49ers and Frank Gore agree to $21 million extension...

[Upton]

Gore, who is in the last year of a contract that will pay him $4.9 million this season, agreed to a three-year, $21 million contract extension with $13.5 million guaranteed, agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed Tuesday. The deal is expected to be finalized today.
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Gore, who has missed nine games the past three seasons with injuries, missed the final five games of the 2010 season with a hairline hip fracture.

However, he appears to be fully recovered from that injury and remains among the league's most versatile backs. Regarded as perhaps the NFL's best running back at picking up blitzes, Gore ranked second in the NFC with 1,305 yards from scrimmage at the time of his injury last year.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/30/SPDT1KTOR5.DTL#ixzz1Wbs8u8j8

Good news for 49er fans as the offense appears to need a lot of help.

[Auggie]

1. The offense needs better play from the guards and tackles

and better blitz reads. It's ineffective without those -- even with Gore.

Harbaugh is starting former Saints Jonathan Goodwin at center in the last preseason game. I concur preseason isn't a telling sign for most teams, but with this group I don't know. I want to see if the starting line can muster better run blocking and better pass protection than those atrocious games against the Saints and Texans.

[Upton]

2. The 49ers are a real work in progress..

Obviously they need to get the OL problems sorted out...can't expect much from the QB position, no matter who is playing, until they do. Could use a consistent pass rush too. Could use a lot of things..

I don't expect much this year..maybe 6-8 wins. Harbaugh has a 5 year contract and I should think we would start to see some improvement starting in year 2 or 3. He needs to bring back that "culture of winning" he and Baalke like to talk about. Remember, at Stanford, Harbaugh was a combined 9-15 in his first two years. So I'm willing to give him some time..

[Auggie]

3. Oh, I agree...

Harbaugh has his hands full making up for years of disappointing first round draft choices

1999...Reggie McGrew

2000...Ahmed Plummer

2001...Andre Carter

2002...Mike Rumph

2003...Kwame Harris

2004 ...Rashaun Woods

2005 ...Alex Smith

2006...Manny Lawson

2007...Joe Staley

2008 ...Kentwan Balmer

2009 ...Michael Crabtree

Jury is still out on Iupati and Anthony Davis. Julian Peterson, Patrick Willis and Vernon Davis have been exceptions (though they could have had the Raven's Ngata instead of V.D.)