Gore-less future spells trouble for Martz's offense

Having sought strength in numbers by acquiring a small army of targets for Alex Smith's sometimes errant passes, 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan must now turn his attention back to the running game in light of reports that Frank Gore, the team's most dangerous offensive weapon, will be sidelined indefinitely with a degenerative condition in his right hip. Although team doctors have yet to determine the severity of Gore's medical woes, the news is devastating to a young team in the midst of a rebuilding process. Initially diagnosed as an inflamed bursa sac in his right hip, the condition is eerily similar to that which abbreviated the career of baseball star Albert Belle, and though immediate treatment may help to prolong Gore's young career, his days as an elite NFL running back appear to be numbered. For his part, Gore remains cautiously optimistic.

"Obviously, this came as a shock to me," he told reporters during a Tuesday press conference. "As a player, you're conditioned to work through the pain. I knew something was wrong, but I never thought it was too serious. At this point, I'm just going to concentrate on working with the doctors and getting back on the field."

But when? Should Gore miss the upcoming season -- an increasingly likely prospect -- offensive coordinator Mike Martz will be forced to build his rushing attack around DeShaun Foster, the Carolina Panthers castoff who has yet to emerge as an every-down back in the NFL. And while McCloughan has done his best to bolster a receiving corps that proved a serious liability last season, it is hard to imagine the 49ers contending in the NFC West without a credible running game.

The Niners will undoubtedly address the situation in the draft, and though they may not land the cream of this year's crop -- Arkansas back Darren McFadden -- there will be plenty of viable options when they make their selection with the 29th pick of the first round. Even so, it would be hard to overestimate the crushing impact of Gore's loss. For a team already struggling to recover from a wasted season and scrambling to fill out a roster riddled with question marks, this is one setback even the most pessimistic 49ers fans could never have envisioned.

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