A new RB approach for 49ers

By Dan Davis  |   Friday, June 20, 2008  |  Comments( 20 )

San Francisco 49ers
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With Alex Smith seemingly emerging and rising from the ashes like the phoenix of Frisco, perhaps attention should be diverted to other aspects of this year's 49ers. For just a few moments, let’s turn our eyes to the other guys in San Francisco's backfield -- the running backs.

Some people were probably scratching their heads a bit when they saw the 49ers sign ex-Carolina Panthers back DeShaun Foster during the offseason. Sure, signing someone to back up Frank Gore was a priority, and while his career has been a bit inconsistent, Foster has been considered a starting-caliber talent throughout his NFL tenure. However, the league is in the age of keeping a stable of backs, and almost every team now uses a variety of runners to either keep the starter fresh and present a wider variety of attacks on a given down and distance.

Even still, it’s hard to see the exact appeal of signing a back like Foster. Gore is largely considered a workhorse-type back. But he’s also got great hands out of the backfield, catching 61 and 53 passes, respectively, the last two years. Foster is not really a true change-of-pace back, though he may have slight bit more burst than Gore (but not much). Foster does have good breakaway speed, but he’s also not really a straight gamebreaker. In fact, their styles are remarkably similar, only Gore has had more success.

However, it is known that Foster can handle sharing carries, as he did most of his career in Carolina with Stephen Davis and then DeAngelo Williams. But how does Gore receive this news? Certainly it means fewer carries for him. It’s easy to look at his stats and say he had a down year in 2007. So is head coach Mike Nolan’s reasoning that having a seasoned back who is good enough to get the job done behind Gore will drive the latter to work harder? Perhaps it will.

Then again, with the entrance of new offensive coordinator Mike Martz, perhaps he’s just demanding more weapons. Everyone is aware of Martz’s complex schemes and intricacies. Perhaps he just wanted more to play with. He’s got a few weapons now, with all the signings in the offseason. But how will Gore and Foster be used. Beyond the glacial-sized QB issue, the RB question may be among the most fascinating on the team entering the year.

There were a lot of mitigating factors to Gore’s statistical decline last year. It doesn’t help that he boastfully said he would break Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record. Everyone knows the only two people capable of doing that are probably LaDainian Tomlinson and Adrian Peterson. As for Gore, his mother’s passing, a broken hand and a shabby offensive line obviously didn't help his cause last year. Notwithstanding, Gore still had a better-than-average campaign, averaging over 4 yards a carry and exceeding 1,000 yards. You can’t just brush that off. So again, it’s just hard to see what exactly the logic is behind the Foster signing.

Sure, there is nothing inherently negative about having Foster around (unless it upsets Gore and Gore becomes lackadaisical), but what do you gain? The smart front offices in the NFL have come to realize that players should be treated like investments. Ultimately, they are all paying for a greater return. And Foster was a remarkably cheap investment for an established veteran (only $1.8 million over two years).

Though Foster is quite similar to Gore in style and doesn’t present much diversity to the San Francisco offense, it is hard to not applaud the signing. It would be easy to be critical of what Nolan has done thus far, but he’s been on the front lines, undoubtedly increasing the talent level of the organization. Foster bolsters the RB committee and provides a solid, dependable back to support Gore throughout the season. Subtle nuances such as the addition of Foster can add an unbelievable dimension to the offense. While Foster’s skills may not change the dynamics of the game plan, a fresh set of legs can do a world of damage at the right moment. Additionally, Foster will provide solid veteran leadership (much like Isaac Bruce), something a young offense fundamentally needs before taking the next step.

The bottom line: At the end of the day, Foster is another piece to the puzzle. He’s not an organization-shifting pickup, but he’s a solid player who helps a team that keeps adding more pieces. Soon enough, the 49ers may be able to frame that puzzle and hang it on the wall.
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About Dan Davis

I'm a 23 year professional camel trainer, well exercised in the disciplines of pass rushing and mass texting. I'm an avid fan NAIA Men's Lacrosse, and I regularly paratroop on the weekend. Any questions feel free to ask.
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CommentsComments: 20  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
bardley80		09:30 AM
06/20/2008
I wondered at the time why Foster would want to go to SF, I thought be might want a chance to start somewhere and be the primary...
No.2
EastCoast9er		09:48 AM
06/20/2008
The fact that Foster is so much like Gore is a great reason to add him. With a complex offensive game plan being put together the...
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No.3
RedskinFan21ST		07:08 PM
06/21/2008
I think SF did a great job picking up a back like Foster. It is no secret now that in the NFL the teams that are most successful...
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