Brian Westbrook an Ideal Backup for Frank Gore

After Glen Coffee abruptly retired on the advisement of God (yes, God), the San Francisco 49ers were left with little depth at running back behind Frank Gore and not many options to replace Mr. Folgers.

That is, until they realized Brian Westbrook had absolutely no desire to play for the St. Louis Rams and decided to snatch him up off the street. And for one year and a measly $1.25 million, the Niners could see quite a sizable return on their investment.

Gore, as we’ve seen over the years, is a do-it-all kind of guy. He’s a good runner, receiver, and can even block. However, with the way the game is played today, he can’t do it on every snap. He needs a guy to relieve him who his just as able as he is.

In Westbrook, the Niners might have found that guy.

Westbrook might have lost a bit of his speed, but he’s still elusive enough to be considered a good change-of-pace guy and would be phenomenal as a third-down back. Guys in that role are asked to do two things: pass protect, and catch the ball out of the backfield.

Unless you’re only getting into NFL football this season, I don’t have to remind anyone that Westbrook has always been spectacular in both of the aforementioned areas.

So even though Westbrook might not be the weapon he once was during his days in Philadelphia, he can certainly be a factor for the surging 49ers, and his experience as a winner will help an overall young team in their push to overthrow the Arizona Cardinals in the competitive NFC West.