The San Francisco 49ers have 15 potential unrestricted free agents who would hit the market when the new league year begins on March 10. Let’s start a countdown of sorts, then, and begin with a look at the franchise’s all-time leading rusher.
Running back Frank Gore
A third-round pick of the 49ers in the 2005 draft out of Miami, Gore, with 11,073 yards, is one of just 10 players with at least 10,000 rushing yards in 10 seasons. He turns 32 in May.
49ers career: A tad undersized at 5-feet-9, 215 pounds, and coming out of college as somewhat damaged goods, so to speak, having torn an ACL, Gore nonetheless became the heart and soul of the 49ers. He has had 1,000-yard rushing seasons in eight of his 10 years, missing only as a rookie and in his sixth season, when he played in just 11 games. The five-time Pro Bowler was the epitome of the 49ers’ successful power running game when they made three straight trips to the NFC title game following the 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons. Many fans still wonder why he was not given the ball when the 49ers were at Baltimore’s 5-yard line late in Super Bowl XLVII, the 49ers instead attempting three failed passes in an eventual 34-31 defeat.
Argument for keeping Gore: Have I mentioned that Gore is the heart and soul of this team? Of course I have. Though general manager Trent Baalke insists the 49ers are not rebuilding, rather, they are reloading, what better bullet to have in the chamber than a veteran who already knows the ropes in Santa Clara? The key, though, would be to not give in to temptation and shower the on-the-wrong-side-of-30 running back with a big contract. I know, easier said than done. But look, Gore showed there is still tread on his tires by rushing for more than 300 yards in the last two weeks of the season.
Argument for letting Gore walk: Well, he will be 32 and running backs are known to wear out quickly on that side of 30. It’s fair to say the 49ers got Gore in his prime, milked him for all he was worth, and if they could do it to Joe Montana, who won rings, then sure, they could turn the page on Gore a year early rather than a year too late. Plus, they have a bigger, cheaper and younger alternative waiting in the wings in second-year back Carlos Hyde, and Kendall Hunter will be coming back off a knee injury. And before Gore went off at the end of the season -- after the 49ers were eliminated from playoff consideration -- he was essentially a forgotten man in the offense.
A bold prediction: The 49ers test the waters with an incentive-laden contract -- the tag price for a running back, meanwhile, is expected to be $10.8 million -- and Gore, who believes their best shot at winning a Super Bowl is now coaching at the University of Michigan, turns his nose up at the deal and looks elsewhere. The Indianapolis Colts, perhaps?
