RB depth lacking for 49ers

By Hugo Guzman  |   Monday, May 21, 2007  |  Comments( 32 )

San Francisco 49ers
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If there's one area offensively where the San Francisco 49ers seem to be set, it's at the running back position. The Niners were ranked sixth in the NFL in rushing last season, netting 135.8 yards per game on the ground. Furthermore, starting tailback Frank Gore set a new franchise record and led the NFC with 1,695 yards in 2006, averaging 105.9 a game and 5.4 per carry in the process.

Clearly, then, San Francisco fans have no cause for concern when it comes to the running game, right?

Well, with his performance last season, Gore emerged as one of the league's top tailbacks. In his second year in the league, the former Miami Hurricane proved that trading Kevan Barlow before last season was the right move to make. He ran for 87 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the 49ers' season-opening loss to Arizona and followed that up with the first of nine 100-plus-yard efforts, gaining 127 in a Week 2 victory over the Rams.

In addition, Gore finished the season with 2,180 yards from scrimmage and led the team with 61 receptions, establishing himself not only as an exceptional runner but as a solid all-purpose threat, too.

It is behind Gore that things start to look a little dicey. To say that the Niners lack depth at running back is an understatement. Behind Gore and quarterback Alex Smith, the team's third-leading rusher from 2006 was rookie Michael Robinson, a converted QB out of Penn State. Robinson is a tremendous athlete and has potential, as illustrated by his two-touchdown performance against the Eagles last September; however, he had just 38 carries as a rookie and remains both unproven and untested.

The problem for the Niners is, Gore has dealt with injury problems in the past. After a 500-yard freshman campaign with the Hurricanes, he tore the ACL in his left knee in spring 2002. He returned in 2003 and played four games, but he went on to tear his right ACL that year. Gore worked hard and managed to recover well from that injury, gaining nearly 1,000 yards in 2004, but struggled somewhat with a groin problem in his first NFL season in '05.

Most questions about Gore's durability were put to rest after his phenomenal '06 season, but any time a running back has dealt with knee and groin problems in the past, there is definitely concern.

Frankly, the 49ers cannot afford to lose Gore for the simple fact that they aren't adequately prepared to replace him. No other returning RB on the roster has ever posted more than 100 carries or 400 yards in a single season, and rookie sixth-round pick Thomas Clayton gained fewer yards in his career at Kansas State than Gore did in '06 alone.

For the 49ers to become a playoff contender this year, Gore needs to stay healthy. If they lose him, all hope of even remaining competitive fades.

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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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