San Francisco 49ers: Life After Alex Smith and Frank Gore?

In the 2005 NFL draft, the 49ers selected quarterback Alex Smith and running back Frank Gore. These two players have claimed an era in the 49ers culture for their own respective reasons. Gore is the all-time leading rusher in franchise history, and arguably the best all-purpose back the Niners have ever had.

Smith, in the meantime, struggled for the better part of a decade under ill-favoring circumstances, which included his first overall status and seven different offensive coordinators. In 2011, Smith finally found his groove under the new regime installed by now head coach Jim Harbaugh. At age 28, Smith is just now getting a chance to have success and show the league what he can do.

Both players are fast approaching 30, and for Gore it's even more impactful considering the average lifespan of running backs in the NFL.

With a competent staff now in place, they know how to ease guys in and out of the lineup as to maintain a roster that doesn't see a lot of decline when players leave. And many would argue that a lot of the pieces for the future are already on the current roster. 

With time catching up to everyone, one has to wonder what life after Alex Smith and Frank Gore actually looks like.

Colin Kaepernick (A. Smith)

There's a lot of things we forget about Colin Kaepernick with Alex Smith starting on Sundays. Factoids like the 49ers trading up for him, that he's an early second rounder, a bowl game winner and can do it all physically with a rocket arm and a gazelle-like running motion.

We've already seen how Harbaugh likes his quarterbacks to be athletic, and he will even utilize their mobility and toughness to fit the offensive scheme. Kaepernick is more gifted than Smith in that regard, and could eventually put up bigger numbers than Smith in the same exact offense.

Also, by the time Smith is ready to move on, hopefully this year's first round choice, A.J. Jenkins, will have established himself as a dangerous down-field threat and all around pass-catcher. I like the potential fireworks and chemistry between Kaepernick and Jenkins over Smith and Jenkins.

Jenkins has great speed that he uses to get separation and Kaepernick has the ability to flick a 60-yard pass and make it look effortless—these two were made for one another. 

Like Aaron Rodgers, there may be a transitional year before he booms, but if the Niners get Rodgers-like results, the year off will be well worth it. Kaepernick is also in a better situation to succeed than Alex Smith. Smith was thrown into a system in a shortened offseason and was forced to produce, and did.

Kaepernick is a highly competitive guy and is properly being groomed. The 49ers are not rushing him into the lineup, and he's taken on the role of a student. By the time Kaepernick is ready to start, hopefully he will be all there mentally and just be able to let his physical abilities take over.

Kendall Hunter and LaMichael James (F. Gore)

This could turn out to be the most well kept secret in the NFL. I think these two are dangerous.

After looking at the Ray Rice's and Maurice Jones-Drew's and Darren Sproles', it's easy to get past the theory of size being a factor to a running backs success. The tailback position comes in all shapes and sizes, and what matters is if you're productive and if you have the "it" factor. These are two very capable running backs who had very successful college careers as the stars in their respective offenses. 

Hunter, 5'7", 199 pounds, had 112 carries in his rookie year and looked like a seasoned vet behind Gore. He finished with 473 rushing yards, averaging 4.2 yards per carry and didn't fumble once all season. James is arguably more gifted than Hunter, and could come in and produce similar results. But with these two at the helm, San Francisco could have dual 1,000-yard rushers on their hands.

Additionally, the 49ers offensive line is really coming together and it's a project that looks to soon be finished. With five capable blockers and a stellar up-and-coming full back in Bruce Miller, the 49ers ground attack could reach new heights.

James and Hunter don't really complement each other quite well, but they are a double-dose of speed, productiveness and shiftiness. And by spelling each other, they can each remain fresh all game, which would completely tire out defenses having to keep up with both of them.

To Conclude

All in all, the formula I draw from the new era at quarterback and running back is more dynamic but less efficient. By this I mean that the new blood is capable of more explosive plays but the in-between plays could be losses. It's also early to predict Kaepernick's tendencies when it comes to ball security.

If they really embrace this pivotal point in their careers to sit back and absorb everything around them, they could be way ahead of the game when it is rightfully their time to shine. Kaepernick, Hunter and James could be a dynamic nucleus to an elite offense.

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