FanPost

RB Depth

HOWTHEYSCORED'S NOTE: I think this was a great post and poll created in the FanPost section, and it's exactly the kind of well-thought-out, well-written post that makes me enjoy reading this site. With that in mind, I didn't think Fooch would mind if I bumped this up to the front page. Since I'm stealing a little bit of Drew K's thunder doing this, make sure you head over to his 100 in 100: Taylor Mays (43 of 100) and post your thoughts on Taylor Mays there.

So obviously we have Frank Gore and even if you're wary of Florida Danny's statistical analysis I think most of us think he has at least 2 good years worth of tread on his tires. The jury's still out on Glenn Coffee but I think that most would agree that Michael Robinson is definitely a better STer than RB (though I have to admit, I think he's undervalued when it comes to running draws).

There's been a lot of talk about drafting CJ Spiller and the dynamo he'd be in our offense. However, there's a 1st-round price tag attached to that option. With the recent release of two of the decade's top RBs, LaDainian Tomlinson and Brian Westbrook, I thought I'd see if anyone thought that perhaps going the veteran route for a year or two might be the way to go. I'd be inclined to go another route alltogether but I'm willing to bet there are people with strong opinions for each option.

LaDainian Tomlinson: During the peak of his career I think he was unparalleled in the NFL and I felt convinced he'd retire as the leading rusher in NFL history. I was really caught by surprise by his quick demise but I wonder if he's truly a Shaun Alexander or perhaps just needs a change of scenery. He's an excellent pass-catching back and wants to play for a contender (dare I say we may be one?!). While I, personally don't think he'd be the best fit for the niners, he's certainly got enough of a resume to at least make you stop and think.

Brian Westbrook: He hasn't suffered the same overall demise as LT II the last couple seasons but he's dealt with arguably more and worse injuries, especially with regards to concussions. He's a complete back when healthy, but that hasn't been the case recently. Might he be worth a low, incentive-laden contract to try and platoon with Gore for a year or two?

Spiller: I don't want to go into too much depth here because he's been discussed at length in other areas of the site, but he certainly seems to be grabbing the attention of numerous 49er fans, around NN and the rest of the interweb, as well as the likes of the mighty hairdo, Mel Kiper. He's a sure first-rounder which I think could be worth it if he brought the same dimension as Percy Harvin or DeSean Jackson to our team. However, I also firmly believe that RB is a position that might be the easiest to fill in the NFL. If you have a good line, it's easy to mine the bottom of the draft for talented runners who can fit a system (case in point: Denver). Personally, I'd rather add someone like Dexter McCluster later on than Spiller in the first, but I'm not wholly opposed to it.

So - the question is: which of these options, or none of them, would you go with and why? Are we a team close enough to making a push that adding a talented veteran is better than developing a young back?

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors.