This next season, the Buffalo Bills appear to be a club that is dedicated to running the football a little bit more. With a quarterback as brilliant as Josh Allen, it would seem counterintuitive, but Allen’s skills can be unlocked by developing a powerful running game. Though many teams would not commit to a play-action fake in order to go for the run If that trend reverses, there will be more opportunities for huge plays off of play-action, even if it is well aware that Allen and the throw are more dangerous than anything a Bills player can accomplish on the ground.
It would be ideal for first-year offensive coordinator Joe Brady to have a rushing game to relieve some of the strain on that passing assault, especially with a rebuilt receiver corps. The Bills’ run game will be considerably more effective and unpredictable if they can distribute runs among their talented backfield.
In this installment of “91 players in 91 days,” we talk about a rookie who went undrafted and has a well-known name.
Late in April, Gore Jr. agreed to a three-year rookie deal worth a total of $2.845 million. Out of that sum, $90,000 is guaranteed to him, and it also stands for the dead-cap cost Buffalo will incur if they release him. Gore Jr. will have a $800,000 salary cap charge if he makes the team.
2023 Recap: Going into his second season of surpassing 1,000 yards, Gore Jr. continued to be a prolific player for the Eagles. He scored 10 touchdowns and gained 1,131 yards on 231 runs, or an average of 4.9 yards per carry. Additionally, he added 27 receptions for 221 yards and three touchdowns, setting new NCAA single-season records for Gore Jr. After finishing his career with 4,022 yards gained on 759 collegiate rushes, he was third on the school’s all-time running yardage chart.
Gore Jr. received invitations to the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine and the East-West Shrine Bowl for his achievements. He took full most of his opportunity at the Shrine Bowl, winning offensive MVP after putting up an 87-yard, six-carry performance that was capped off by a 47-yard touchdown run. In the contest, he also had one reception for three yards. Gore Jr. only decided to compete in the bench press at the combine, doing 12 repetitions at 225 pounds. He increased that total by completing 18 repetitions of the 225-pound bench at Southern Mississippi’s pro day, but he didn’t fare well in the other tests. His 40-yard sprint time was 4.69 seconds, and he could leap 29 inches vertically and 9 feet 3 inches wide.
Buffalo currently has five running backs on their roster, including Gore Jr. Ray Davis was selected in the fourth round of the April draft, while James Cook, Ty Johnson, and Darrynton Evans were all members of the Bills the previous season.
Gore Jr. is taking part in the team’s offseason training and is in good condition.
Ultimately, though, I see Gore Jr. more as a practice squad possibility than a roster candidate since it is tough to project him to the roster when attempting to determine where the club would make sacrifices at other positions in order to roster a fifth running back. Though Gore Jr.’s guaranteed salary of $75,000 makes me hesitant to think the organization will release him, that sum is little compared to the Bills’ enormous operating budget.
Given Johnson’s agility and his performance in limited play last year, Frank Gore Jr. will need to have a strong preseason in order to drive Johnson off the roster, but I doubt that will happen.
