5 NFL Running Backs Who Will Improve In 2017 (And 5 Who Won't)

For the better part of a decade, Frank Gore has been one of the NFL's most underrated and underappreciated players. Lost in the shadow of flashier players like Adrian Peterson and Calvin Johnson, Gore has been eternally steady, racking up 13,000 rushing yards and 74 touchdowns in his career. Unfortunately, those accolades come with a price tag of nearly 3,000 carries, and at the age of 34, that workload has to be taking a brutal physical toll on the five time Pro Bowl-er.

In his part two seasons on the Indianapolis Colts, he's rushed for an average of 3.8 yards per attempt, the first time he's ever dipped below 4 in his career. He's running behind one of the league's worst offensive lines, which means he has to work harder for fewer yards and touchdowns, and take a bigger beating while doing it.

The Colts didn't add anything game changing to that line in the offseason, so chances are, Gore and QB Andrew Luck will continue to get pummeled game in, game out. Gore could evade Father Time a little longer, but his age and the mileage on his body make that a long shot.