all because of the player we're talking about. Gore might be the most intelligent football player I've been around. Smith told me that Gore only has to see a play once to "get it down cold." Former 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan once said he would consider hiring Gore as a scout once his playing career was over.

It's amazing now to think that there were concerns when he was coming out of college about Gore's ability to digest an NFL playbook because of a learning disability. Of course, it has never been an issue.

Gore and Smith got a chance to learn a good chunk of the offense before the lockout. So with a pretty good grasp of the basics of the 49ers' offense, Gore chose to focus his attention on getting in top physical condition for the opening of training camp.

Right guard Chilo Rachal is the only other returning starter who did not attend. Word was that he had a prior commitment for the first week of "Camp Alex." No explanation was readily available for his absence during Week 2.

After the lockout, the 49ers will break into full cram mode as the coaches attempt to prepare the team for the start of the regular season, which is less than two months away.

Assuming center David Baas re-signs, Rachal is the 2010 starter whose position for the upcoming season is the most tenuous. Adam Snyder, the backup at right guard a year ago, helped Joe Staley organize all the work for the offensive linemen during the player-led workouts. Snyder knows the terminology and line calls as well as anyone right now.

My take?

The door might open for some good competition at right guard this summer.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(csnbayarea.com)

(hurricanesports.com)

13. Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers running back: Gore missed five games in 2010, and injuries remain a constant concern with him. Gore is the focus of every defense he faces and takes a beating every week. I worry that the arrow is beginning to go down on Gore’s excellent career. The drafting of Kendall Hunter could pay huge dividends for Gore and the San Francisco offense if it helps to keep the star back fresh for an entire season. Gore played the fewest games and had his worst yards-per-carry average of his career in 2010. His sub-par supporting cast obviously contributed to Gore’s decrease in rushing production, but he needs to take some of the blame as well. The play-calling and San Francisco’s young offensive line should be improved in 2011, which will help. He was better than ever in the passing game and remains a very impressive do-it-all running back.

14. Calais Campbell, Arizona Cardinals defensive end: It could be argued that Campbell is more effective than his Arizona defensive end counterpart, Dockett. To me, it is a coin flip to decide. Although he also took a slight step backward last season, Campbell is an ascending player with a boatload of talent. Only 25 years old, Campbell is still learning how to best use his outstanding length and agility while playing with proper leverage. The best should be yet to come. Mix in Dan Williams, who almost made this list, and Arizona has a chance to have a fantastic defensive line.

See the rest of the rankings here.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s or Calais Campbell’s proCane Rookie Card.


(espn.com)

Frank Gore stayed in Miami to continue rehab on his hip rather than join Alex Smith's players-only workouts this week.

We wouldn't make too much of this. Gore has always worked out like a madman in Miami, and this year is no different. He's doing all he can to ensure that the hip will not be an issue in 2011. The 28-year-old is expected to be fully healthy for the beginning of training camp.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(rotoworld.com)

With 931 yards rushing in 2011, Gore would pass Joe Perry atop the team’s career rushing list. He would have done it in just seven seasons, and since Gore just turned 28 in May, he would ostensibly have a few more seasons of quality production before his career goes into decline. Since’s Gore’s 4.7-yard average per carry entering this season ranks third in team history among the San Francisco greats, his career rushing numbers would be totally legitimate.

But numbers don’t tell everything, particularly when you are talking about great football players.

Joe “The Jet” Perry was great – one of the greatest running backs of his era. Roger Craig was great – also one of the best of his era, and certainly the greatest running back to define the 49ers during their championship dynasty of the 1980s and 1990s. Craig is the other running back besides Perry that currently stands between Gore and the top of San Francisco’s all-time rushing chart.

To be sure, other great running backs played for the 49ers. Two of them – Hugh “The King” McElhenny and O.J. Simpson – join Perry and Johnson in the Hall of Fame.

Gore stands today on a second tier of standout backs who defined the 49ers that includes Craig, Ken Willard, Garrison Hearst and J.D. Smith. The latter three names currently stand behind Gore as the Nos. 4-6 career rushers on San Francisco’s all-time list. The latter three all had great stretches with the 49ers, and there was a time while in San Francisco that each was a Pro Bowl running back considered among the very best playing the game

A few other backs had flashes of brilliance with the 49ers: Ricky Watters (a fantastic multi-threat talent despite his audacity and bravado), Delvin Williams (the NFC’s No. 2 rusher with a then-franchise record 1,203 yards rushing in 1976), Wendell Tyler (1,262 yards rushing for the 1984 Super Bowl champions) and Charlie Garner (back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 1999-2000).

But neither of those four running backs did enough with the 49ers, or was around long enough with the 49ers, to be considered in the all-time best conversation.

All the aforementioned others did and were, except for Johnson and Simpson, who were either on the way up or on the way down when they played for the 49ers. Each of those Hall of Famers spent their best days as a professional, and made their names as NFL greats, playing for other teams.

Which leaves Gore alone with Perry, McElhenny, Craig, Willard and Smith as the six greatest running backs to play for the 49ers.

Smith, who led the 49ers in rushing five consecutive seasons from 1959-1963 and was second in the NFL with 1,036 yards rushing in 1959, doesn’t quite make the final cut.

Willard led the 49ers in rushing seven consecutive seasons from 1965-1971 and went to four Pro Bowls over a five-year span. But he never broke the 1,000-yard barrier, had only one season of more than 855 yards rushing, and was more of a plodding runner than enduring threat who finished his 49ers career with a 3.7-yard average per carry.

McElhenny, whose famous misdirection runs and elusiveness provided some of the top highlight-reel material of his day – or any day – was more of a complementary threat in a loaded backfield that at one time or another also featured Perry, Johnson and Smith. McElhenny twice led the 49ers in rushing, but he needed only 478 yards to do so in 1957. He had only two seasons of more than 515 yards rushing – 684 in his rookie season of 1952 and a career-high, team-leading 916 in 1956.

Undoubtedly an all-time NFL great, McElhenny – who also had 264 career receptions and once recorded an 89-yard touchdown run, 77-yard reception and 94-yard punt return in the same season – would be a better finalist in discussion for best multi-threat player.

Which leaves Perry, Craig and Gore.

The credentials of the former two speak loud and clear.

Perry, who died in April at age 84, is San Francisco’s all-time leading rusher with 7,344 yards, averaging 4.9 a pop. He led the 49ers in rushing seven consecutive seasons from 1949-1955, then again in 1958. He was the first player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons (1,018 in 1953 and 1,049 in 1954, Perry’s two most productive seasons). Perry was a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro who was inducted into the Hall of Fame six years after his career ended.

Craig also sits ahead of Gore with 7,064 yards rushing as a 49er. He led the 49ers in rushing five consecutive seasons (1985-1989) during his wonderful career, including a 1,502-yard season in 1988, when he was the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year. Craig had three 1,000-yard seasons with the 49ers, and in 1985 – the first of his four Pro Bowl seasons – became the first player in NFL history to record 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season.

Craig also ranks third in 49ers history in receptions with 508 for 4,442 yards. His 11,506 yards from scrimmage rank second in team history behind only Jerry Rice. Just as significantly, Craig is the only running back among the six finalists to win a Super Bowl. Craig won four of them, three in seasons he was San Francisco’s lead back and leading rusher. Craig was a Hall of Fame finalist in 2010 and probably won’t have to wait many more years before he’s inducted.

Here’s how Gore stacks up with his predecessors: He has led San Francisco in rushing each of the past six seasons, and is the only player in team history to rush for 1,000 yards or more in four seasons, each of them coming consecutively from 2006-2009.

Gore’s 1,695 yards rushing and 2,180 yards from scrimmage in 2006 both are team records. His 4.7 rushing average is second among all NFL running backs since Gore entered the league in 2005. Gore’s 24 100-yard rushing games is a team record, and his 8,697 yards from scrimmage already ranks fourth in team history. He ranks 14th in team history with 270 receptions and has been to two Pro Bowls.

Significantly, Gore’s body of work has been assembled in just six seasons. And even more significantly, here is the primary reason he seriously deserves consideration with Perry and Craig today as the 49ers’ best ever:

Simply put, Gore has done it on his own.

He has produced consistently despite being a marked man in an offense that, for the most part, has had virtually no other legitimate threats and not once has finished a season higher than 23rd in the NFL rankings since Gore arrived on the scene. He has played with eight different starting quarterbacks. He has never played on a winning team.

Gore has led the 49ers in receptions twice and not once has played with a wide receiver who recorded more than 61 receptions in a season. Since joining the 49ers, Gore has played with just one other offensive skill player to make the Pro Bowl, tight end Vernon Davis, and just one lineman to earn that status, guard Larry Allen.

Gore has carried the San Francisco offense every season since becoming a starter in 2006 and still consistently produced star numbers. Perry and Craig never had to do that.

Perry played in a powerhouse backfield, the legendary “Million Dollar Backfield” at that, which had three other players that would reach the Hall of Fame. Enough said.

Craig played for one of the greatest enduring offenses in NFL history, an attack that featured two Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Joe Montana and Steve Young, a Hall of Fame wide receiver, Jerry Rice, and a host of other Pro Bowl stars who were among the best at their positions at that time. During Craig’s eight seasons as a regular starter, the 49ers had an offensive player selected to the Pro Bowl 24 times. Enough said.

So if Gore passes Craig and Perry to become San Francisco’s all-time leading rusher this season, does he become the 49ers’ greatest ever?

The answer, of course, is no.

From this vantage point, Craig is the greatest running back in franchise history. He was a magnificent dual-threat halfback who also had the size and power to start at fullback early in his career. And, bottom line, he was a star on four Super Bowl champions. The 49ers might not have won all four of those Lombardi trophies without him.

But give Gore time. He figures to again be the central figure in San Francisco’s offense this season, working in a new system designed by coach Jim Harbaugh that should take full advantage of Gore’s diverse skills.

And despite the wear and tear Gore has absorbed during his career, including a fractured right hip that ended his season after 11 games last year, Gore’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, recently sent out this status report regarding his client via twitter: “(Gore)’s 100% healthy and fully recovered from his hip injury. He’s never looked better!”

To be sure, Gore has looked pretty good so far as a 49er. He will be a free agent after the 2011 season, and Gore’s return to the team in 2012 and beyond is essential for him to add to his credentials as a franchise great.

But if Gore does play further into this decade with the 49ers, and can finally get this floundering franchise into the playoffs and turn it into a winner again, he will earn status as the best ever, if he isn’t there already.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(sfo.scout.com)

Kyle from Rockford, Ill., doesn't see why ESPN.com voters would favor Steven Jackson over Frank Gore in the recent Power Rankings. Gore has a higher average per carry and more touchdowns. Also, the difference in games missed over the past three seasons -- nine for Gore, five for Jackson -- was not all that significant.

Mike Sando: I suspect how the players finished last season influenced perceptions of them. Gore's totals last season were down because he missed the final five games to injury. This is a good discussion to have, however, because both backs are outstanding. How they run and for whom they run will influence preferences. One is a Mustang, the other a Camaro. Both are classics. Both rank among the more productive backs in the NFL over the past few seasons.

We should appreciate both players while we can. The position they play exacts high physical costs. It'll be an upset if both are still producing at high levels even two seasons from now. It could be an upset if both are with their current teams beyond the 2011 season. Gore is entering the final year of his contract with the 49ers. He recently turned 28. The final two years of Jackson's contract can void after the 2011 season. He turns 28 in July. Running backs rarely produce past their late 20s.

Which back is better? This is a discussion I'd like to open for debate. Jackson has clear size advantages over just about every back in the NFL. He is physically superior. Gore's ability to produce on a similar level despite being much smaller stands as part of his appeal. There's no way Gore should be so powerful and punishing, but he is.

Both players are exceedingly tough. They play with admirable heart. Gore's 2010 season ended with a broken hip, but there's no video of him getting carted off or laying on the field. He actually came back into the game after suffering the injury. The 49ers had to hide his helmet to make sure he remained on the sideline. Jackson gives up nothing to Gore in this category. He has played through a back injury that required surgery even though his team was struggling toward a 1-15 record. He has played through numerous other injuries, including groin and finger problems last season.

Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. recently downgraded Jackson as a player who had "lost a step" and could no longer make big plays in the open field. Was this simply a reflection of a groin injury limiting Jackson's stride? Or is he markedly less explosive?

The stats show Jackson breaking seven runs of at least 20 yards last season. He had 10 in 2009 and six in 2008. Gore had six last season, 11 the year before and eight in 2008. Fourteen players had at least eight last season, including Tim Hightower (eight). Darren McFadden led the NFL with 14 such runs. Maurice Jones-Drew, one of the more explosive players in the league, had eight such plays. Adrian Peterson had nine. Marshawn Lynch had five.

I've put together a chart showing cumulative rushing yardage totals for both players over the past three seasons. Jackson has played in four additional games during that span. Some of the statistical comparisons are imperfect, but the overall body of work does favor Jackson, in my view. The fact that he has missed fewer games during that span skews some of the comparisons, but Jackson was also more valuable for his ability to play in additional games.

2008-2010 Rushing Yardage Totals

Rushing Category	Frank Gore	Steven Jackson
Games Played	39	43
Total Yards	3,009	3,699
September	803	771
October	790	1,048
November	829	803
December	480	969
January	107	108
First quarter	1,008	967
Second quarter	653	1,173
Third quarter	821	881
Fourth quarter	487	676
Overtime	40	2
Games 1-8	1,684	1,968
Games 9-16	1,325	1,731
Left sideline	268	218
Left side	374	977
Middle	1,394	980
Right side	685	1,049
Right sideline	288	475
Own 1- to 20-yard line	728	639
Own 21- to 50-yard line	1,262	1,729
Opponent 49- to 20-yard line	726	1,101
Opponent 19- to 1-yard line	257	230
Inside opponent's 10-yard line	111	57
First down	1,675	2,086
Second down	1,077	1,391
Third down	245	195
Fourth Down	12	27
Third-and-short	113	105
vs. NFC West	1,169	1,186
vs. Arizona	444	379
vs. Seattle	425	428
Home	1,897	1,995
Away	1,112	1,704

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.

Alan from Long Beach, Calif., cannot understand why Frank Gore's stock seems to be dropping in various NFL rankings, including the ones ESPN.com has put together recently. Alan considers Gore more valuable to the 49ers than any back is to his team, but he's seeking confirmation.

Mike Sando: Gore ranked tied for 10th in our balloting for best running backs in the NFL this offseason. I ranked Gore seventh behind Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Steven Jackson, Arian Foster and Jamaal Charles. Gore has missed nine games over the past three seasons, including the final five in 2010, and he was limited in other games.

Gore recently turned 28 years old. I still think he's among the very best backs in the NFL when healthy. He hasn't been healthy enough lately. His carries have diminished every season since 2006, but his production has been consistently strong. He's tough, runs hard and breaks tackles. He catches the ball well and set a career best last season by averaging 9.8 yards per reception. He blocks well in protection.

Gore has no weaknesses beyond concerns about his durability. Those concerns are real based on games missed and age relative to the 30-year-old barrier that has struck down plenty of running backs. The 49ers keep drafting running backs as insurance, but Gore remains their best back by a wide margin. I'd expect him to start the next two seasons and remain as productive as injuries allow him to be. His line should improve and that will help.

The chart lists the top 10 running backs in our rankings while providing basic rushing stats for them over the past three seasons. I've also included how many games they've played and how many they've missed to injury or other factors.

2011 RB Power Rankings: Three-Year Rushing Totals

Power	RB	Team	Games	DNP	Carries	Yards	Avg.	TD
1	Chris Johnson	Titans	47	1	925	4,598	5.0	34
2	Adrian Peterson	Vikings	47	1	960	4,441	4.6	40
3	Maurice Jones-Drew	Jaguars	46	2	808	3,539	4.4	32
4	Arian Foster	Texans	22	10	381	1,873	4.9	19
5	Jamaal Charles	Chiefs	47	1	487	2,944	6.1	12
6	Michael Turner	Falcons	43	5	888	3,941	4.4	39
7	Steven Jackson	Rams	48	5	907	3,699	4.1	17
8	Ray Rice	Ravens	45	3	668	3,013	4.5	12
9	Rashard Mendenhall	Steelers	36	12	585	2,439	4.2	20
10	Frank Gore	49ers	39	9	672	3,009	4.5	19
10	LeSean McCoy	Jets	31	1	362	1,717	4.7	11
10	Darren McFadden	Raiders	38	10	440	2,013	4.6	12

(espn.com)

Running back Frank Gore, whose season ended in late November when he sustained a hairline fracture of his right hip, is completely healed from the the injury, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus.

"I watched Frank Gore work out and he is 100% healthy and fully recovered from his hip injury," Rosenhaus wrote Friday evening on Twitter. "He's never looked better!"

The injury did not require surgery. Gore has been rehabilitating primarily in Miami, his hometown, this offseason. Following the Nov. 29 injury, Gore was cleared to resume running on Feb. 28.

Gore's team-record streak ended at four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He still led the 49ers with 853 yards and three touchdowns before his injury, which occurred in the first quarter of the team's 11th game -- on a Monday night against the Arizona Cardinals. At the time, Gore also led the 49ers with 46 receptions for 452 yards and two touchdowns.

Gore, 28, a six-year veteran, is a a two-time NFC Pro Bowl selection. He enters the final year of his 49ers contract.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.


(csnbayarea.com)

Comments

Running back Frank Gore enters the final year of his contract, and the 49ers have now selected running backs in the past three drafts. While the 49ers are planning for life without Gore as the 49ers' every-down back, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said the club has no intention of running him out of town. "I think you always have to plan for the future," 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said upon the selection of Oklahoma State running Kendall Hunter. "We look at Frank as a 49er and a guy that we would love to have here for his career. This isn't a move to try to replace Frank by any stretch. He's a 49er. Those are the guys that we want to keep in the fold. This is just a chance for us to add a quality player at a position that we needed another player at." The 49ers selected 236-pound Anthony Dixon in the sixth round of the 2010 draft and a year earlier, the 49ers invested a third-round selection in power-running Glen Coffee who abruptly retired last summer during training camp. Dixon ended up sharing time with veteran Brian Westbrook after Gore's injury and gained 237 yards on 70 attempts.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.



(gridironfans.com)

New 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh ran the ball on 58.9 percent of his offensive plays while at Stanford.

Harbaugh may have been a quarterback in the NFL, but he likes to build his offense around a power running game. He's already stated that he wants to "build a bully." Workhorse Frank Gore certainly fits that mold and projects to be among the league leaders in carries net season.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.



(rotoworld.com)

Welcome to our 1st annual and long overdue proCane Rankings where we look back at the 2010 NFL season and rank the 43 proCanes that took snaps in 2010 (except for Sinorice Moss who was placed on IR before the start of the season).

Stay tuned as we countdown from number 43 to number 1. Our rankings are based on each player’s performance last year. In August we’ll go ahead and re-rank the player’s based on our 2011 expectations. For now read our review of each player’s 2010 season and where they rank overall. Enjoy!

To read our rankings of players 43-35, click here.

34. Tavares Gooden LB Baltimore Ravens: The knock on Gooden since his college days has been his inability to stay healthy and 2010 unfortunately was no exception as Gooden played in 10 games, he did not start any and only tallied 18 total tackles last season. He was used by the Ravens on obvious passing situations because of his speed and coverage skills, but missed six games due to injury and was not able to secure a starting spot. At one point the Ravens saw Gooden as Ray Lewis’ successor but his inability to stay healthy has put that in doubt. It would be great to see him be able to play an entire season, hopefully 2011 will be the year.

33. Kelly Jennings DB Seattle Seahawks: Jennings under new Head Coach Pete Carroll had a solid mini camp which translated to him starting 14 games for the Seahawks and tallying a career high 13 pass deflections. Jennings also had his first interception since his rookie season in 2006, was far more consistent this year and wasn’t pushed around as much by opposing receivers. Jennings will be a free agent, but look for him to draw interest from teams including the Seahawks.

32. Rashad Butler LT Houston Texans: Butler who has been activated for all 16 games the last two years for the Texans started four games this past season and performed quite well at left tackle. Butler as a matter of fact opened the eyes of opposing coaches with his solid play and most probably will be snatched up by a team in need of a starting left tackle this offseason.

31. Phillip Buchanon DB Washington Redskins: In his first year with the Redskins, Buchanon, who played in all 16 games and started 5 had a career high in pass deflections (18) and recorded two interceptions. Overall, Buchanon had a solid year, but was at times inconsistent and found himself in Shanahan and Co.’s doghouse on several occasions. Buchanon didn’t contribute as much as was anticipated on punt returns but is still a threat on special teams as well. With one year under his belt with the Redskins look for Buchanon to have a bigger impact in 2011.

30. Calais Campbell DE Arizona Cardinals: There were high expectations coming into the 2010 season for Campbell as he was expected to record double digit sacks and more than adequately replace free-agent departee Antonio Smith. Unfortunately in 15 games Campbell only recorded six sacks, 1 less than the 2009 season though he did have more total tackles (60). The 2011 season will be an important one for Campbell to prove that he can be an elite pass rusher in the NFL, because most expected him to already be one.

29. Darryl Sharpton LB Houston Texans: Sharpton in his rookie season with the Texans was a surprise contributor on defense as he started 6 of the 12 games he was active for before sustaining an injury which ended his season prematurely. When playing though, Sharpton was solid both on special teams and defense where he accumulated 34 tackles and a sack. Look for Sharpton to work his way up the Texan depth chart and eventually become a full-time starter, if not in 2011 then 2012.

28. Vernon Carey RT Miami Dolphins: Carey battled a knee injury for most of the 2010 season but still started 12 games for the Dolphins before being put on injured reserve. Carey playing with a below average Dolphins offensive line was one of the few bright spots. Carey has been solid throughout his career and talk of him moving to the guard position is unfounded. Carey, though still recovering from his knee injury should be 100% by the start of the season.

27. Roscoe Parrish WR Buffalo Bills: Parrish was having the best season of his six-year career as through eight games he had career-high receiving yards, rushing yards and receiving touchdowns. Parrish was the Bills’ #2 wide receiver after finally being given opportunity to shine on offense while he continued to be a threat on punt returns as well. Unfortunately his season was cut short in week 8 after he sustained a season-ending wrist injury, but look for him to return as a starter to the Bills’ offense despite the emergence of Steve Johnson last season.

26. Frank Gore RB San Francisco 49ers: Gore was on pace to have another stellar season for the 49ers with their new-found dedication to the running game. Through 11 games Gore had 853 yards on the ground and over 450 yard receiving along with five touchdowns before fracturing his hip and being placed on injured reserve. It was the fourth consecutive season that Gore was unable to play in all 16 games, but when Gore is healthy, there are few in the league that are better than him especially with how involved he has become in the passing game as well.

Check back tomorrow to see which proCanes were ranked 25th through 16th!

The 49ers' workhorse runner, Frank Gore, has missed games in each of the last four seasons with injuries. He is not expected to be slowed by his latest, a broken hip, in 2011. However, he is entering the final year of his contract.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.



(sacbee.com)

Frank Gore ranked only tied for 10th in ESPN.com's rankings for running backs despite my efforts to acknowledge his consistent production and all-around game.

The hip injury that shortened Gore's 2010 season capped his production at 853 yards. I think it knocked down Gore in voters' eyes or at least gave them a reason to focus on other backs. That's what happens sometimes in this type of voting. Decisions can be close, so voters look for reasons to discount candidates.

I ranked Gore seventh on my ballot. James Walker had Gore ninth. John Clayton had him 10th. None of the other voters ranked Gore among their top 10.

Paul Kuharsky, in preparing his overall piece on the balloting, asked me to break down Gore relative to Ray Rice, Michael Turner and Darren McFadden. My response:
Gore was fast approaching his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season in 2010 when a hip injury sidelined him. That knocked him down on this list. Before that, I think he was perceived as a top-five back in the league, or right in there.

Gore ranked fourth in rushing yards from 2006 through 2009. He is a complete back. He stays low when he runs and he breaks tackles. He catches the ball well. He's a willing and sometimes violent blocker in pass protection.

Relative to the backs you mentioned, Gore has certainly played at a high level longer than Rice, Turner or McFadden. He's produced across systems for a team that has had a different offensive coordinator every season of his career. He's never had a quarterback to take pressure off him. Defenses have known what was coming and Gore has kept coming anyway. It's bitten into his production and taken a toll on his body, but he has produced.

Earlier this month, I answered a mailbag question wondering whether this was the right time to trade Gore. It's one of those questions to consider separately from the emotional connections we make with players based on how they play, what they represent on the field, how they carry themselves and the like.

Gore is to the point in his career where it's natural to wonder whether the game is catching up to his body. Because of that, the team will have a decision to make once Gore's contract expires following the 2011 season.

But there should be no diminishing what Gore has meant to the 49ers or, in my view, that he can still rank among the NFL's very best, health permitting.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.



(espn.com)

The coaches and schemes may change in San Francisco, but Frank Gore always remains the centerpiece of the offense.
49ers coach Jim Harbaugh has indicated of late that won’t be changing under his watch.

“Having studied our team and our own personnel and other backs across the league, I really think Frank Gore is one of the best running backs in the National Football League and one of the most complete backs,” Harbaugh said.

San Francisco’s best player is also healing quickly after suffering a hip fracture during the 2010 season.  Gore told Matt Maiocco of Comcast Bay Area that he was cleared to begin running again on February 28.  His injury did not require surgery.

When Harbaugh talked about the running back position recently, he failed to mention Brian Westbrook.  It appears very unlikely Westbrook will be back with the team.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.



(profootballtalk.com)

Since the 49ers decided to ship off Kevan Barlow during training camp in 2006, Frank Gore has been the central figure of the team's offense.
The 49ers were more reliant on Gore than ever in 2010. Rarely did another running back touch the ball before Gore sustained a season-ending hairline fracture of his right hip Nov. 29 against the Arizona Cardinals.

After Gore was no longer available, Brian Westbrook and Anthony Dixon shared the playing time. Looking to the future, it will be interesting to see what changers are made new set of eyes on offense.

New coach Jim Harbaugh loves a strong running game. It's doubtful Westbrook will be back. Dixon should continue to get better over time, and he should be capable of taking on more responsibility.

Fullback Moran Norris might be comforted to know that Harbaugh does not expect the fullback to be a huge threat with the ball in his hand. After all, Owen Marecic, considered the top fullback in the draft, carried just 23 times for 46 yards and caught just nine passes all season for the Cardinal.

Here's a player-by-player look at the 49ers' running backs who finished the season on the team:

20 Brian Westbrook: Before Frank Gore's season-ending injury, Westbrook played just 36 snaps of offense in 10 games. After Gore was no longer available, Westbrook was on the field more than 70-percent of the time. Westbrook tore the Arizona Cardinals to shreds in two games, gaining 215 yards on 36 rushing attempts. In his other 41 carries, Westbrook accounted for just 125 yards. Clearly at the back end of his career, Westbrook was not as effective as an every-down back, but the 49ers could have done more to get him involved earlier in the season and take some of the load off Gore.
21 Frank Gore: Gore was playing at a very high level -- other than the loss to the Eagles in which he lost his only two fumbles of the season. Gore rushed for 853 yards and caught 46 passes for 452 yards before his season came to an end with a broken right hip against the Arizona Cardinals. Gore never wanted to come off the field, and the 49ers apparently never wanted him to come off the field. Gore was the 49ers' best runner. And of the running backs, he was also the team's best receiver and best in pass protection. That is why the team had a difficult time finding any role for the others.
24 Anthony Dixon: Dixon is a big, powerful back who needs to learn how to run like a big, powerful back. He definitely showed flashes with some very nice runs. But he also frustrated the coaching staff with too much dancing, some missed assignments and difficulty with the simple things, such as making sure he was wearing the right kind of cleats to maintain traction on slippery fields. Dixon played just 16 offensive snaps in the first 10 games before Gore's injury. Dixon finished with 237 yards rushing on 70 rushing attempts. He should continue to prove that he is capable of taking on a larger role in the offense.
44 Moran Norris: He did a good enough job as a straight-ahead lead-blocker for Gore. But Norris is getting up there in age (he turns 33 in June), and Harbaugh might want someone more athletic and versatile. The club felt like it had more options with Delanie Walker as a second tight end, rather than with Norris as the second back.

(csnbayarea.com)

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports that 49ers running back Frank Gore is well ahead of schedule from his fractured hip. Gore has been running on the hip for the past two weeks. Coming back from devastating injuries is nothing new for Gore and he appears to be in line to take part in mini-camps in June. The 49ers have to address the quarterback position this offseason, but if they're able to do so, Gore could be a top five running back once again in 2011.

Click here to order Frank Gore’s proCane Rookie Card.



(gridironfans.com)