The Jaguars should sign running back Frank Gore in free agency
By David Levin
Are the Jacksonville Jaguars willing to sign veteran Frank Gore in free agency to shore up the team’s running game?
If the Jacksonville Jaguars want to make a statement about how serious they are about revitalizing the running game, they should do the one thing that will not only surprise many fans and national media members, but it would also help in the continued development of running back Leonard Fournette. The Jaguars should sign veteran running back and future Hall of Famer Frank Gore.
After listening to Jaguars Today on 1010 XL here in Jacksonville last Thursday, I’m convinced this is a move that not only will help this team in the event I have another injury to Fournett, but it will also help in the locker room where another veteran or two could be useful in helping to maintain stability.
When it comes to offense, this is a franchise they can use all the help it can get.
Gore may be on the downside of his career, one where he is currently fourth on the all-time rushing list, but he is still an effective runner between the tackles. The Jaguars brought in Terry Robiskie to serve as the team’s running back coach with the hope that his ties to LSU will help aid in Fournette’s growth on and off the field.
Gore can have that same kind of effect.
Frank Gore, who is 552 yards from leapfrogging Barry Sanders as the third all-time leading rusher, could see considerable time in the Jaguars backfield as a change of pace runner to Fournette, who is a bruising runner who missed half the season in Jacksonville with a hamstring injury and a one-game suspension from the NFL for fighting.
In his two seasons in the league, Fournette has played only 21 games. After falling out of favor with the front office, most notably Executive Vice-President Tom Coughlin, the team and player met over the offseason to clear the air and to make sure both sides were in agreement of the former first-round draft pick’s commitment to the team.
Gore played college football at Miami and was a third-round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2005. He played ball last season in Miami for the Dolphins, rushing for 722 yards and a 4.6-yard per rushing attempt. Even at 35 years old, he is still getting it done.
The Jaguars figure to lose T.J. Yeldon to free agency. There is an outside chance the team re-signs free agent Corey Grant. David Williams and Thomas Rawls are on the roster, but the coaching staff doesn’t know what they will get from either player.
With Gore, the Jaguars get a dependable runner who will serve as a mentor and leader. It is a way for the veteran to continue his NFL career and help a star rebuild on what was a disastrous 2018 campaign.
It is the right move for the Jaguars. If they make a move like the one I proposed, it would mean the organization continues to want to lead with the running game.
What better way to do that than with the player they drafted to be the focal point of this offense and a player who has quietly carved out a career as one of the best to ever play the position.