While reading over Matt Barrows' recap of the 49ers Monday OTA, the very end of it stuck out to me:
Asked about a three-running back situation -- a possibility raised by Baalke on Friday -- Gore said he might be worried about getting into a rhythm if he wasn't the running back of first-third downs. "Personally I wouldn't like it," he said.
You never want your best offensive player unhappy. Frank Gore is the proverbial "good soldier," but why go out of your way to antagonize him, right?
I don't view this as Frank Gore being angry about losing touches in the selfish sense. Whereas a lot of players in professional sports are concerned about lost numbers when they might lose touches, ABs, minutes, etc., I actually believe Gore when he says he's worried about losing his rhythm in a game. He's been the guy since surpassing Kevan Barlow on the depth chart.
The question is whether adding a guy like Spiller would diminish Gore's effectiveness. What do people think? Is Frank being overly concerned, or does he have a legitimate beef? And more importantly, would the 49ers rushing attack suffer in some kind of 3-headed attack? While the trend has been towards some form of running back by committee, not every team has gone in that direction, but they have managed to remain successful.
The 49ers have yet to actually draft that third running back, and who knows if they actually will. But if they do, is this something to actually be concerned about, or will the team succeed with that 3-headed approach?
MM just wrote about this as well and had some more detailed comments from Gore:
"At first, I wouldn't like it," he said.
Gore said there are already certain plays and personnel groups when backup Glen Coffee will replace him on the field. Theoretically, Gore's career could be extended if his body is subjected to less wear and tear. But . . .
"I don't know. I feel I can play first, second and third down," Gore said. "If I cant get in a rhythm, I'll speak up and tell my coaches that - that I can't get in a groove."
"I feel the more I'm in the game, the better rhythm I get in and the better I am for my team. That's been me since I started playing ball."