Frank Gore – Page 6 – Syndication Server

Kyle Shanahan explains why 49ers didn’t sign Frank Gore

Frank Gore wasn’t among the players the #49ers reached out to about helping their RB depth. Kyle Shanahan explained why.

Legendary 49ers running back Frank Gore is without a team for the first time since he was selected by San Francisco in Round 3 of the 2005 NFL draft. Injury issues have obliterated the 49ers’ backfield depth in the first two weeks and led the club to make a number of acquisitions at the position. While some fans were hopeful to see a reunion with the team’s all-time leading rusher, the team made a slew of other additions instead.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked about the possibility of Gore making his way back to the Bay Area. While Shanahan didn’t rule it out, it didn’t sound like they were particularly close to making that acquisition.

“I think I would never put anything past Frank. I know if you probably give him a little heads up and some notice he’ll always be ready to work and help a team,” Shanahan said. “I thought it was a little early for that. Our guys still have a chance of playing this week. So, we looked at it as an opportunity with not having 53 on our roster to try to steal someone off someone else’s practice squad, which we did. And then try to add a practice squad guy, which we did with Chris (Thompson). So, we’ve never fully ruled that out. I don’t know exactly where he is right now, but I’ve got a number of people in here who have a relationship with him. If that time ever comes that we need to do that and he wants to do it then I would never rule it out.”

Instead of working out Gore, the 49ers worked out Duke Johnson, TJ Yeldon and Lamar Miller. They added Kerryon Johnson and Thompson to their practice squad, and then added Jacques Patrick off the Bengals practice squad since he participated in preseason and has played football recently.

While it would undoubtedly be cool for fans to see Gore suit up in red and gold again, chances are he’s way down the list of players Shanahan would reach out to at this point.

Gore is 38-years old and averaged a career-low 3.5 yards per carry for the Jets last season. Since leaving the 49ers in 2015 he’s averaging just 3.8 yards per carry after posting 4.5 during his tenure with San Francisco. He could help the team in specific ways, but getting outside on outside zone runs is probably not one of them at this point of his career. That limits the area for him on the active roster. Not to mention he hasn’t played football since last season, which means he’d at best be given a practice squad spot to try to get in playing shape.

Prime Frank Gore would be elite in Shanahan’s offense, but he’s past that at this point, and his return to San Francisco should wait until his number is officially retired and he’s inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame.

[lawrence-related id=669767]

Great running back Frank Gore takes up boxing

Frank Gore is looking to start a career after football … as a boxer.

Frank Gore has not retired from the NFL … yet.

The great running back is preparing for his next career in case he doesn’t get a call from any football team.

Gore, 38, is ready to trade in his cleats for a pair of boxing gloves.

“I’ve been training for both — football and boxing,” the NFL’s third-leading rusher told NFL.com. “I’ve always loved boxing, so that’s what I’ve been doing. And we’re trying to make a fight happen. If we do that, you’ll see me in the ring.”

Sparring is nothing new for the former San Francisco 49, Indianapolis Colt, Buffalo Bill, Miami Dolphin, and New York Jet. He boxed to stay in shape.

“I just fell in love with how hard it is,” Gore said. “I felt like, ‘Man, I couldn’t fight.’ And I always like a challenge. So I kept doing it and doing it and I saw myself getting better and better.”

If he winds up in a pro bout, he would follow other NFL players such as Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Alonzo Highsmith, Tom Zbikowski and Mark Gastineau.

The 101 greatest nicknames in pro football history

From Sweetness and Beast Mode to Too Tall Jones and Broadway Joe, Touchdown Wire reveals the ultimate hierarchy of gridiron nicknames.

Football wouldn’t be the same without nicknames.

They add spice and flavor to the sophisticated strategies, big plays and inventive touchdown celebrations that already make the game great. They also provide a bit of added mythology to the athletes whose talents never cease to amaze us.

That got us wondering about where some of the greatest players in football history — such as Reggie White (Minister of Defense), Joe Montana (Joe Cool) and Deion Sanders (Prime Time) — rank in the pantheon of great sports nicknames.

With all that in mind, Touchdown Wire presents a completely subjective look at the 101 greatest nicknames in football history.

Also see:

• The 101 Greatest Nicknames in NBA History

Jed York asked Frank Gore’s advice on No. 3 overall pick

The San Francisco 49ers reached out to Frank Gore to get his advice on who they should pick in the NFL draft.

Details of the 49ers’ process in their trade up to draft North Dakota State QB Trey Lance are starting to emerge, and there’s no more fascinating wrinkle than Frank Gore’s involvement.

Jim Trotter at NFL.com wrote a piece describing how Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch arrived at the conclusion to select Lance third overall above Mac Jones and Justin Fields. While team CEO Jed York isn’t involved in football operation, he took liberties to get Gore on the phone to get his thoughts on who San Francisco should select.

Per Trotter:

Interestingly, shortly after the trade was made, York phoned former 49ers running back Frank Gore and asked if he knew any of the top quarterback prospects. York and Gore have remained close since the running back left the franchise in 2015, after 10 seasons. York values his evaluation of players and wanted to know what Gore thought.

Gore arrived at the same conclusion Lynch and Shanahan did. He also echoed the same sentiments of those who couldn’t believe San Francisco had really traded up for Mac Jones when reports that he’d be the pick dominated headlines and mock drafts.

“You don’t give up all that for a pocket passer,” Gore said to Trotter. “You don’t give up all that and still need to call a perfect play for a guy. This guy can make plays even when the call ain’t perfect. He has a chance to be special in that offense.”

Whether Gore’s evaluation would’ve carried much weight in the front office is unknown, but it’s fascinating that York would tap a current free agent running back and franchise legend to get his take on such a seismic move.

It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see the 49ers try to get Gore in the organization in some way after he retires – which may be never at the rate he’s going. Based on York’s early use of Gore’s vast football knowledge, any role with the team in his post-playing career may come in the front office where the club can continue leaning on him for these types of decisions.

Jets Free Agent Profile: What to do with RB Frank Gore?

Jets Wire takes a look at whether or not New York should bring back running back and impending free agent Frank Gore in 2021.

Before Joe Douglas can focus on who he plans on targeting in free agency come March, he’ll have a handful of in-house decisions to make.

The Jets have 25 players set to hit the open market this offseason. Some don’t figure to factor into New York’s plans for 2021, while others it’s safe to assume the Jets would like to keep around for a while. Either way, Douglas has a lot of work to do to put together a competitive roster for Robert Saleh.

Frank Gore was the elder statesman at One Jets Drive last season. Adam Gase’s usage of the 37-year-old in what was his least-productive season in the NFL drew the ire of many, but Gore stayed within himself throughout the year, grinding away on a weekly basis and serving as an invaluable locker room presence.

Gore has indicated he wants to play a 17th season. Should it be with the Jets? Let’s evaluate the situation in Jets Wire’s latest free agent profile.

49ers, Frank Gore issue statements on Tom Rathman’s retirement from coaching

Former 49ers FB Tom Rathman announced his retirement after 31 seasons in the NFL as a player and coach.

Legendary 49ers fullback and running backs coach Tom Rathman on Thursday announced his retirement from coaching. The Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. 49ers Hall of Fame member spent 31 years in the NFL as a player and coach.

Rathman began his playing career with the 49ers in 1986 as a third-round pick out of Nebraska. He spent his first eight seasons in San Francisco where he was an integral part of two Super Bowl winners before finishing his career with one season in Oakland.

For his career, he posted 2,020 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns on the ground, along with 2,684 receiving yards and eight touchdowns through the air.

San Francisco was also where Rathman got his start in the coaching ranks. He joined the 49ers’ coaching staff in 1997 as the running backs coach, a position he held through the 2002 campaign. From there, he went to Detroit for three seasons, Oakland for three seasons, and then back to the 49ers for eight years. He made his second exit from San Francisco when head coach Kyle Shanahan took over in 2017.

Rathman took the 2017 season off before joining the Colts coaching staff where he spent the final three seasons of his career.

The 49ers issued a statement on their longtime player and coach, calling him the “quintessential 49er in every way.”

The 49ers family would like to congratulate Tom Rathman on concluding a tremendous, 31-year career as both a player and a coach in the National Football League. During more than two decades as a 49er, he left an indelible mark on our organization, the players he coached and the defenders he battled. Tom coached his players the same way he played the game, with a selfless, hard-nosed dedication to getting the best out of himself and those around him. A member of the Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. 49ers Hall of Fame, he is the quintessential 49er in every way. We are so happy for Tom, his wife, Holly, and their family, as he steps away from the game to which he gave so much.

Along with the team statement, longtime 49ers running back Frank Gore took time to congratulate his former coach, capped with a phrase Rathman frequently utilized in practice:

I want to congratulate Tom on a Hall of Fame career – both as a player and a coach. Tom was a father-figure to me. He came into my life and career at the perfect time. He challenged me every day to be better, both on the field and off, and I always wanted to make him proud. Tom helped me see the big picture of football and I wouldn’t have had as much success throughout my career without him. I love him. SQUEEZE IT!

Gore was drafted by the 49ers in 2005 between Rathman’s stints as the 49ers’ running backs coach, but the two spent six seasons together between 2009 and 2014 – Gore’s final year in a 49ers uniform.

Jets RB Frank Gore hasn’t made a decision about playing 17th NFL season

Frank Gore hasn’t made a decision yet about returning for a 17th season in the NFL.

Frank Gore is leaving the door open to playing another season in the NFL.

Gore, 37, was noncommittal on his future in football Monday. An impending free agent, another season would be his 17th in the league.

“I still have fun playing the game of football, but I haven’t made a decision yet,” Gore said, per team reporter Eric Allen. Gore added that he will spend time with his family during the offseason before coming to a decision per The AP’s Dennis Waszak.

As Gore weighs his future, he also knows that the decision is not entirely his. He recently acknowledged that teams may not want a running back his age, especially since he’s no longer producing at a Hall of Fame rate.

“I’ve got to be real with myself, how teams think about my age,” Gore said in late November. “They might not want a 38-year-old running back on the team.”

Gore became the third running back in NFL history to rush for 16,000 career rushing yards in 2020. He ran for 653 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games in his first and likely only season in New York.

The future Hall of Fame back has been in the NFL since 2005, when he was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers. Gore spent 10 years in San Francisco before joining the Colts in 2015. He was in Indianapolis for three seasons and then joined the Dolphins and Bills for one season each.

Gore is third on the NFL’s all-time rushing list behind Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith. He’s 726 rushing yards behind Payton for No. 2 all-time and 2,355 rushing yards behind Smith for the top spot. It is somewhat within the realm of possibility for Gore to move ahead of Payton if he decides to keep playing, though moving up the list seems unlikely even if another season comes to fruition.

It’s hard to imagine another coach would use Gore as frequently as Adam Gase did this season — 187 carries — but hey, anything is possible.

“I said this a long time ago: Never doubt Frank Gore,” the Jets’ ex-head coach said last Friday. “Whatever he wants to do, just don’t doubt him. If he decides he wants to play football again, I would love to see him play as long as he can play.”

Six points with David Dorey Template

Friday’s quick look at six items to thini about in Week 17 of the NFL’s 2020 season.

And we made it.

There were many who did not think that the NFL could play for all 17 weeks, and yet here we are. The Chiefs still have the best record in the NFL, the Packers and the Saints still control the NFC and the NFC East still gets to send a team to the playoffs unless they change the rules.

There seemed to be more first-round fantasy draft picks that outright sucked for various reasons and none of them because they caught the ‘rona and never played. But the COVID-19 virus was a part of this season’s landscape even in the NFL. We can only hope that vaccinations and continued vigilance can prevent it from being a factor in 2021 – but at least they know what they are dealing with next time.

About 99% of all fantasy leagues and contests are done. That final 1% that uses Week 17 are almost always leagues that have been around forever, filled with “Stay out of my yard!” kind of owners, particularly if you question them why they use the final week.

The NFL is leaning towards a 17-game schedule, so maybe they were actually forward-thinking, afterall.

Wrapping up the column for 2020, I thought we’d take a look at some stats. Not the total yards and touchdown and fantasy points we all so closely follow. But some of the interesting ones that help define how effective a player was, given his opportunities.

Quarterback EffectivenessThis measured how many yards they averaged each time they either ran or threw the ball. How productive were they when they did not hand the ball off? (Minimum – 250 plays)
Hats off to Deshaun Watson playing with a continually dwindling set of players around him and a questionable offensive line. Both Kirk Cousins and Ryan Tannehill did better in this metric than their overall stats might suggest.That bottom five all lost their jobs during the season at some point, even the rookie Tua Tagovailoa last week.
Running Back EffectivenessThis measured how many yards a running back gained when he touched the ball – catch or run. Minimum – 150 touches
The top players are no surprise since they are top rushers or add in a lot of catches which tend to be longer than their rushes. J.D. McKissic should stick next year.The worse players are a slight surprise including Josh Jacobs and his great offensive line, and Kenyan Drake who looked so effective to end 2019. And it all begs the question – how low will Gore fall in 2020 when he lands on his sixth team with a starting job that no one understands.
Yards Per Rush – Running BacksIt is a standard measurement and one that is greatly influenced by their offensive line. Minimum = 100 rushes.
This is why Mark Ingram has been inactive. The rookie J.K. Dobbins is one of the best rushers in the league, more limited by a team that insists on a committee that includes their quarterback. Miles Sanders’ year has been a disappointment, and the Eagles offensive line was decimated by injury but Sanders still runs well.The Steelers line is also one of the better units, and hasn’t had the same injury issues of many other teams. But the notion that Benny Snell will take over for James Conner next year doesn’t look like a great idea. And the rookie Joshua Kelley started the year as the primary rusher and ends on the bench watching life go by.
Best Hands – Wide ReceiversThis is a measurement of how often a player caught the pass that was thrown to him. In fairness, it is subjective as to how “catchable” a pass is and that also reflects on the quarterback as well. (Minimum – 50 Targets)
Have to admit that the change in coaches and quarterbacks helped Curtis Samuel. He lined up as a running back at times which helped. And Chris Godwins tumble down the rankings in 2020 doesn’t appear to have that much to do with his ability to catch the ball.Of the worst, A.J. Green’s attempt to reclaim his career did not go as well he he hoped. But more concerning is the Alabama rookie selected 1.15 as the second wideout drafted. Jerry Jeudy ranked dead last with only 44% of his targets turning into catches. It does have to do with Drew Lock since fellow Denver rookie KJ Hamler was in the Bottom-10 as well.
Best Deep receiverThis measures the yards-per-catch for wideouts with at least 50 catches. There are also a handful of receivers with high averaged but low volume of receptions. This is looking at every-down starters.
Moore has always been a field-stretcher and Agholor has been everything that the Eagles wanted, only on the Raiders roster now. Will “Juice” Fuller did well with Deshaun Watson and, apparently, the help of modern medicine.The Steelers’ passing game was certainly short this year, with two receivers gaining yardage like a tight end. And Keenan Allen was a surprise, having been very productive with the rookie Justin Herbert.
Best Hands – Tight EndsFinally, which of those big guys did the best when they stopped blocking long enough to catch a pass? How well could they transition to becoming a receiver? Minimum – 50 Targets
Travis Kelce, Darren Waller, and George Kittle are no surprises, given they are the Top-3 in their position. Tyler Higbee blew up in the second half of 2019 but never saw anywhere near the same volume of passes this season even though he’s caught them as well as any tight end. Robert Tonyan is the biggest surprise. The Packers haven’t ever used tight ends much with Aaron Rodgers there but Tonyan led the field with is ability to catch a pass. Probably helps that Rodgers is throwing it, but still a nice surprise.Surprising names at the bottom as well. Zach Ertz looks like he has aged-out of the league and Evan Engram has never been great at catching passes. He just usually gets a high volume than most. And Gronk’s return looked like a non-event, then he started to matter, and now he’s mostly back to blocking.

Focus is on the future for Jets and Pats ahead of Week 17 showdown

Week 17 could be make or break time for numerous players on the Jets and Patriots with both teams building for the future.

Whenever the Jets and Patriots meet toward the end of the regular season, New York usually has one eye on the offseason, while New England is preparing for a Super Bowl run.

When the two meet this Sunday, however, both will be focused on the same goal: building for the future.

For the first time in 11 years, the Patriots’ season will end in Week 17. There will be no push for a Lombardi Trophy in 2020, as New England is 6-9 and eliminated from postseason contention. The Jets have been in that same position for a while following their dismal start to the year.

New York and New England’s season finale won’t have any bearing on the AFC playoff picture, but it could carry weight for both teams as they work toward reversing their fortunes in 2021.

Both the Jets and the Patriots are not short on young players. Some of those players are franchise cornerstones, while others fill out the bottom of the roster. The ones who find themselves in the middle? Those are the ones that need further evaluation to determine if they are potential key pieces for the team’s future or expendable.

What better time to make some last-second evaluations than the final week of the season?

Ty Johnson is a shining example of why New York’s trip to Foxborough
this weekend could have a lasting impact on the future of Joe Douglas’ roster. With Frank Gore (lung contusion) and La’Mical Perine (COVID-19) out, Johnson will get another chance to be the Jets’ feature back, a role he thrived in against the Raiders three weeks ago.

“It’s definitely an opportunity,” Johnson said Wednesday, per SNY. “But, you know, it’s an opportunity for the 2020 season because anything could happen going into 2021. It’s definitely an opportunity and it’s a blessing to still have the opportunity to finish out the season and possibly have a bigger workload.”

Johnson might not have the makings of a future bell-cow back, but he could be a valuable rotational piece for the Jets in 2021 and beyond. New York already has plenty of film to evaluate, but one game could make or break his — or any other player’s — future with the team. That makes an otherwise meaningless bout with the Patriots nearly as important as when the two teams met on Monday Night Football earlier this season.

Not many people will remember the outcome of Sunday’s action. Both teams will go about their separate ways once the clock hits zero in the fourth quarter and get to work on righting the ship next season. For the players that need more film to stick on an NFL roster, though, this is their Super Bowl.

This is their final chance of the 2020 season to prove that they belong.

Jets place RB Frank Gore, OL Josh Andrews on IR

The Jets placed RB Frank Gore and OL Josh Andrews on IR ahead of their Week 17 finale.

The Jets placed RB Frank Gore and OL Josh Andrews on injured reserve ahead of their Week 17 finale in New England.

Gore suffered a lung contusion in New York’s Week 16 win over the Browns. Gore made history prior to exiting, becoming just the third member of the 16,000-yard rushing club. He joined Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton.

Now, however, there’s a chance that Gore’s career could end with this stint on injured reserve. He’s 37, has shown signs of aging and recently acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding his future.

“I’ve got to be real with myself, how teams think about my age,” Gore said in late November. “They might not want a 38-year-old running back on the team.

“It’s tough because I don’t know about next year.”

Gore became the Jets’ lead back when Le’Veon Bell was injured and then cut. Gore tallied 653 rushing yards on 187 carries, resulting in a career-low 3.5 yards per attempt. He scored just two touchdowns during what will likely be his only season with the Jets.

Andrews, meanwhile, is dealing with a thigh injury from the Browns game. He played in 15 games for the Jets this year, including four starts.

While Andrews will fall one game shy of a complete season, the Jets did recoup some offensive line depth on Wednesday. New York designated guards Alex Lewis and Greg Van Roten to return to practice this week.