Gore was 49ers' one-man RB committee

Since the 49ers decided to ship off Kevan Barlow during training camp in 2006, Frank Gore has been the central figure of the team's offense.
The 49ers were more reliant on Gore than ever in 2010. Rarely did another running back touch the ball before Gore sustained a season-ending hairline fracture of his right hip Nov. 29 against the Arizona Cardinals.

After Gore was no longer available, Brian Westbrook and Anthony Dixon shared the playing time. Looking to the future, it will be interesting to see what changers are made new set of eyes on offense.

New coach Jim Harbaugh loves a strong running game. It's doubtful Westbrook will be back. Dixon should continue to get better over time, and he should be capable of taking on more responsibility.

Fullback Moran Norris might be comforted to know that Harbaugh does not expect the fullback to be a huge threat with the ball in his hand. After all, Owen Marecic, considered the top fullback in the draft, carried just 23 times for 46 yards and caught just nine passes all season for the Cardinal.

Here's a player-by-player look at the 49ers' running backs who finished the season on the team:

20 Brian Westbrook: Before Frank Gore's season-ending injury, Westbrook played just 36 snaps of offense in 10 games. After Gore was no longer available, Westbrook was on the field more than 70-percent of the time. Westbrook tore the Arizona Cardinals to shreds in two games, gaining 215 yards on 36 rushing attempts. In his other 41 carries, Westbrook accounted for just 125 yards. Clearly at the back end of his career, Westbrook was not as effective as an every-down back, but the 49ers could have done more to get him involved earlier in the season and take some of the load off Gore.
21 Frank Gore: Gore was playing at a very high level -- other than the loss to the Eagles in which he lost his only two fumbles of the season. Gore rushed for 853 yards and caught 46 passes for 452 yards before his season came to an end with a broken right hip against the Arizona Cardinals. Gore never wanted to come off the field, and the 49ers apparently never wanted him to come off the field. Gore was the 49ers' best runner. And of the running backs, he was also the team's best receiver and best in pass protection. That is why the team had a difficult time finding any role for the others.
24 Anthony Dixon: Dixon is a big, powerful back who needs to learn how to run like a big, powerful back. He definitely showed flashes with some very nice runs. But he also frustrated the coaching staff with too much dancing, some missed assignments and difficulty with the simple things, such as making sure he was wearing the right kind of cleats to maintain traction on slippery fields. Dixon played just 16 offensive snaps in the first 10 games before Gore's injury. Dixon finished with 237 yards rushing on 70 rushing attempts. He should continue to prove that he is capable of taking on a larger role in the offense.
44 Moran Norris: He did a good enough job as a straight-ahead lead-blocker for Gore. But Norris is getting up there in age (he turns 33 in June), and Harbaugh might want someone more athletic and versatile. The club felt like it had more options with Delanie Walker as a second tight end, rather than with Norris as the second back.

(csnbayarea.com)