Tag: Frank Gore

Four 49ers land on NFL All-Decade team

Frank Gore, Joe Staley, Richard Sherman and Patrick Willis all made the NFL all-decade team.

The 49ers were well-represented on the NFL’s All-Decade team released Monday.

Four current and former 49ers made the list, including running back Frank Gore, left tackle Joe Staley, linebacker Patrick Willis and cornerback Richard Sherman.

Gore was one of four running backs to make the list, along with Marshawn Lynch, Adrian Peterson and LeSean McCoy. Darren Sproles made it as a specialist. He’s the only other running back besides Gore left from the 2005 NFL draft.

The third-round pick out of Miami finished his career with the 49ers as the franchise’s all-time leading rusher, and he’s continued to churn ahead to No. 3 on the all-time rushing list. Gore was a stalwart at running back for the 49ers through their best and worst years, and racked up more than 1,200 yards from scrimmage in an NFL record 12 consecutive seasons.

The argument can be made that Gore was never the best running back in the league in the 2010s, but he was easily the most consistent player among that group.

Staley is another no-brainer choice. He earned a nod alongside Joe Thomas, Tyron Smith and Jason Peters. Staley has been an outstanding player at left tackle since the 49ers took him in the first round of the 2007 NFL draft.

Injuries bookended the decade for Staley, but in those 10 years, he made all six of his Pro Bowls and went to two Super Bowls. There’s a really good chance Staley winds up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the strength of his performance through the 2010s will be what carries him there.

Willis’ dominance as a player is underscored by the fact he made the All-Decade team despite playing just half the decade. In his five seasons in the 2010s though, Willis made four Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams while anchoring one of the NFLs best defenses for the first part of the decade.

Making an impact on a short timeline is a perfect metaphor for Willis’ career. He’ll make the Hall of Fame despite spending fewer than 10 years in the league. He was so singularly great in the time he was on the field that his effect on the 49ers and the league is impossible to ignore. It’s how he winds up on an All-Decade team with Luke Kuechly and Bobby Wagner with only five years of his production under his belt.

There’s no denying that Sherman has been excellent in two years with the 49ers, but the bulk of his dominance in the 2010s came with the Seattle Seahawks’ Legion of Boom defense. Those Seattle teams helped defined the early part of that decade, and Sherman was the outspoken face of it.

He was going to land on the All-Decade team anyway, but closing the 2010s strong with two good years in San Francisco surely solidified his standing. Sherman joined Patrick Peterson and Darrelle Revis in the group of cornerbacks.

Here are the full teams:

4 Bills connections found on NFL All-Decade team

Those four Buffalo Bills players are Frank Gore, Marshawn Lynch, LeSean McCoy and Jason Peters. 

The Buffalo Bills haven’t been known for the high-flying offense in recent years… or the past decade. In fact, during the 2010s, the team was mostly known for average play and close-but-no-playoffs. (Thankfully, that’s changed).

Still, the Bills landed four players in the NFL’s recently released All-Decade team from the 2010s. Those four players are Frank Gore, Marshawn Lynch, LeSean McCoy and Jason Peters.

Starting with the most recent, Gore spent the 2019 season on the Bills. He rushed for 599 yards in his lone season with the Bills and added two scores. Early in the year he was particularly effective but slowed down later on.

McCoy was also technically on the Bills roster for the 2019 league year, but he didn’t make it out of training camp as Buffalo cut him. He latched on with the Chiefs and still struggled to find the field. McCoy was inactive during their Super Bowl run, but while with the Bills, McCoy was supremely effective for most of his tenure.

In 2015, McCoy was traded to the Bills for linebacker Kiko Alonso in a deal with the Eagles. Of his 11,071 career yards, 3,814 came via the Bills. One of former general manager Doug Whaley’s smartest moves.

Lynch is the final running back connected to the Bills here. In fact, four in total made the final decade cut. Only Adrian Peterson never played for the Bills. The former 2007 first-round pick of the Bills started his career in Buffalo, rushing for 2,765 yards in four seasons. He then spent another seven with the Seahawks, winning a Super Bowl there. Lynch most recently played for the Raiders.

Finally there’s offensive lineman Jason Peters. Admittedly all four players listed have a Bills “connection.” However, they made a “name” for themselves elsewhere. Despite that, Peters might have the Bills to thank the most. He went undrafted out of Arkansas in 2004 and Buffalo helped convert him from a tight end to a potentially future Hall of Fame left tackle. After five years with the Bills, he jumped ship to the Eagles after holding out for a new contract from the Bills, where he played the past 11 seasons as one of the NFL’s best linemen.

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Fantasy football free agency roundup

NFL free agency will drastically help reshape the fantasy football landscape as the new league year begins.

(Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY Sports)

Now that NFL free agency is upon us, here is where we’ll run through the fantasy football outlooks for trades, re-signings, midrange players and tag recipients.

This analysis will be updated as players sign/re-sign in free agency, so be sure to check back regularly.

Signed with new team or traded

Links to individual analysis

TE Austin Hooper, Cleveland Browns

WR DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals

RB David Johnson, Houston Texans

TE Hayden Hurst, Atlanta Falcons

Re-signed/extensions

QB Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans: A four-year, $118 million extension was signed on the eve of the tampering window, securing Tannehill’s role as the starting quarterback for the near future. He developed a rapport with 2019 rookie wideout A.J. Brown and has one of the best running games to keep defenses honest, provided Derrick Henry indeed signs his franchise tender and doesn’t pull a Le’Veon Bell. Tannehill is among the more intriguing back fantasy picks and will be chosen as a rotational starter by gamers willing to wait on the position.

QB Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings: There’s not a lot to say here since he wasn’t facing free agency, and Cousins’ 2020 situation doesn’t change by getting this extension (two years, $66 million). Keep tabs on Stefon Diggs possibly getting dealt, though. Cousins, for now, remains a top-tier backup with matchup utility, especially when it appears the Vikes may struggle to run the ball.

Franchise/TRANSITION tagged

QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys: Prescott will not be able to negotiate with any team but the Cowboys, and the goal is to work out a long-term deal. The offensive system will remain the same as in 2019 with Kellen Moore coming back as the playcaller under new head coach Mike McCarthy. Dak is a top-five fantasy quarterback if Amari Cooper returns.

RB Derrick Henry: Tennessee Titans: Unless Henry refuses to sign his tender and holds out most or all of the year, he will be the bell cow once again in Tennessee. There remains a chance he signs a long-term contract before things could get ugly. All things equal, short of losing his right tackle, life appears to be business as usual. RB1 all day long.

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WR A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals: A rookie quarterback as Cincy’s 2020 starter is all but etched into stone, which is a likely detriment for Green. However, he remains the most gifted wideout in an offense that won’t be scared to throw it when needed, so he has that working for him. Expect WR2 stats as a ceiling, and the combo of age and injuries are conspiring against Green.

TE Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers: This one isn’t as cut and dried as some of the above inclusions, because we don’t know LA’s quarterback for Week 1 yet. Some signs say Tom Brady, others suggest a rookie or even Tyrod Taylor as a stopgap. On talent alone, Henry is a midrange No. 1 in fantasy, but other factors, like an undeniable injury risk and this being the first full year of playcalling responsibility for Shane Steichen, should give owners pause.

RB Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals: No more David Johnson, or his punitive salary, could lead to this transition tag be little more than formality before a long-term deal is reached. Drake exploded in this system late last year, and now the addition of WR DeAndre Hopkins has to get the juices flowing. Drake is risky, and now the Air Raid system may be fully deployed, which could force the former Miami Dolphin to be overly reliant on efficiency. Those concerns aside, don’t go overboard on draft day for a player whose career has largely been a disappointment, even if not entirely his fault. Give him the old RB2 treatment in all single-year formats.

Remains unsigned

RB Devonta Freeman, free agent:

RB Lamar Miller, free agent:

RB Dion Lewis, free agent:

RB LeSean McCoy, free agent:

RB Theo Riddick, free agent:

RB Peyton Barber, free agent:

RB Frank Gore, free agent:

WR Randall Cobb, free agent:

WR Devin Funchess, free agent:

WR Breshad Perriman, free agent:

TE Jimmy Graham, free agent:

TE Jordan Reed, free agent:

TE Delanie Walker, free agent:

TE Vance McDonald, free agent:

TE Jason Witten, free agent:

TE Tyler Eifert, free agent:

NFL.com says Bills have ‘much to think about’ with RBs

The Bills were placed in the “Much to think about” category with respect to their running backs ahead of free agency. 

NFL.com examined the running back situation of each team ahead of free agency’s start next week. For the Buffalo Bills, NFL.com is a bit uncertain of their situation in the backfield.

The analysis placed the Bills in the “Much to think about” category along with the Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, New York Jets, and Philadelphia Eagles with respect to their running backs.

The Bills have seemingly handed over the reins to Devin Singletary, as he garnered the majority of the backfield touches as last season progressed. However, NFL.com still expresses a little concern ahead of free agency:

Buffalo experimented last summer with a veteran-heavy backfield of LeSean McCoy and Frank Gore, but neither graybeard is expected to be in Western New York this time around. 2019 third-round pick Devin Singletary was brought on slowly behind Gore and emerged as a back worth building around by season’s end. He’s currently flanked by T.J. Yeldon and Briton experiment Christian Wade in Buffalo’s backfield. The Bills can do better and can save $1.7 million by cutting Yeldon, who was a healthy scratch more often than not in 2019. Buffalo can replace Gore with a thicker free agent like Melvin Gordon, Carlos Hyde, Jordan Howard or, well, Gore, if the Bills are open to another go with the 36-year-old.

Singletary rushed for 775 yards on 151 carries. He averaged 5.1 yards per carry, which was among the league’s best for running backs. Yeldon was inactive for most games, and Wade still has a ways to go with learning the North American game.

However, with the depth chart unsettled behind Singletary, there is a good chance the Bills will look to bolster this unit via free agency or the draft. Earlier this month at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott actually did praise Yeldon plenty, though. Could he be a factor in the Bills’ running back room next season?

The Bills Wire podcast, The Kyle Silagyi Hour, recently placed Howard at the top of its hypothetical free agent big board.

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Bills 2020 free agent profile: RB Frank Gore

The Buffalo Bills have 12 unrestricted free agents inching their way toward free agency which opens on March 18.

The Buffalo Bills have 12 unrestricted free agents inching their way toward free agency which opens on March 18. On March 16, the Bills can start negotiating with other team’s players and then two days later, the club can officially ink players to deals (although, reports of signings will start on the 16).

On the flip, the Bills’ pending free agents can do the same and sign with another franchise. With the clock ticking, the Bills still have a chance to sign their own free agents to contracts, and might even do so after the market opens.

Bills Wire will do a 12-part rundown of each of Buffalo’s pending free agents leading up to the “tampering period.”

Here’s the free agent profile for Bills free agent running back Frank Gore:

Stats

2019: 16 games played, 599 rushing yards, 3.6 yards per carry, 2 touchdowns
Bills: 16 games played, 599 rushing yards, 3.6 yards per carry, 2 touchdowns
Career: 226 games played, 15,347 rushing yards, 4.3 yards per carry, 79 touchdowns

How acquired

Signed via free agency March 2019

Previous contract

One-year, $2 million deal (current age: 36)

Breakdown

The Bills signed Frank Gore last season in a surprise move. Of all the deals they made via free agency, Gore was announced first and no one really saw it coming.

Off the field, Gore’s role as a leader is something a lot of players from the Bills locker room have said they loved. Among those in that bunch are running back Devin Singletary and head coach Sean McDermott. On the field, Gore was a sight to see early in the season, but then things slowed down for him. It certainly appeared like he lost a step, unfortunately.

What are the Bills’ options?

Gore has said he still wants to play so he’s probably open to re-signing with the Bills. Buffalo could tab him as a low-priced free agent, or they could let him leave, likely replacing him with a young option, probably via the NFL Draft. The Bills have nine picks in the seven-round draft in April.

What should they do?

The Bills should probably let Gore go, and it seems that’s the way things are trending. Buffalo complimented all of their running backs at the combine recently, but made no mention of Gore. Sure, he’s a free agent, but he’d probably be open to returning. It seems like the Gore could be a perfect option as a later addition this offseason if injury strikes.

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Report: Frank Gore ‘expects to play’ next season

Buffalo Bills RB Frank Gore says he expects to play in the 2020 NFL season.

It seems less and less likely that Frank Gore will be back with the Buffalo Bills. At the team’s end of season locker cleanout day, Gore said he was going to think about things.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Gore wants to play a 16th season next year. But Garafolo gave no indication that it would be with the Bills.

“He’s going to have to find a situation, he’s going to have to find a suitor and maybe he waits until deep into training camp, maybe into the season, who knows? I don’t know much of the time lime, but I can tell you, as of right now, Frank Gore intends to continue playing in the NFL in 2020,” Garafolo said.

Since the Bills haven’t yet re-signed Gore, that’s a very telling sign that he’s probably not going to return to western New York. There was also a telling sign from Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott when he spoke at the combine, too.

When discussing the running back situation his team currently has, McDermott never once mentioned Gore. Sure, he’s not under contract, but McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane, time and time again, have praise Gore’s intangibles. To go from that to nothing is telling.

Additionally, McDermott spewed a lot of positives about TJ Yeldon, instead.

“We do have TJ in there,” McDermott said. “We’ve got a lot of confidence in TJ…. in the games that he did get in there, he contributed at a high level from a leadership stand point.”

Not talking about Gore in favor of a guy who was inactive for a lot of last season is another indication, but hopefully Gore finds his way on a roster somewhere, if those are his true hopes.

Gore, who will be 37 in May, had 599 rushing yards and averaged a career-low 3.6 yards per carry with the Bills last season. Gore’s 15,347 career rushing yards ranks third in NFL history, 1,379 behind Walter Payton and 3,008 behind all-time rushing leader Emmitt Smith.

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Is Texans RB Carlos Hyde the new Frank Gore?

Running back Carlos Hyde is set to hit free agency. Does the Houston Texans running back have the same late-stage production of Frank Gore?

Running back Frank Gore is renowned for his ability to stay productive in his mid-thirties playing such a high-contact position at age 36.

Could the Houston Texans have a similar situation with running back Carlos Hyde, who is set to be a free agent when free agency kicks off on March 18? Michael Colangelo from the Touchdown Wire does and believes the former San Francisco 49ers 2014 second-round pick will hang around in the NFL as long as Gore has.

Hyde is going to be the new Frank Gore. Just when you think his career his over, he has a resurgence and shows he still has something left in the tank. Gore was obviously more consistent, but it feels like Hyde is going to hang around.

He was essentially traded for a bag of footballs. The Texans needed a running back due to injuries and all Hyde did was end up with 1,070 yards on the ground, and six touchdowns.

Aside from the 2010 season, Gore has played anywhere between 14-16 games a season, including a 112-game streak from 2011-17. Gore has also posted nine seasons of 1,000 yards rushing. Hyde achieved his first such season with the Texans in 2019.

The Texans have decisions to make at running back as Hyde, along with intended starter Lamar Miller, are about to hit the open market. Inevitably, Houston is going to have to get younger at the position, even though coach Bill O’Brien has shown a propensity to go with running backs in their mid to late twenties as feature backs.

What might be optimal for Houston would be to sign Hyde to a contract, but draft his successor, much like what the 49ers did with Gore in 2014 when they took a certain Ohio State Buckeye in the second round of the draft. The next season, Gore was with the Indianapolis Colts while Hyde now carried the full load for San Francisco’s running game.

Veteran RB Frank Gore lobbies for another season with Dolphins

Veteran running back Frank Gore asked Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald to relay he’d love another shot to play in Miami.

Some players just want to play ball forever. It seems like veteran running back Frank Gore certainly qualifies — he’s played in 15 NFL seasons and now sits third on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 15,347 yards. And if he has it his way, he’s not done yet either.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald shared yesterday that Gore had a very simple message he wanted Jackson to share with Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier:

“I would love if he would bring me back,” said Gore via Jackson.

Gore’s first season in Miami was considered a successful one. He wrangled primary ball carrier duties away from Kenyan Drake, led the team in rushing yards with 722 and averaged 4.6 yards per carry for a team that generally speaking didn’t have a lot of consistent success winning battles up front along the offensive line.

Would bringing Gore back in 2020 make sense for Miami? Not exactly. Miami does need leadership and experience, Ryan Fitzpatrick showed how much value that can bring to a position room last season. But the Dolphins also need fresh legs and they need explosiveness out of the backfield. And Gore, for all of his savvy and toughness and durability, isn’t going to help the Dolphins win blocks up front.

Of course Gore would like to be back — he’s a South Florida native and the Dolphins are one of a handful of teams that would actually have a clear role for the aging Gore in their backfield. But Miami would have to pull a sudden change in direction in the backfield to bring him back for another go.

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State of the position: Bills running backs

Here’s the Buffalo Bills running back situation room entering the 2019 offseason.

Here is Bills Wire’s position-by-position breakdown of the team’s roster, continuing with the running backs, including the season that was and projecting forward:

Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary. Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Bills’ running backs situation took on new life this season, as four-year starter LeSean McCoy was released by the team ahead of the 2019 campaign. Buffalo’s ground attack started with veteran Frank Gore as the lead back early in the 2019 season.

Gore started eight games for the Bills, but his production slipped as the seasons progressed. He surpassed Barry Sanders for third on the all-time rushing list this season as his crowning achievement. The veteran also surpassed the 19,000-yard mark for yards from scrimmage mark.

However, it was easy to see that Devin Singletary’s explosiveness would catapult him into feature back territory eventually. The rookie finally did so and led the team with 775 rushing to the tune of 5.1 yards per carry. He also caught 29 passes this year as well.

Senorise Perry and TJ Yeldon also provided depth. Perry’s contributions were viewed most prominently on special teams. Yeldon ended up being the odd man out, failing to dress for 10 games this season.

Frank Gore #20. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

Contract situation

Singletary is under contract for at least three more seasons, as he is playing under his rookie contract. His cap hit will be $675,000 this year, a bargain if he reproduces his numbers from last year.

Yeldon, for his part, is signed through the 2020 season. He’ll count $1.9 million against the cap next year. His presence on the roster does give the team a solid pass-catching option out of the backfield, if necessary. But Yeldon was seldom found in the team’s active roster on game day in 2019..

Gore signed a one-year deal, as did Perry, during the offseason. Both were team-friendly deals. Gore still hasn’t decided if he’s going to retire or not, and who knows if the Bills would welcome him back? Perry played a mostly special teams role, but Buffalo’s unit did see a big improvement under now special teams coordinator Heath Farwell this season.

Christian Wade, who remains Bills property via international allocation, is also in the fold as he signed a reserve/ futures contract following the season.

The future

Outside of Singletary, this group is largely up in the air. While Gore was an ideal mentor to Singletary, his production late in the season makes it hard to think Buffalo would re-sign the veteran.

Perry could return as an essential part of the team’s special teams unit. However, he offers minimal out of the backfield.

Yeldon could never gain strong footing on a depth job.  With Singletary’s emergence as a pass-catcher, this could continue to squeeze Yeldon from snaps, as Yeldon’s primary duty is to provide a receiving presence out of the backfield. His cap hit is reasonable at $1.9 million, but his dead cap hit is only $250,000. Buffalo could easily make this move if they find a replacement.

But one thing is for certain, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott said he believes the NFL is a two-back league. So the Bills would have a spot for another without Gore.

The Bills will need to look for a reserve player (or players) to spell Singletary when he needs a breather. Buffalo looks to veterans for depth on the team, so there’s a good chance that the Bills would sign a veteran to backup Singletary. They could look to the draft as well, but the organization’s track record of finding veterans means they’ll test the free agency market.

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Evaluating the Bills’ 2019 free agent class

Here is how we evaluated Buffalo’s free agent signings based on their 2019 contribution to the team. 

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane was aggressive during the 2019 free agency period, signing several players in a hope to bolster a fledgling offensive line. In addition, he inked a few complementary pieces to the defense, while finding players to solidify the special teams unit. 

So, how did it really go for Beane? Looking back at the free agent class signings for the Bills, there were some obvious home runs while others were not-to-stellar. 

Here’s an evaluation of Buffalo’s free agent signings based on their 2019 contribution to the team:

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley. Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

EXCELLENT

Cole Beasley, John Brown, Mitch Morse, and Quinton Spain

It was no surprise that Beane focused on the offensive side of the ball during last year’s free agent period. Several players became an integral part of the Bills’ improvement on offense. 

Buffalo were in need of a massive upgrade at wide receiver, and Beane delivered by signing John Brown and Cole Beasley. It was easy to see that if Josh Allen had a chance at being successful that he would need a much stronger cast surrounding him. The duo combined for 139 receptions and 1,838 receiving yards. Tack on 12 total touchdowns, and it’s easy to see how this pair helped reinvigorate the offense. Brown gave the Bills the closest thing to a No. 1 receiver in the Sean McDermott era, while Beasley provided the team with reliable options out of the slot. When signed, many questioned the Bills’ decision to add them, but no one did by the playoffs. 

Beane’s signings to bolster the offensive line worked well, as Mitch Morse became the foundation of the line. His presence helped solidify the line in a similar manner as Eric Wood. Quinton Spain and Jon Felicano came over to compete for starting gigs at the guard spots, and they exceeded expectations with their play. Felciano gave a physical edge in the run game, while Spain did not allow a sack during the regular season. 

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