Should the New York Giants take a flier on veteran running back Frank Gore to add power and experience to the locker room?
Running backs playing in the NFL for 16 years is not a frequent occurrence, but veteran Frank Gore is an anomaly among the crop. His ability to remain healthy and contribute to successful teams has been his trademark, and he remains available on the free-agent market.
Gore featured with the Buffalo Bills in 2019, logging 599 yards on the ground and 100 receiving yards with two touchdowns to go with it. While his production fell off a bit due to age (36 years old), Gore still proved he can be effective at the NFL level.
His ground and pound style never seems to fail, and he looked the part in year 16. The Giants could use a back with his pedigree and style — this wouldn’t be a Jonathan Stewart type of signing. Gore earned just $1.25 million on a one-year deal last season, which indicates the Giants could likely lure him downstate on a team-friendly, short-term deal.
Gore’s ability to remain healthy year-in and year-out could prove to be valuable for a Giants team that has suffered from injuries in recent seasons. Saquon Barkley battled a high ankle sprain in 2019, missing several games and failing to leave his regular impact. His rookie season showed that Barkley can be one of the best running backs in the NFL, but having capable backups at a historically injured position is a good idea.
The Giants did sign Dion Lewis this offseason to supplement any losses, but his skill-set is tailored for the passing game, as he doesn’t possess the power to run down-hill, between the tackles. Gore can act as a quality pass-catcher and power through on short-yardage situations and goal-line scenarios.
Given how cheap he would be, I wouldn’t be opposed to kicking the tired on the veteran.