Report: Brian Gutekunst removes himself from 49ers’ GM search

Here’s a shocker:

I have two theories as to why Gutekunst removed himself from the 49ers’ GM search.

Theory 1: Gutekunst knew Kyle Shanahan would have final say over the draft and personnel and decided he didn’t want to be Shanahan’s secretary.

Theory 2: Gutekunst knew Paraag Marathe would have final say over contracts and the salary cap and decided he didn’t want to be Marathe’s secretary.

It seems the 49ers next GM will be nothing more than empty suit  who collects data for other people and makes no decisions. Who would want that job?

This article has 463 Comments

    1. Paraag is actually very very good with contract negotiation (were team friendly Kaepernick deal…And other extensions etc) ….He has nothing to do with this as far as I know

      1. Paraag has everything to do with this. If he had stuck with the contracts, no big deal.

        However, he is sitting in on the interviews, and every candidate knows he has been the source of all the leaks. He also has meddled with the coaching, play calling and game management.

        Baalke is gone, and Paraag is the only one left, yet the leaks continue. Through a process of elimination, Paraag is the only one close enough to Jed to be the source of the leaks. If he continues to be present at the interviews, just expect more candidates withdrawing from consideration.

        1. The Mighty Quinn is right.
          Perhaps our only hope is, once Shanahan gets in there and clearly starts to set the team right, he can make Prag inconsequential. But were talking about a soft little thing (Jed) that never had to develop his powers of judgement. So, Prag picking up the slack for Bulky is probably a 50/50 thing………

      2. I agree with Seb 100%. To make things worse, it’s not only Paraag attending the interviews, his analytics side kick is joining the party as well. No candidate who has other/better options will work for these clowns.

      3. I agree Mike. I am confident Paraag can be a valuable part of this new structure moving forward, and Kyle is obviously comfortable with Marathe as well. What we need now is a GM who works well with Kyle, and understands his role. Kyle’s going to have the final say when it comes to personnel, and I am very comfortable with this approach as well.

        Kyle is the right guy to lead this team. Kyle will find someone he feels comfortable working with and the pieces will eventually fall into place.

  1. Grant, 1 and 2 could be major factors.

    If Shanahan has roster “trigger”, the “GM” position is GM in name only. Some speculate candidates can be blocked by their current teams from interviewing because its not a true GM promotion.

    1. Wait a minute….has anyone bothered to ask the presumptive team owner about the Paraag statements ? are they truly about him ? Is he the real reason that all these GM candidates are cancelling interviews with the Niners brass ? Being that this blog is about 99% speculation, Do we (yeah, me too) know that this is nothing more than a lynch mob ? If it were up to me, I would investigate Jed before giving him a pass ala Spiro Agnew for Paraag to fall on his sword…for the better good. “Do something, even if it’s wrong”

      1. Excellent point…It is all speculation…Paraag is an excellent contract negotiator and had done nothing but a stellar job for the team. Why people want him gone is beyond me. Unless we know for certain that he is calling shots on personnel…

        1. Wouldn’t a new GM with power want contract negotiation reporting to him. Paarag seems to have some football power based on his management of the cap and his negotiating player contracts.

          If he uses analytics to place cap value on players then that’s also power over the football operation.

    2. Paraag is actually excellent at contract negotiation…He’s done nothing but a stellar job for the 49ers…Why would you fire him. Just because the team isn’t doing well doesn’t mean you should blindly point fingers …

      1. Being the source of all the leaks, Paraag is a slimy weasel. So what if he can negotiate contracts, any competent businessman can lay out the financials. Joan in accounting could do that.

        You fire Paraag because the leaks continue, and he is toxic. He has no business imposing his will on football matters. Leave that to the football people. Jed himself promised to part ways with anyone who he found out is leaking. Well, Paraag is the leaker, so now Jed knows. I am sure Tomsula told him exactly that on Dec 3rd 2015. That was when he left, and would not come back until Paraag was demoted, Too bad Jed went back on his word.

        Now, Jed is doubling down. He not only has brought Paraag back, he included him in the interviews. Those interviewees are not stupid. they know exactly who and what Paraag is. The first question they should have asked is why should they believe a word Jed says if he brings that guy here?

        No wonder Jed is getting rejected. Stupid moves, clumsy blunders, and dysfunction at the highest levels. Every GM knows he will be set up as the fall guy.

        1. I agree seb. The latest leak is that Paton is the favorite. McDonough could pull out at any time because of this leak. And there is no guarantee that Paton will sign.

          The GM and HC searches have been a disaster. Even the guys that “killed” it in their interviews were the victims of Paraag leaks.

          We’ll see if they get Paton. I hope Kyle uses his leverage to have Paraag removed from his position.

          1. Paraag is an excellent contract negotiator. OK, and we know that because…Jed and his sycophants say so. Talk about a circular argument. A good contract negotiator negotiates contracts for a successful team which we don’t have. Fact – Parrag is a critical member of the management team that has run the team into the ground. No right minded CEO would give him the benefit of the doubt without much more due diligence. Paraag could very well be Jed’s Svengali for all we know. Do you want to go through one more iteration before Jed gets it right? I sure don’t.

  2. Unclear job responsibilities + impulsive owner with unrealistic expectations = crappy job opportunity.

    1. Bingo. The more time these guys have to think about this, the less attractive the job becomes. The 49ers are a minefield.

      1. Grant,
        You don’t have two “theories”. You have two “hypotheses” which are both wrong!
        Brodie,
        The job responsibilities of consigliere Marathe is pretty darn clear.

          1. I don’t think anyone believes that, Grant. At least I do not, but given he has the best HC for the 49ers in his right pocket, and the dire situation he’s found himself in, I think his luck is beginning to take a turn for the better….

          2. Of course Jed doesn’t have everything under control. Reality is a little more complex that black and white.

          3. Sources close to Gutekunst say it’s been Green Bay for two weeks now. Brian feels it’s like San Francisco without the dysfunctional front office problem.

          4. Why isn’t #3 – Gutekunst heard McDonough is the front runner and will be offered the job so he withdrew? Is that not a realistic scenario?

            1. You beat me to it Houston; that’s exactly what I was going to ask.
              I’ve got to think these guys do some homework prior to accepting the interviews. Didn’t they have a good sense then of what they might be getting into?
              Only time will reveal the real reason for the multiple late opt-outs.
              In the meantime, let’s pump the brakes on all of these conspiracy theories and doom and gloom.
              We seem to be in line for a good HC. If his perceived wide-ranging powers are scaring away some candidates, so be it. We don’t need another Baalke-type anyway.
              Big changes are coming. In light of the disaster that was the past season, that can only be good.
              Nearly all of us cried out to “blow it up” and start all over again. Well, that’s what we got. I hope we can be positive, patient, and optimistic about it.

          5. Well, he managed to land the best head coaching prospect on the market Grant, I believe that was your opinion before the hire became reality.

            Instead of pure speculation, how about you do some investigative journalism and, how about you use your vast array of football contacts and give us an actual scoop?

        1. Mood – You’re one of the more knowledgeable and sensible people who post here, but how can you just accept Paraag as a given when Jed said everyone’s role was going to be questioned. What if he is the problem? We have way too little evidence to just accept Jed’s decision to make him a condition of employment for the new HC and GM. I think it was a strategic mistake and that he should have brought in a football mind to meet and discuss the way the new HC and GM prefer to operate and made his decision alone on that basis. No one knows what Paraag does and if he actually contributes to the team’s success (which the do not have a lot of). In addition, as I have said several times, it is bad optics, and optics do matter in business. I can’t see how Jed thinks he is hiding the elephant in the room when he brings Paraag to the interviews – that elephant being the Yorks reputation as being basically driven by the dollars and cents at the bottom line and winning…not so much.

      2. Have you ever been in a mine field? Do you even know what one looks like? And you call yourself a sports reporter….using big words like that. Pathetic!

  3. Ok I’ll play Devil’s advocate just so we get some balance on this.

    Is it possible both Wolf and then Gutekunst were given an ultimatum from the Packers to make a decision? GB could have put pay raises on the table on the condition that both men decide quickly on whether they were staying or going and thus without confirmation from the Niners that they would be hired, they decided to withdraw and take the money from GB. My reasoning is simple: both of these men were interested in the job a week ago and haven’t had a second interview yet or met Shanahan from what we know. What new info would lead to them pulling their names out if they haven’t even had the second meeting yet? The Shanahan Dictator rumor is out there but so is the other one in which he doesn’t want full control. It doesn’t make much sense to me that anyone would withdraw based on rumors without actually meeting in person with Shanahan and Jed for a second interview. That’s how I come to the feeling that both men wanted assurances that they would get the position and when they didn’t get those assurances decided to take the pay raise and remain in GB.

    The Marathe angle is purely speculation that has popped up now that candidates are withdrawing. I don’t think he’s the issue, but I could be wrong of course. It just seems to me that there is an element of competition involved here among the candidates and no one wants to lose especially if they have an offer of more money on the table from their current employer.

    I realize this is just as far out of left field as everything else, but there seems to be contradicting info coming out every day.

    1. Because Paraag Marathe’s role is mysterious and the terms of Kyle Shanahan’s potential employment are just starting to make their way around league circles.

    2. Paraag interviewing with Jed was just a huge strategic blunder.

      Caserio and Ballard were smart not to even be part of the charade.

      GB said that Gutekunst could leave immediately, so they were playing games, too.

      In the end, having to interview Jed with Paraag may have been the deal breaker.

      If Jed was smart, he would have brought Amy Trask with him.

  4. Theory 2 is the more likely reason. CSN Bay Area has reported a source says Shanahan is okay with not full personnel control.
    All signs have been pointing to Paton.

    1. Whatever “full personnel control” means. He will have final say, and that’s a deal-breaker for most executives.

      1. That’s what Nolan had as well. He and McCloughan did a pretty good job of building the roster. He just wasn’t a very good head coach.

        1. Exactly. And that’s why York was calling Gutekunst the next McCloughan. York thought Gutekunst was OK with that arrangement. Apparently, he wasn’t. Another York miscalculation.

          1. And they never stop-the miscalculations-do they? You have to go to politics to find this kind of incompetence.

        2. That’s what I was thinking too Jack. If only Nolan was actually a good coach, the team definitely built that talent.

          I don’t see as the worst situation if want Grant is saying is true, but still prefer the GM to have the biggest say in the rebuilding process.

          I still don’t buy Paraag will have any say in football decisions outside of budiet and contract numbers, all that’s hogwash. Grant’s just throwing that in there as a cherry on top.

          1. If Shanahan gets to make the final decision on personnel matters and Marathe gets to make the final decisions on contract numbers, what does the GM really do?

              1. You think really the GM will have final say? They’re looking for the next McCloughan, who deferred to Nolan.

              2. McCloughan is doing pretty well for himself despite his enemy within. How? Production in talent evaluation….

            1. Doesn’t final decision on contract numbers wind up determining who stays, who goes, and in some cases who comes to the final roster? That’s football power in my deteriorated mind.

          2. Nolan got murdered by bad OC’s. His first 2 choices were strong McCarthy and Turner after that things got ugly. He had a great rep as a DC before he came to the 9ers.

            1. Why would Nolan have had a great reputation? In Washington his defenses were said to be vanillaand in baltimore the defense did worse when he was the DC not better. Note it also got better after he left.

        3. Nolan was very candid in his KNBR interview. He clearly pointed out that both Scott and he were inexperienced back in 2005 and that caused problems. He insisted that a young coach needed experienced front office around them for help. I think li’l Shanny will be better off with either Paton or Mcdonough. More important is to have the GM leverage his connections to help Shanny put together a good coaching staff ASAP.

      2. Grant I truly don’t think he wants full personnel control. Not just because of a rumor from a source but looking at it from the point of view of what he will be walking into. This will be his first HC job, he will have to line up a bunch of assistant Coaches he’s never worked with before, put in a new system for players he’s never worked with before and get acclimated in a new city under a new employer to boot. I can’t imagine that he wants to be in charge of every personnel detail on top of it.

        As I said yesterday, every HC out there wants control of the 53 man roster and they should considering they know what they need to win games. However, taking on full personnel responsibility is something that a lot of HC’s and I would think a first time HC wouldn’t want. It’s extremely time consuming and there is no way one man can do both jobs effectively. That’s why my opinion is that the GM will have control of the draft to the point of stacking the board and then it will be input from everybody as to who to take if there is no clear option at some point in the draft.

        1. Shanahan will have final say. That’s the sticking point for execs. They’ll be in charge of scouting and gathering data, but they will not make final decisions. Shanahan and Marathe will.

          1. I highly doubt Marathe will be involved in personnel decisions. The whole basis of this search was to find two people who could work together to handle personnel and Coaching and nothing leads me to believe that has changed.

            1. Marathe always will be the contract guy. And the HC will have final say over personnel. So the GM will be a glorified secretary.

              1. Doesn’t every team have a numbers guy to work out the fine details of the contract. Sure GMs get involved in contract talks, but I don’t see a guy like Elway crunching numbers with a calculator. GMs evaluate talent and pursue that talent. That seems like Marathes job, why is that a problem?

              2. You guys are talking as if Shanahan is locked up already. The way Jed’s going, he’ll pull his name out of the running too.

            2. Rocket

              I am in agreement with you about Marathe not being toooo involved in personnel decisions…something like Baalke trading some players and bringing in some players over JH’s wishs. That is what began the battle for supremecy between the two. Baalke showed that he had the personnel power….but Harbaugh showed his power by not playing any of Baalke’s choices. We don’t need more of that….

        2. As Grant says, he will have final say, and obviously a lot of input. The GM will be answerable to Shanahan’s wishes. As far as pecking order goes, it is becoming clear the HC will stand above the GM.

          Not wanting full control just means he isn’t asking to be HC/GM.

    2. I don’t know about that. Could be. but Albert Breer has been saying McDonough would be the guy and considering Shanahan was his top choice for HC to work with, it lends credence to that point of view.

          1. He said McDaniels was a virtual lock to the get the job. And he said Chip Kelly’s job was safe. Oops.

            1. Well he was wrong on Kelly obviously, but he was probably right on McDaniels. It was McDaniels who walked away, not the Niners.

              1. Everything points to McDaniels declining the position. The question is why? All we have to go on is his reasoning for it.

    3. “All signs have been pointing to Paton.”

      Pardon? Like which signs?

      As for not having “full” personnel control, that just means he doesn’t want to handle the full GM responsibilities. It does not mean he won’t insist on final say.

        1. Yeah, I should have just read the entire thread and said “what Grant said”. You’ve nailed it.

      1. I think we are getting caught up in semantics here. The GM will handle everything personnel wise with the exception of the 53 man roster imo. The draft is always a collaborative effort with the picks decided by rankings put together by the GM, personnel director and scouts. If there is a situation where everyone is divided, sure someone has to make the final decision, but the whole idea is two find two people who work well together as GM and HC. If you get that then you don’t have many issues because both parties know the type of players they want.

        1. I think the question is who has finally say on the draft. If it’s Kyle then the GM may feel like nothing more than a glorified scout. The GM may be willing to give up final say on the 53 man roster but if he gives up final say on both, what is he actually doing?

  5. You’re theory holds no water and is all speculation #fakenews. Maiocco says there is no truth to Shanahan wanting full power over roster (I’m willing to bet The Cobra has better sources than you). York has said GM & HC are going to work together on roster. Paraag will be in charge of budget and contract details. Now, if these guys are pulling out bc they aren’t getting full control of roster (aka Baalke’s cry). Then I’m glad they pulled out. With Thompson on his way out Green Bay obviously made Wolf & Gute great offers for them to stay.

    http://www.csnbayarea.com/49ers/source-shanahan-does-not-insist-full-personnel-control

      1. And how do you know that? Who’s your source? I am like the other guy who stated in an article from Maiocco that Shanahan never stated that he wants full control of the roster. It makes sense that Wolf and Gutekunst bowed out, as they have it better at Green Bay right now. It seems now that both Wolf and Gutekunst used their leverage with Green Bay to get better contract with the Packers by interviewing with the Niners. Your response, Grant, to this whole process is predictable.

          1. You haven’t defined what “final say” even means. Will Shanahan be able draft a player that the GM doesn’t like? I doubt it. Basically what it sounds like is that personnel decisions now require 2 approvals (Shanahan & GM), rather than just 1 approval (the GM’s or Shanahan’s). I don’t see what’s wrong with that and that’s probably how things should operate. In Baalke’s days all you needed was Baalke’s approval to make personnel decisions. That never made any sense and clearly didn’t work out too well

            1. Final say is self-explanatory. The person who makes the final decision. Someone has to make it.

              1. Are you saying that Shanahan will be able draft a player that the GM doesn’t like? I seriously doubt that.

  6. What ever the story is, the perception is, it is a toxic work place.
    When you can not attract the best with multi million dollar contracts… Time to change it up.

    1. Hacksaw

      C’mon guys….hasn’t anyone here ever heard the word ‘çompromise’ ? All of these guys are smart, and all have egos….but not so large as to ‘deep six’ their and the 49ers future….they’ll find a way to work together.

  7. McDonough is a fair guess at this point,is Mike Shanahan a dark horse candidate at this juncture?

  8. Grant – I get Paraag messing with football decisions is an issue, however, hasn’t he orchestrated some of the most team friendly contracts in the NFL? Obviously Kaeps, resigning Brooks, Bowmans second contract and remember getting Carlos Rogers back? Not mention being able to get Iupati, Davis and Bowman all signed before camp in a year where we all new two of those three would be starters? Not discounting your points just pointing out that the guy has been an integral part of our success from a contact cap perspective.

      1. GM will have his say and Shanny Jr will have his. Let the record show who’s stronger and the power will drift in that direction, Grant….

          1. For now, but that becomes a matter of record like I said. Either one separates themselves from the other by comparison, or ideally, they have similar evaluations. That’s how this unfolds in a situation that you’re alluding to….

            1. That’s how Jed York would like it to work. But very few executives will want the 49ers’ GM job unless they know they can make some decisions. Otherwise, they’re just glorified scouts.

              1. Glorified scout, sure, but paid a little better. Like I said in response above, prove you’re are a key evaluator through the rebuild process, and power will gravitate your direction….

              2. Great point Razor. The guys they are looking at all work under a very successful structure. None of them have had to make final decisions. So I like the idea of we pay you well, prove yourself and then more rope comes your way!

              3. The whole ‘paid better’ is the thing. All it took was pay raises to be offered by the Packers for Wolf and Gutekunst to say thanks but no thanks to the 49ers “GM” position.

          2. Final say on what? The GM could easily cede final say on a few skill positions on offense to Li’l Shanny, and still retail final say on 80% of the roster. It’s not all binary in job relationships. My boss allows me final say on several technical issues.

            1. Good stuff Mood. We are getting caught up in job description when in reality the whole point of this hiring process should be to find candidates who work together well and share the same vision. If you find that the whole who gets final say stuff is not that big a deal. The whole point is to find players who fit the Coaches system.

    1. Kaep’s contract was hailed as a team friendly deal, yet many said it was terrible this last season, and Kaep could not play until it was renegotiated.

  9. The blog has gone all Kardashians now. Folks arguing about each others’ fact free guesses?
    OK

      1. You sure about that Mood? Looks to me like the same few posters are just repeating the same old things more often. When I have some time I’ll try to get some analytics on the subject.

    1. I wrote the other day that with the 49ers it’s always speculation because they keep everybody in the dark. Imagine how the parties feel that are being talked about for this or that position. Here’s some facts as opposed to speculation. Paraag has been a part of the disaster we are now in whatever his role is. Everyone is correct to speculate that he could be a factor. Jed promised that every job in the building was in question but somehow Jed, without any football input that we are aware of made the decision that he will stay. Fact is that that decision by Jed changes the dynamics for anyone considering either the GM or HC job opening. Caserio was rumored to do a lot of things well including negotiate contracts. By definition that creates a problem if he is being asked to give up that duty to join the 49ers. I have nothing against Paraag. He is the mystery man. But by Jed making the unilateral decision to keep him without considering the impact on how the new HC and GM will respond, he has broken his promise to consider all jobs in the building up for discussion and made a poor decision IMO. Grant is absolutely correct in his position that it is a potential problem. You may question some of his speculations on details since he won’t cite his sources, but we have set a limitation on what candidates will agree to be employed at the end of the day by making Paraag a condition of their employment. There is a saying that a camel is a horse designed by a committee. Jed and Parrag are a committee and that’s a fact.

      1. The problem was that Jed took 2 anal lytics suits with him who have ZERO football credentials. Instead of pencil pushers, he should have brought Steve Young and Joe Montana him.

  10. Maybe there is also a concern that Mike Shanahan will be brought on board in some capacity and the reality is father and son will make all the football decisions and a GM will just be the head scout.
    How is that for wild speculation?

    If Kyle has finally say on personal and Paraag is doing the contracts what exactly will a GM do? Doesn’t sound like a great career move unless the GM has a very good relationship with Shanahan.

  11. The 49ers need a guy who is a draft guru. The financial and management/contracts component we know will be Praage. It has to be someone willing to scout at the college and pro level and have an eye for talent.
    All that might be a tough sell for someone who does not get anymore autonomy than making the shopping list but doesn’t get to purchase. I’m ok with that as the HC should have the final say on personnel anyways. Problem is, who wants that kind a of job?

    1. I agree.
      The Niners have one of the best contract negotiator in Marathe. They have an excellent business guy in Al Guido in the capacity of organization President. What they lack in F.O. is football talent evaluation IQ and experience. They had the same problem under Baalke.

      1. It’s easy to replace a suit. I can find a replacement for Paraag. No other NFL team would hire that bozo. He has a job because he’s friends with Jed and knows how to kiss arse.

  12. The Cohn’s are mentally and emotionally unable to say anything positive about the Yorks and the team. Unless of course Jed bows down to their combined genius and admits that they are indeed the smartest football duo in the country. Truth is the Cohn’s MO is all based on hindsight and rewriting of other’s comments.

    1. Jed is a limelight guy. He wants credit and praise. And that’s why he messes everything up.

      1. Perhaps after he cleans up this mess, maybe the stench will linger in his bank account and serve as a reminder….

      2. “He wants credit and praise.” So does Joe Lacob. But Lacob has Peter Guber, Jerry West, and Kirk Lacob for balance. Who does Jed have? Sycophants. The “credit and praise” desire and the sycophants are a toxic mix.

  13. If it ends up as Patton I’m going to cut both my eyes out.

    McDonalds I’ll be ok with. 2$ mochas!

    1. Take a look at the players Paton was involved in drafting with the Vikings. Each one has two things in common: fast and physical. Just like the offense run by Shanahan.

      1. Paton and McDonough are both decent candidates. Let’s just hope the Vikings and Cardinals don’t offer them pay raises too.

  14. What’s the big deal??? Somebody explain to me why it’s such a big deal that the coach not have final say on his roster? We saw what happened when balkee had full control. Get someone that will help Kyle build, not someone that will want to take over.

      1. Possible they’re not as confident in their solitary ability to evaluate talent as “we” thought they were….

      2. Grant,

        I don’t mean to brag (OK maybe a little bit) but I told you Gutekunst might drop out. Full Shanny is looking more and more likely.

      3. Who care. As long as the coach can handle his business, with his guys. It’s not like a coach is coming in here working with balkee. They are about to work with a coach who is willing to come exist. If they don’t want to do that then they are balkee. Wanting all power, and Lord knows how that worked out. I’ll pass on that type of gm anyhow

        1. Everyone complained when balkee continuously ran coaches out of the building but you guys are having a problem that these so-called general managers don’t want to coexist with this current head coach what is the difference between Balki and whoever is turning down the position if they can’t have final say

    1. The big deal is that Jed is still leaking, and his comment on Gutekunst being McClouhan without the alcohol may have torpedoed the hire.

      No GM candidate wants to be a glorified scout.

      I agree, both the HC and GM should be on the same page, and the final decision does not have to be controversial. Both people could agree on the same players.

      I also believe that Baalke was the main problem and his huge ego was a huge problem, especially since he drove away JH.

      1. Seb. You keep missing me on this leak crap it has nothing to do with leeks there is nothing to leak now your other points might be valid no GM wants to be a glorified Scout but at the same time no coach wants to be handed garbage to cook with

        1. Some one leaked that Jed said that Gutekunst was like McClouhan without the alcohol. Some one also said that Gutekunst and SM were friends. I surmise that BG did not like his friend to be disparaged, and assumed he would be given the same treatment.

  15. My sources are telling me the 49ers plan to pursue Cousins just as hard as they did for Shanny Jr….

        1. I’ve seen this idea suggested-along with Ponder as a backup and the addition of a rookie-say Mahomes ,Peterman or Webb.One wonders how dear Cousins would be.

              1. Cousins would be going from a team that just missed the playoffs to a cellar dweller.

                He must know that the Niners are in full rebuild mode, and cannot expect the playoffs for at least 3 years.

              2. Also, the Bears, Jets and Jax might be better landing spots.

                Cousins may take less to go to contenders like Denver and the Texans.

              3. I beg to differ, Seb. You bring in Cousins, draft Williams and Shanny Jr’s offense will be humming….

              4. That, of course would eliminate Kaep, so I am opposed to it, but I must admit, that would be like a Ryan/Jones combo.

    1. Cousins is a good option… so long as they don’t need to pay for him twice. If the Redskins tag him then it could cost both a high draft pick (or picks) plus a massive salary to get him. Is he that good to be worth all that?

  16. When Jed announced he and Maraathe were heading search I think the wind left many a fan’s sails.

  17. I think there should be a separation between player acquisition and the 53 man roster. Acquiring players either through the draft or FA should be a collaborative effort. But the 53 man roster and who suits up should be controlled by the HC and his staff.

      1. I think its time to admit that nobody really knows what’s going on outside of those involved in the process. I see a lot of conclusions being made from speculation while the only thing we truly know is that Shanahan is the top choice for HC.

          1. Well the supposed favorites for HC and GM are no longer in the picture so I’d say that tells us that nobody really knows how this is going to go. Got any good conspiracy theories you’d like to share?

  18. Grant,
    I don’t believe that either of your theories are correct. I think that both candidates just saw their positions in GB as better jobs in better organizations with better futures.GB knows how to win and SF doesn’t. Pretty simple if you ask me and I know no one did.

    1. OC, I agree with you. It was a logical, straightforward decision on the part of both of them.

  19. The funniest thing about this is the report from yesterday that Wolf pulled his name from the search because he knew Gutekunst was going to get the job. That was wrong.

        1. Sure you do. This whole story is based on rumors and you are convinced nobody wants the GM job because they will be glorified scouts. You’ve completely bought into something that hasn’t been confirmed.

    1. The one from Packer news speculated that Gut was the guy but said Wolf was dropping out because he knew he wasn’t going to get the job; not because he knew Gutekunst was getting it.

  20. The final 53 is not in the the top 5 most important jobs a GM has and removing him from the equation does not weaken him that much.The top 3 duties a GM has in order of importance are the draft, the draft and the draft.

    1. I agree oldcoach. I tend to believe the coaches have less bias towards their “guy” and contract status and its more about who can play the best.

      1. SEB

        You’re getting closer….FA is going to be crucial this year….I say we’re going to get 4

      2. Seb,
        I think you can remove the cap from the equation most teams have attorneys and bean counters who take care of that.

        1. OldCoach, the salary cap is relevant, if they choose not to spend it like last year. The GM, in negotiating with the FAs, must spend up to 5 mil. The 5 mil is saved for contingencies, but the rest MUST BE SPENT, even if they overpay. By overpaying, they will be getting quality. Going cheap brought Pears. Baalke even re-signed DEVEY, a total waste of cap space.

          So the crucial decision will be, who to target. I like Eric Berry, Dontari Poe and Kawann Short. I wonder what your top 3 would be? I also would pass on Alshon Jeffrey, because he will want to go to a contender, and probably will accept less to get on a playoff team. I am thinking Cordarelle Patterson, Kendall Wright and Brian Quick should be 3 targets for WR. They do have talent, but they under performed, so they could be reasonably priced.

  21. I think the problem is that the GM’s that are being considered don’t want to wait a long time and perhaps their current team is putting pressure on them to stay or maybe if you don’t let us know by so and so, we are going to fill your job.

  22. What does Jed expect? When your BFF (Paraag) is the untouchable leaker while involving himself in every area of the team it’s no surprise GM candidates want nothing to do with it. If Jed had half a clue he would have hired a president of football ops to conduct this search… Someone actually respected. At the very least he should have conducted these interviews alone or with his personal admin… Paraag needs to stick to contracts and stay out of the way. I won’t be surprised if Shanahan backs out either despite recent reports saying he’s our next HC… Just a matter of time before he and Paraag battle assuming Shanny Jr. does accept.

    1. And if Shanahan and Prag battle-as Prag tries to fill the vacuum that Bulky’s departure left-and little Jed then fires Shanahan for not kissing arse………..the NFL should get involved. Other teams cash flow suffers also when they play a team like the 9ers.
      Not entirely all that far fetched………..

    1. Doesn’t going after contract and salary cap candidates conflict with the Marathe narrative?

  23. I’ll say it one more time. Jed’s silly commitment to coach and gm harmony over prioritizing independently getting the best gm and the best coach (assuming both of those guys were willing to work together) has lead to the this place.

    If i was a gm candidate I would want full but collaborative control over draft and collecting the 80 or so players for the team. But I would be ok with shanahan having almost full control over the final 53 with the caveat of having two or three players that I would have full say over.

    If I could be Jed. First things I would do is buzz my hair, lose 20 lbs and stop buying my suits from men’s warehouse.

    Next I would’ve gone after shanahan and matched him up with either wolf, McDonald’s or guttenheimer. I would’ve gone quick and swift and not this nonsensical 40 person 40 day parade.

    1. Its like a slow motion train wreck. Very humiliating, and directed at Jed, mostly. Its almost like he is a masochist, prolonging the agony.

  24. I don’t care who the GM is. As long as he gets along with our HC… Our old gm was quick to run off our last successful HC. So I’m for darn sir not upset if these guys are pulling out because they don’t have complete control. Kyle Shannahan said he does not want full power. But I’m sure he wants a say. If a GM can’t handle that, good riddance. All packer guys have final say on their rosters. I’m sure these other packer guys weren’t coming without full control. So who would you rather have a guy that makes it work on the field, or a guy in the office? Like John Madden said when they ran harbaugh out of town. You can find a GM to work with a HC and be successful anywhere,, but a good HC is hard to find. Now Shannahan is unproven but what kind of success willhehave if your cutting his legs because your to stubborn to share control.

    1. I’d be ok with Bradley as DC. Not a lot of other decent options unless your bring in some other retreads like Hasslet or Ryan. Both those guys can coach but how would they do with a first year HC?

  25. “Some league insiders predict that the job could become more along the lines of “director of player personnel,” with the candidate knowing from the get-go that his job will be to go get players for Shanahan and not to manage or to co-manage the football operations. Folks who would aspire to fill that role may already be contacting Shanahan and/or the 49ers to express interest.

    “Part of the problem is that, in the rush to get Shanahan to verbally commit to the job after all other coaching candidates had withdrawn, the 49ers apparently promised him control over the 53-man roster. That instantly made the G.M. less attractive and less powerful.”

    http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/01/20/49ers-may-have-to-adjust-on-the-fly-again/

    I tried to tell you guys.

    1. Well I listened Grant. I wouldn’t be surprised if McDonough backs out before the 2nd interview.

    2. I am interested to see how it all plays out in the real world. People are scrambling to make sense of it all. Certainly there is something with causality to the rash of opting out of contention for the GM slot. I don’t have any claims on what it happening but I certainly don’t like how it appears.

      If this is all true then is it the narrative that undermines Kyle’s HC coaching career like McDaniel’s?

    3. I’ve been listening. I said a few days ago it looked like the HC was going to have all the power in this relationship. Everything since then seems to be confirming it.

      At this point is there any reason for the 49ers not to just promote Gamble?

            1. I did mention the sun might rise in the East and Set in the West……that is not an absolute.

              Lets see how that turns out!

        1. I feel like the 49ers would keep on keeping on. Just a continuation of what’s been wrong with the 49ers.

        2. I think Gamble is a better option than Riddick but that’s not saying much. Gamble has been signing players as recently as yesterday.

          Gutekunst has been the favorite for weeks. Wolf supposedly backed out because he thought Gutekunst would take the job. They must have talked about it right?

          So what happened over the past 24 hours. Two leaks happened. First, the drinking problem about Gutekunst’s friend. Second, no roster control for our next GM. The leaks were meant to dissuade any potential GM from coming here.

          But are the leaks coming from the York camp or the Shanny camp?

          Jed likes to keep things in house. Gamble has said he doesn’t want the GM job. He seems to be fine with his current role so roster control wouldn’t matter to him.

          Or are the leaks a full Shanny power play? The Shanahan’s could be poisoning the well so Jed would have to accept big Shanny as GM with Gamble doing a lot of the GM grunt work.

          Of course it could just be more York incompetence.

          1. I think you are off with thinking that leaks are to dissuade GMs from taking job. It’s not hard for a gm to confirm things with Jed if they aren’t true that is. “Hey man am I or Kyle going to have control over roster. Oh it’s me. Cool. Thanks and that’ll be in my contract? Yes. Cool. Gosh I knew I shouldn’t believe those leaked stories”

              1. I’ll agree with anything hat starts with yorks incompetence.

                I’m right outside the range of being a millennial.

                But something super obvious that doesn’t seem to have dawned on York is: just because twitter and texting and leaking exist it doesn’t mean you have do it.

                I wonder how much more respect he would garner (not with media) but with real football people if he just stopped all this nonsense.

          2. I don’t think its the leaks per se, and I don’t think its any kind of power play through leaking information or attempt to dissuade individuals from the job. The leaks are raising questions only, and it seems the candidates aren’t liking the answers they are receiving to those questions.

      1. Scooter: Can you explain to me why the GM wants control over the 53 man roster. I understand the draft and FA, but I can only think of one reason why they would want control over the 53 man roster. That reason is that the GM wants to make sure that his top round draft pics (rounds 1 – 4??) and expensive Free Agents make the roster – otherwise he looks bad.

        1. Aside from ego? Main reason is that like the HC, their job security is based on how well they perform. So the more control you have over things, the less reliant you are on other people for your job security. Basically, who wants to lose their job for someone else’s incompetence?

          But with Shanny, there is nothing that says he is happy to stop at final say over the 53 only. Everything points to Shanahan wanting final say on who the team keeps, acquires and lets go as well. At that point the GM is highly reliant on Shanahan.

            1. The answers to that are above. In summary, not wanting full control doesn’t mean he doesn’t want final say on all or most personnel decisions. It just means he isn’t asking to be the GM and run the personnel department. The GM will run the research and contracts etc.

            2. Sorry but I agree with Cubus and don’t see where Shanny wants more than control of the 53 and game day rosters. There are successful teams that operate that way (see Atlanta Falcons) and I can’t see how a GM would necessarily make that a deal point. If there is a source that claims that I am wrong, I must have missed it.

              1. Have you seen anything saying he only wants control of the final roster decisions to cut down to 53?

              2. I’m not following you, Scooter. The comment I quoted above seems to strongly suggest that he doesn’t want more control than what is stated. It sounds like you want a specific statement such as “I, Kyle Shanahan, agree not to request control beyond…….”

                We virtually never get such assurances on anything and most of the blog this time of year revolves around speculation.

              3. Scooter – I’m basing it on things I’ve read about other teams and can’t honestly vouch for the correctness. See this for example:

                http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/12272940/atlanta-falcons-owner-arthur-blank-says-new-coach-dan-quinn-final-say-53-man-roster

                The article quotes the Falcons owner: “Blank went on to say the structure isn’t unusual in the NFL. New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll have final say over their rosters, as does Lovie Smith in Tampa Bay, just to name a few.”

                If Quinn has this power it is not too much of a stretch to believe that he and Shanny have chatted. My point is that I don’t think it’s a secret that like the article says, there are examples of successful teams where the HC has the power so I don’t see the big stigma for a GM to go along with the concept. We use the analogy of the GM providing the groceries and the HC cooking up the meal. Stands to reason that the GM would provide the full TC roster and let the HC pick what he wants to make the gourmet meal.

              4. He only said he doesn’t want full control.

                Final say on the 53 starts with who they bring in to the 90 to start training camp. Given Shanahan’s statement says he will work with the GM across the full spectrum of personnel decisions, it seems highly unlikely he is only seeking control of the final roster cut downs.

              5. I can’t say you’re wrong but I’d like to think that Shanny is reasonable enough to accept what the others with much more seniority can work with. Maybe it’s just me but I suspect that Quinn is doing some mentoring here and if he’s OK with it, I can see how Shanny would try to make it work for him. I do agree with all who are concerned about the issue. If he really wants more than Bellichek and Carroll…..Nah, just doesn’t seem like his style to me. I say much ado about nothing. If we can’t land a good GM candidate, I’m looking at Paraag as the problem not Shanny. That’s just me.

              6. These candidates all knew about Paraag before accepting a 2nd interview. What they probably weren’t aware of was what Shanahan has been promised.

                I can’t say I am right, but when people that have inside sources are saying this has something to do with the role Shanahan will have in personnel decisions I think it is reasonable to worry. And it isn’t just Grant saying it.

                Now of course this could all work out fine regardless. Shanahan may prove to be very adept at identifying guys to fit his system, and whoever they get as GM may be an excellent partner for Shanahan. But I do believe the Packers produce excellent personnel people so it is worrying to see both of them pull out, especially when one was believed to be the front runner for the job.

          1. But with Shanny, there is nothing that says he is happy to stop at final say over the 53 only.

            I am okay with Shanahan having the final say over the roster. The team just had a previous GM who had the final say on the roster, and the result was talent depletion on said roster.

      2. Jed already said it wouldn’t be Gamble. Does anyone truly believe he’s going to go back on that after all the abuse he’s been taking?

    4. This is how Jed does things. Reacts to do opposite. Giving control to Nolan didn’t work out so he gives full control to baalke. That doesn’t work out so he gives full control to shanahan.

      It’s partly the inability to acknowledge that maybe he picked the wrong people. Its not necessarily that he system is broken.

    5. Grant, you didn’t have to tell me. I looked at your point and not send, but I will forever say, if a GM doesn’t want to co exist with his head coach then we don’t need him. In my opinion we got the best HC candidate out there. The guy that’s going to make it work on the field. So I ask again, why all the negativity if we got our man on the field? Your upset that guys are pulling out, because they want full control.

      1. Actually, Mighty Quinn, you might be pretty good as a GM-certainly better than Bulky.

        Stay away from the QB position, tho………..

    6. You’ve said a lot of things Grant and this one is based on people speculating and making predictions like everything else. We still have no idea what is truly going on here. Shouldn’t we actually see how this plays out before forming the conclusion?

      1. So having the guy that was considered the front runner for the job according to multiple sources isn’t a cause for some concern?

          1. Hooray! All those guys with inside sources aren’t worth listening to!

            Its conjecture, but its not baseless conjecture. I think there are a few people that are either so excited about landing the big fish HC candidate or just so ready for positive 49ers news they are willing to ignore what seems to be pretty good info regarding what the ramifications are on the GM search.

            1. Nah I’ve just read a lot of different things and none of it has been credible so far. McDaniels was reported as the favorite for HC, then he dropped out and all of a sudden the narrative around here was that he dropped out because he knew he wasn’t getting the job. Now GM’s have dropped out and the narrative is not that they know they weren’t getting the job, but because the job itself is bad. There just seems to be a real negative slant on this to the point it’s now it’s own story. The facts are Shanahan has pretty much accepted the job, and two good candidates remain in contention to be the GM. If that changes we have something else to talk about, but right now it seems like the vultures are circling and looking for blood.

              1. Then you’ll be waiting forever. Most of the time the real truth of what happened never becomes public knowledge, or takes years to come out. Take Gase disclosing it was Baalke’s decision to go with Tomsula over him.

                Just seeing the outcome often tells you very little of the process to get there.

              2. That’s just it Scooter. I don’t care about how they get there as long as they get there. I’m waiting to see how things work out before drawing conclusions. If they wind up with Paton and Shanahan for example then that is a positive outcome, and all the handwringing over Gutekunst dropping out will be yesterday’s news.

              3. That doesn’t explain why you were arguing yesterday about the validity of claims that some GM candidates were pulling out over fears regarding the power Shanahan would have.

                I agree this could still work out pretty well for the 49ers. We have no idea exactly how well Shanahan will or won’t work with the GM. But it doesn’t mean concerns aren’t valid. Shanahan has very little experience putting a team together, and some of the better candidates to help him put the team together have pulled out. Reportedly due to concerns regarding power. Not a good thing. You’d rather pick the best of four candidates than the best of two.

              4. Nobody asked, but I agree with Rocket, it could be just as you’re saying Scooter, but don’t you think it might be unwise to pair a 37 year old, first time HC, who is know to be rough around the edges when dealing with people, with a 30 something, first time GM? I do.

                Initially, I really liked Wolf (I still think he’d be a great GM candidate, if paired with an experienced HC), but after KS was named as the 49ers choice, it seems sensible to me that an candidate with longer experience would be a better match with KS.

                It could be that, as the process went along, York came to the same conclusion about the GM candidates. It could also be that he’s completely clueless and is just bumbling through this entire process, with no discernible plan.

                Either way, since York has shown the ability to change his mind quickly, unless anyone’s sources have 24/7 access to York’s thoughts, I’m not entirely sure how anyone can latch onto one particular angle and say, “yep, there’s nothing else that makes sense.”

              5. Gutekunst is 43.

                You think Jed told Wolf and Gutekunst they weren’t wanted after asking them to come to a 2nd interview?

              6. I don’t know. It’s possible. It’s possible they had pressure put on them in GB to take the raise offered now and risk it being pulled if they didn’t get the 49er job. It’s possible they were blocked by GB because of KS having control over the 53. It’s possible they took themselves out of the running because of not getting control over the 53.

                I’m just saying we don’t know. Everyone involved can spin what happens any way they like,and most definitely do, and sources hear what is said in the moment they’re getting information. In other words, it seems much of what we hear is incomplete or temporary truth.

              7. Seems unlikely.

                While we can’t ever know for sure what is happening, I think it is a bit naive to ignore multiple reports from people with sources close to the situation. Maybe they are wrong, but they probably have a better idea of what’s going on than you and I.

              8. Scooter,

                Agreed, when all the reports are saying the same thing. In this case there are more theories than candidates, it seems.

              9. I should’ve written reports, rather than theories. Although, theories doesn’t seem too far off…

  26. A high ranking 9ers official confirmed today that the leaks have been coming from Paraag.

    Breaking news and confirmed by my sources a high ranking 9ers official confirmed that the leaks have not been coming from paraag.

    Unrelated news: it has been confirmed that there are only two high ranking officials in the 9ers organization.

    In a bizarre set of tweets: Jed and paraag confirm that after a night of male friendship bonding that they switched cell phones by mistake. Sometime in the last 2 weeks to 2 years.

    Sources confirm that terry donahue is and always has been the front runner for the niners GM position.

    Leaked information confirms that Jed and paraag have tried to hire Donahue multiple times over the past 5 years but each time this hire has been blocked by the current gm at the time who had full control over the organization- Trent baalke

    Leaked: Denise York has confiscated both Jed’s and paraag’s cellphones. And paraag is no longer allowed to play with Jed.

    It is leaked that Donahue has removed himself from consideration for the 9ers gm position. Stating that he is rather opting to go into business with baalke to develop and sell a line of sanitization and organizational tools

    Confirmed: 9ers fans believe all leaked stories and these leaks will not stop unless a collective improvement in IQ and critical thinking takes place.

    Just FYI all the aforementioned information is not true.

  27. We’re on a roll. It wouldn’t surprise me if Shanahan pulled his name from considerations also. Let’s make 5 for 5 and keep the streak alive.

  28. Maiocco Tweeted almost a week ago that McDonough wanted Shanahan as HC, so that would seem to make sense. He’s very well respected. Tbd.

    1. Terry Mcdonough will be looking at this cluster flick with aghast. No way does he want to come here, for all the reasons Grant laid out. This might be the best way to destroy a career I can think of.

      1. I was thinking the same thing. From reports, McDonough has signed off on KS and is available. So the only unknown is whether or not KS has signed off on McDonough. If so, they should move forward. Even if KS backs out, McDonough would still be a good signing as GM.

        Probably McD is not their first choice.

  29. This is not a clean slate. Paraag is still around. To right the ship, my advice to Jed is:
    1. Fire Paraag pronto
    2. Define clear roles for everyone
    3. Tell mommy to shut the f* up and get out of the way :)

    1. Please, I revered my mother, withstood her sharp tongue, smiled, and went back for more.

      I would rather she take Jed over her knee and give a good spanking.

    2. 1.) Fire himself
      2.) Fire Paraag
      3.) Let someone football competent define clear roles for everyone
      4.) Tell mommy to shut the f* up and get out the way :)

      …..there fixed it for you :)

  30. Bottom line – the 49ers management is good at bad optics…and that’she not good.

  31. Damn, bad….this is epically bad. To secure a head coach jed once again robs pete to pay paul. Unlike his uncle, this guy hasn’t learned jack squat from past mistakes. Though can we purely put it on his shoulders given mommy was interviewing a head coach candidate? This “new” GM job reeks of being the next fall guy for another bad season. Instead of firing a coach for a bad year or two, it will be a GM. Gamble will get this job, just wait and see.

  32. From known candidates. McDonough is only respectible end to this saga.

    I still vote for terry Donahue. If him and valley don’t go into business together

  33. Lets see.

    The front office that openly bragged about screwing Kap on his contract:

    1. Supposedly will hire a coach 1st (Shanny) + 2. Give him control over player personnel (Drafting) + Giver Paraag contract negotiating responsibilities so he can tell Jed how his money is spent (Mitch Trubisky is too expensive, so Paraag’s analytics can find a comparable QB in the 6th Rd.), + lastly, hire the GM who falls on the sword when this shaky foundation crumbles….No thanks, if I was offered the GM position.

    1. Agreed, TomD.

      Guy Kawasaki:”Steve Jobs has a saying that A players hire A players; B players hire C players; and C players hire D players. It doesn’t take long to get to Z
      players. This trickle-down effect causes bozo explosions in companies.”

      Where did the hiring of Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly peg Jed York to be in the noted grouping? Or the favoring of Trent Baalke over Jim Harbaugh? Has Jed York shown himself to be an “A” player looking to hire other “A” players? Would that be your expectation as a GM or HC?

      I hope that the 49ers end up with an outstanding GM and HC combo. But I wouldn’t bet on it.

  34. Can’t wait ’til Kyle Shanahan withdraws.

    Just end it and make Marathe the GM already. Or Jed himself. That’s what they really want. Marathe can make the draft picks based on parentage, wingspan, calf length, hand size, cone time, etc., somewhat akin to buying thoroughbreds. Saves a lot on scouting. Acquire robots (programmable Vince Lombardi!) and buy MS Surfaces for the coaching. Should be back to dominance in no time. Light years.

    1. Sarpedon,

      Maybe their egos grow large enough that they believe they can return kickoffs.

      After being carted off the field we get a new owner.

  35. The 49er front office , known for leaking, can’t leave well enough alone

    Just yesterday, this whopper leak appeared during supposedly private GM intervies:

    “It’s been Gutekunst for two weeks,” said one source close to the 49ers’ search. “He killed that interview. The owner says he’s Scot McCloughan without the drinking problem.”

    http://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/mcginn/2017/01/19/mcginn-packers-gm-picture-remains-unchanged/96795820/

    1. Who would want to work for a man (owner) who leaks personnel file, private info.

      How’s McCloughan expect to land another job against this character assassination ?

      If I think this, other prospective 49er employees are certainly looking out for jed unloading private, personnel file info. via twitter leaks.

  36. I don’t get the issue here. Of course Shanahan should have final say. Why wouldn’t he? Does Belichick have final say? Did Walsh have final say? Of course they do and did. If Shanahan is going to be any good and have a chance to succeed they likes of Walsh and Belechick he should get the guys he wants to the extent the cap works. If Shanahan fails it is solely and totally his fault. This whole discussion doesn’t make any sense too me. Yes the GM should be the HC’s assistant just like John McVay was.

    1. The problem was, Baalke seized control, and would not give up any power. He dominated the draft with his Carnak envelopes with names. He decided on the ACL strategy. He micromanaged the roster, dictating they had to play his favorites, even when better players were available. Players ended up playing out of position. He juggled the practice squad and determined the 6 inactives.

      Baalke could not dominate JH, so he got rid of him. He interrupted Tomsula in the initial presser, and finished his sentence. Chip stood up to Baalke by playing Kaep, so in the end, Baalke stabbed him in the back as a parting gift.

      1. So tell me again why having a dictator for a GM is such a good idea. The packet guys got raises to stay put, but if any of the other guys wanted full control, we could have revisited this situation.

        1. I just don’t agree with Grant or anyone else claiming these GM’s are leaving because of Jed or the fact that Kyle wants to share control of his 53. If they don’t want to share, take a hike

      2. As info comes out, Baalke really was a villian-put himself way, way ahead of whats best for the team.

    2. I’m with you. You tell me I could have a guy put people on my team that I don’t agree with and help me lose because of it, I’ll pass. But if you tell me I can help my coach put his people on the field, my brain and his working together and we win… Then I’m all in. I’d rather have bill Walsh than Ted Thompson. I’d rather have the best coach than the best gm. Or if rather have both. Not overrated egos

  37. Assuming Paton is our new GM, here are some possibilities.

    FAs – Shaun Hill, I hope not, Corrdarrelle Patterson, Jake Long, Matt Kalil, Captain Munnerlynn and Terrence Newman.

    Staff – ST coach Mike Priefer, continuity with Patterson, Pat Shurmur, has ties to Gamble if that matters, Tony Sparano, Jerry Gray, George Stewart, and Adam Zimmer.

  38. Well after reading through this thread the consensus seems to be:

    Shanahan is getting final say on everything
    No decent GM candidate will come here to because the job is essentially a glorified scout
    Jed and Paraag have screwed everything up

    All of these opinions have been reached based on league insiders feelings, predictions, clairvoyant gifts?

    It’s strange for me to be in this position because I’m usually the one getting bitched at for being negative, but it appears I’m on the other side this time. From what I can gather, the only thing we truly know is that the Niners want Shanahan as the next HC. That is good. They also want a GM who can work in tandem with Shanahan and form a good working partnership. Also a good thing. Everything else is pretty much speculation with conflicting reports. My advice to everyone is to grab a drink, sit down and relax and enjoy your weekend. We have no true idea on how things are going to fall and buying into theories based on conjecture is really a waste of time without facts to back them up.

    1. Rocket, that sounds like good reasoning.. But that won’t happen. Everyone on this blog wants to be the 1st to say, “I told you so”. Even Grant. It’s sad because in his 4 part series, he wanted Kyle, now that the GM he wanted isint coming then it’s a bad idea. No gm wants to work in this situation, no gm doesn’t want full control… Just saying

        1. No sir you didn’t. But I ask you this, if this coach was the best candidate, shouldn’t the Niners adjust to him having a say? Not full control but a Time share

          1. Otherwise you might get Trent Balkee. Jed saw how that worked and wanted something different.

            1. Even Adam Gase, a 1st time HC had some say on his roster. Would u encourage the likes of Ron Wolfe to stay away from him as well

          2. If I were Jed York and had to choose between Kyle Shanahan and Eliot Wolf, I’d pick Wolf.

            1. That’s the difference between us… I’d take the man making happen on the field… I’d take Shannahan all day

            2. No! Shanny has way more experience. The thing about Wolf is he’s had Ted holding his hand the whole time. How many crucial decisions has he made on his own?
              We know Shanny has done it multiple times with many different teams.
              Right now all Wolf is, is a name made by his Dad and a guy with potential. He’s unproven.

              1. Agree.. Not once as Wolfe put a team together. He’s only been around the business. Kyle has been around the business just as long. And he has more rings than Wolfe. And he is doing it on the field

              2. Reggie took over a team with a garbage HC. That’s why he had all the power. Nothing is garbage about Kyle. Even though he hasn’t been a HC his offense is very productive.

              3. Reggie hired Allen. And Reggie built the Raiders into one of the most talented teams in the NFL.

              4. I think all these GM candidates are unproven. That’s why hiring Shanny is the most important.
                After that all you need is a great staff and superb scouts. A GM to me without those key factors is useless.

              5. Wolf has considerably more experience being part of the process of putting a team together than Shanahan.

              6. Nobody can hate on what the other Green bay executives have done. It’s all impressive. But look at the coaches they have to work with. They had to go hire winners. Our coach is a winner. And all they are asking is for a GM to let him have input. If they can’t see eye to eye on that, I’m taking the productive coach. Not the guy that stays in the office. Theses guys fight for their coach, not the suits

              7. I like how all the GM candidates are risky because they’ve never been in charge before, but the first time HC is a great hire.

              8. The Raiders are not that close. Their defense got exposed even after all those signings. So Reggie still has lots of work to do.
                I’m not saying he hasn’t done a good job. But Jack Del Rio is doing him no favours.
                Having a good HC who’s battled tested and experienced can only help. Whereas a GM’s importance, is really difficult to measure.
                My point is start with a good HC and you can excel in being competitive early in the rebuild. Give your players hope!

              9. Grant, it worked out for the Cheifs as well.. But I’m still on the fire with a good HC candidate, instead of a good GM candidate

              10. I think the Raiders need to win the division next year flat out for anyone to take them serious.
                That division is becoming weak.

              11. Scooter, yes Wolfe does, because he’s always in the room but not picking the guys, all Shannahan is asking is to be apart of the process, what is so wrong with that? Trent Balkee ring a bell

              12. Kyle Shanahan is such a successful OC that after 9 years in the job he had his first playoff victory last week. In what was only the 2nd time he’s been in a playoff game. Winner.

                I’m excited to get him, but this talk like he is a slam dunk hire and knows how to build winning teams is BS.

              13. If all Shanahan is doing is asking to be part of the process that’s fine and as it should be.

              14. Shanny could find a role for low end talent like Patton and Vmac and Hyde and make them productive.
                He’s the kinda coach that fits the scheme to the talent. Not like Chip.

              15. Scooter… I never said we need him to build a whole team. But if this man is ready to be a HC then why can’t he have some say. He’s not building the whole thing that’s where the gm and him as a tandem are going to do. Just like Ron Wolfe wasn’t going to be a slam dunk hire. But your sure acting like he would have been

              16. No, not all. But I would trust Wolf to put the team together more than Shanahan.

                As for the rest of your comment, have you been paying attention to the comments and discussion? The concern is over how much control Shanahan wants to have on the roster decisions. If all he wants to do is get ot pick the final 53 roster cut downs, no problem. But that isn’t what has been speculated by those with sources close to the situation.

              17. No one really knows and there is not even an official offer yet, but logically thinking, Jed is desperate and KS is holding all the cards. Makes sense to think he has all the power, but KS does not need to be greedy. He should just cite what Quinn said about his relationship with Dimitroff, and how the decision making processes will unfold.

              18. Prime, almost all GM’s are unproven. Gm’s normally only get one shot and they don’t tend to move around a lot. That’s why pedigre matters in hiring one.

    2. Rocket, I remember how you were getting grief, then they lost the next 9 games in a row.

      Of course it is just speculation, but that is what a blog site is for. Just putting out our 2 cents worth, and sometimes less than that.

      Still, the whole process is unseemly and the leaks seem like the Niagra falls.

      Oh, how I long for the days when coaches and GMs were lining up to beg to be part of that dynasty. Now we have children being used as excuses, and competent candidates are fleeing this disaster, further humiliating Jed and our once proud 49ers.

      I kinda feel gobsmacked, Wolf declining because he thought Gutekunst would get the job, then Gutekunst backing out ,too.

      I have been avoiding the other media, just grinding my teeth watching snippets of news. I hope everyone will say a prayer for our country, we are in uncharted waters.

    1. I’ll say one thing about Tim K. Yes the 49ers are a mess but at some point I think his old song and dance of piss and vinegar on the 49ers is getting lame.
      Grow up and bring some new material!

    2. I think the whole process was flawed. Jed did the right thing. He fired Baalke. Long overdue, and so richly deserving.

      However, Jed should not have fired Chip. He should have selected a GM, and let the GM decide if he wanted to keep Chip or not. He could have told the coaches to look for work elsewhere, but he emasculated the GM by selecting the HC first. No wonder they are rejecting Jed, even though the GM position should be a coveted spot in the NFL.

      So the end result is that most are turning down the opportunity, and some refused even to be interviewed. So now Jed is left with the dregs, who will look at this job as a short term prospect because they will be set up as the sacrificial lamb if it blows up again.

      Jed needs to start thinking. It was not a genius move to include 2 anal lytics pencil pushers, instead of 2 football guys for the interviews. Jed should have hired competent people to do the searching, instead of doing it himself. I hear he prostrated himself, admitting all sorts of blunders, which is the last thing he should have done. It put himself in a position of weakness.

      If Jed could do it over, he should have asked Eddie and Carmen Policy to accompany him to the interview. They could have connected with the glory years by also asking Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott or Steve Young to sit with them, too.

      Jed should have exchanged pleasantries, and then shut up. Let the others talk. He should listen and learn.

      If he had followed that process, they may have found a good candidate, instead of the 9th best.

      Maybe the new GM would have kept Chip, and just hired Gus Bradley to fix the defense. Chip would have done better if he had given Kaep some more weapons, but everyone and their mother could see the defense needed huge improvements.

      Jed has been mocked and humiliated, so I hope he grows up and starts acting with class. He needs to stop the leaks simply by shutting his mouth.

      So even with the turmoil and toxicity, I have hope. Baalke is gone, so anyone will be an improvement. KS is a promising young coach, and Gamble seems to be doing GM duties already.
      I hope Jed will learn from his mistakes and ditch Paraag. He needs more football people making football decisions.

  39. My favorite part of this whole thing has been watching people argue with Grant.

    I know he is not always right, but the other thing that I know is he is closer to this and has far better Intel than any commenter on here.

    No matter what the selections are there will be a few columnists who are going to pan the choice. For the most part they already are and they’re the usual suspects.

    My advice, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

      1. It’s not brown nosing. I’ve had a lot of disagreements with Grant, been banned a few times, and on and on.

        This is a time where he simply has more contacts throughout the league to gather info from. Do I think everything he’s saying is spot on? No, but I also know what I don’t know.

    1. I don’t argue,I state my feelings. Just like he states his. How does his feelings make him close to this? At this point he’s going off the same rumors that we are. Nobody knows the truth. Everyone is speculating.

      1. Not quite. You’re going off what you read on Twitter or what have you. Grant has contacts around the league that you nor I have any access to.

        1. Well duh… That’s the kind of comment that nobody should make. Of course he has sources, he’s an excelled journalist. But on this situation, he’s doing just as much guessing and assuming that we are.

          1. Exactly Steel. At this point it’s pure speculation. I think Jed has actually done a pretty good job of keeping things on the down low.

              1. The phone numbers of Gutey and Wolf he gave to McVay, indicating serious interest in hiring him. Which in turn, McVay conveyed to the Lambs in his debriefing…;>)

  40. Don’t know if this has been posted, but Gus Bradley has been hired by the Chargers according to Rotoworld (Schefter tweet).

  41. Free agent pickup?

    Rotoworld:
    Elvis Dumervil – LB – Ravens

    CSN Mid Atlantic expects the Ravens to part ways with OLB Elvis Dumervil.
    This falls in line with previous reports. Dumervil missed eight games to injury, but was effective when healthy. He shouldn’t struggle for free agent offers despite entering his age-33 season. Baltimore can save $6 million from releasing Dumervil.

    1. Have to really question just how much he has left. Three seasons ago he had 17 sacks but only had 9 the past two combined. Only started in 3 games last year even though he appeared in 8.

      Situational pass rusher whom I’d offer a two year contract for close to the vet minimum but heavy on incentives.

  42. These wild organizational swings are nauseating. Might have something to do with character flaws in the York family none of them are exempt. All of the immediate family have proven to be inept.

  43. Larry Kreuger earlier today announced he had taken himself “out of consideration” for the 9ers GM job. The added commute from Walnut Creek to Santa Clara “simply was not fair to my family”.

    1. After much consideration, I have thrown my hat in the ring. I will present all my mock drafts of the last few years to show that I have a good eye for talent, and will accept one dollar less than they were offering Gutekunst, so my salary will be a good deal.

      My first pledge is to put Jed into his cabana, and board up the door for the entire season.

      1. BroT – Interesting comment about Freddie Krueger. Paraag kind of reminds me of him.

        1. Whine
          Just a throw-away joke there, opportunity for word play and an easy cheap shot; nothing serious. Im uneasy about his role and relationships in the org, but I know better than to think I have a clear picture of it all. (Some here are so very sure they can see through the curtain; laughable). My hyperbole was just in keeping with the conspiracy hilarity here and the general hysteria around the nation.
          #HotMess

          1. BT,

            The conversation on here reminds me of the Indian (?) proverb of blindfolded men each touching one different part of an elephant and then describing what they had touched, only to find they were in complete disagreement.

            Grant, with his contacts, is getting to touch a few more parts of the elephant, but he’s still blindfolded, just like the rest of us.

            1. Ex
              Agree x10. That proverb has stayed with me since I first encountered it. Each person knew very well that they were providing an accurate description, but………

              Gestalt: The Whole is greater than the sum of the parts

  44. As far as we know, Riddick is still a candidate. He should do himself a favor and take his name out of consideration for 49ers pseudo-GM job.

    1. Riddick was told he wouldn’t be included in the second round of interviews so we do know he’s no longer a candidate.

  45. back in the day i used to come here for the articles and comments. then grant took over and i no longer read the articles, would just scroll down to the comments to avoid seeing grant’s childish bs articles. now grant is everywhere in the comments too :(

  46. Mike Florio is reporting, via Twitter’ “9ers will be interviewing Joan in Payroll Monday in Santa Clara for tne GM position”. Joan “saw the open req posted in the lunchroom, and believes this could be a challenging new opportunity that leverages her administrative skill sets”.

    1. I formally withdraw from consideration for the GM position because Joan is much more qualified, and I refuse to be interviewed by the leaker.

      1. Shortly after seb’s withdrawl, a leak emerges stating that #80 is the new favorite for GM. The leak also states that due to his lack of experience, #80 is like Riddick WiITH a drinking problem.

          1. What do you call a 49er fan WITHOUT a drinking problem? There are no words to describe that pain.

  47. Interesting mock draft. It has us taking Kizer at 2. ‘It’s worth noting that team sources have Kizer rated higher than DeShaun Watson. They like Kizer because of his arm strength, mobility, and upside.

    The mock has Mahomes going to the Bills at 10. “Many have the national champion quarterback here, and he could certainly be the pick. However, DeShaun Watson has graded poorly, and most of the teams we’ve spoken to see Pat Mahomes as the superior prospect.”

    It also has us taking John Ross at 34. Ha, I wish, no way he gets past the 1st round. Oh, and it has us getting Tim Williams in the 3rd round.

    http://walterfootball.com/draft2017.php

  48. Too bad George Paton now can’t bring in Bradley … we’d win every battle for free agents …

    1. Bradley is overrated. All he has done is suck on Pete carrolls teet. They could put about any d coordinator out there and have those results with the talent the Seahawks have.

  49. If Grant’s theory is to be considered and it is a possibility, than the job duties of the next GM are the duties Paraag Marathe currently performs with exacting efficiency based on the Nolan interview. Is it within the realm of possibilities York is setting up his little buddy and analytics master, Paraag Marathe, to assume the “role” of GM and Head Leaker?

  50. Sitting down with a cup of joe, I will leave the front office imbroglio and politics to focus on free agency, since the Combine is still in the future.

    Here is my list of 20 players they should target to sign.

    Zach Brown ILB
    Dontari Poe NT
    Brandon Williams NT
    Kawann Short DT
    Benny Logan DT
    Nick Fairly DT
    Melvin Ingram OLB
    Nick Perry OLB
    Calais Campbell DE
    Morris Claiborne CB

    Kendall Wright WR
    Cordarrelle Patterson WR
    Kenny Britt WR
    Taylor Gabriel WR
    Kenny Stills WR
    Levine Toilolo TE
    Christine Michael RB
    Michael Harris OT
    Tom Compton OT
    Luke Joekel G

  51. In a troubling development, what is to become of our very own Cassie Baalke on this site? Girl, it is wayyyyyy to darn cold in the Dakotas right now!
    Perhaps she’ll reincarnate as Shanny’s Sista or Denise’s Dentitst or Jed’s Pool Service Technician or Ester and Esteban who run the Tacos & Tortas Truck that parks near 4949.

  52. Some good stuff from Ian Rapoport summarized by NN:

    http://www.ninersnation.com/2017/1/21/14344500/49ers-gm-search-rumors-ian-rapoport-analysis

    This paragraph echo’s my thoughts on the GM hiring process and why we really need to have some patience instead of overreacting to someone dropping out of the race or the belief that Shanahan wants to be Lord of everything:

    On “The Trigger” will Kyle Shanahn have that and is that a hurdle for the GM candidates:

    Some. It’s also something that a team—I’m not saying this is a case for the Packers—but a team can theoretically block a candidate from coming, or make it very difficult because the GM doesn’t have control of the 53. It’s a big deal, I don’t know what the right answer is. Seattle, Pete Carroll has the trigger, he picked the GM and that worked out fine. There’s been a lot of other places where the GM has final say and he and the coach hate each other or end up working well. There’s no perfect formula. The only thing I ever care about, ever is what makes a successful team, the only thing I’ll ever say: In the end, if it doesn’t matter who has the trigger, then you’re doing fine. You never want to be in a situation where the coach says “I’m cutting this guy and the GM says “No you’re not.” That’s a nightmare. I don’t care who has final say as long as you have two people who can talk about it like humans and come to a decision.

    1. Notice how despite being very defensive on all other points about what he knows, he comes straight out and says the power Shanahan will wield is having some bearing on the GM search. Which is what Grant and I were saying. It is a concern, because it appears the 49ers have lost some potential candidates over it.

          1. Scooter,

            Can you see the point of view that candidates who walked away (if any) because of not having the “trigger”, might not have been good choices anyway?

            It seems to me, regardless of who has the trigger, the important thing is that the GM and HC work together. I’m not sure if it really matters who has the trigger, as long as the GM and HC are good at their jobs and work together. If the two don’t work as a team, then it starts to matter who has the trigger (see: Baalke, Trent vs Harbaugh, Jim).

            1. Depends on what ‘the trigger’ is. If it means the HC has final say on all roster/ personnel decisions, then no. Its a massive risk for a GM to tie themselves to a first time HC with no experience building a team that has veto power over your decisions. I think prospective GMs willing to accept that risk are probably pretty desperate.

              Now I don’t know how real the power Shanahan would wield on all personnel decisions is, but if you believe what sources are saying it seems real enough to put off some candidates the 49ers apparently really liked.

              1. Well, I think there’s only one way to take someone having the “trigger”, meaning that person would be the ultimate decider in the case of a disagreement.

                What is really important is if the trigger man will stay out of the other’s way and let them do their job, autonomously, listen and value the non-trigger man’s opinion and use the “trigger” sparingly.

                It seems to me that the GM and HC must be a team to be effective, if they’re a team they’ll agree on most things, ergo, it shouldn’t really matter who has the “trigger”.

                Not all GM candidates will see things this way, and that’s the way it goes (I would’ve preferred that the GM was selected first, but, oh, well..), but that doesn’t mean a very good GM candidate wouldn’t agree to an arrangement in which the HC has the “trigger”. Just look at Carroll and Schneider, for example, or Nolan and McGloughan, um, like I said, look at Carroll and Shneider.

              2. If it isn’t important, why would Shanahan not be ok with a GM that has the ‘trigger’, especially since he will get to pick the GM he works with?

                Btw, I have never suggested this couldn’t work out well or that they won’t end up with a good GM or a good partnership of HC and GM. Only that it is concerning that some good GM candidates are removing themselves, with the reason believed to be regarding the control Shanahan will have.

              3. Only that it is concerning that some good GM candidates are removing themselves, …

                Just separating the wheat from the chaff, Scooter!

              4. It’s believed by some that the reason GM candidates are removing themselves is because KS has final say on the roster, and this is a logical way of thinking, but we can’t be sure it’s true. For each GM candidate pulling out, you can find a report saying they did so for other reasons than control of the roster. That’s all I’m saying.

                I willl be happy if either Paton or McDonough get the job.

                If that happens, York will try to make it sound like that was his plan all along and TK, Ann Killion, et al will try to make Jed sound like a completely inept clown (not too hard to do, probably), who just lucked into a good result.

          2. Scooter,

            Yes, I meant how does he tie it to the GM’s involved in this search? Out of the 4 finalists Gutekunst was the only one to withdraw his name who was a surprise to Rapoport. Wolf by all accounts I’ve read didn’t believe he had a chance at the job and the other two are still in the mix. Seems like one guy is creating a lot of drama around here and we still have no idea why he decided to go back to GB.

            1. I like that we should believe Wolf pulled out because sources say he thought he wouldn’t get the job, but shouldn’t believe reports from sources that Gutekunst pulled out due to concerns regarding power. :-)

              As I said previously, I would rather be choosing the best of four candidates than best of two. The more quality people you have vying for the job the better chance of getting a good one.

              1. I’m not saying that isn’t the reason Gutekunst withdrew Scooter. I’m saying we have one member of the final 4 who may or may not have had a problem with the HC having “The Trigger”, while the other 3 apparently did/do not as of now. I want a good candidate period. It doesn’t matter how many are vying for the position as long as the one who gets it is a quality hire. If the 9ers wind up with say George Paton, I’ll be pleased with that. If he withdraws his name and more rumors come out about issues within the FO or the soon to be named HC, I’ll worry about it then.

              2. I’d be happy with Paton too. But I would trust Paton over Shanahan to build the roster. Yet if reports are to be believed, Shanahan will have ultimate say. Let’s hope he plays well with others… good thing he has a history of being easy to work with/ for.

              3. The reason it matters, btw, is because Gutekunst is reportedly the guy they liked the most. Now I’m not buying that he was a slam dunk going to win the job candidate, as it appears Shanahan will have a large say on who gets it, but clearly the 49ers really liked him and he was well in with a chance. Maybe he wasn’t number 1, but I see no real reason to believe what we were hearing was wrong. Never a good thing to have a candidate you really liked drop out.

              4. This control topic has taken on a life of it’s own and we don’t even know what the extent of Shanahan’s power will be yet. If Shanahan gets final say over all personnel decisions, it will be a gamble no doubt about it and no pun intended. Personally until I see what the description is, I have to look at it as a partnership because that is what Jed said he wanted and that is what most teams operate under. I get that someone has to have final say, but it rarely should be an issue if both the HC and Personnel side are on the same page. The whole point is to find the best players that work in the HC’s system, which is why I believe the HC should have final say over the 53 man roster. The draft and FA is traditionally a collaborative effort with the HC, GM and Personnel Directors all having input. I’m not sure this is as big a deal as it’s being made out to be really.

              5. I agree you don’t want to see anybody withdraw their name from consideration, but if a candidate decides two weeks after being interviewed that it wasn’t for him, chances are that came after a lot of consideration about many things both football and non football related and not just because the job didn’t include the type of control he wanted.

              6. No we don’t know, but people with inside info are suggesting the control is significant enough it is impacting on the decision of prospective GMs as to whether to take the job. That’s why this has been such a hot topic.

                And its not just about candidates pulling out. It goes beyond that, to the future dynamic of the HC and GM. If Shanahan has indeed been promised to have final say on personnel decisions then he is the real power at the 49ers, and we have to hope either he is adept at both coaching and talent evaluation, or he is wise enough to lean heavily on the advice of others (something that others have questioned about him in the past).

              7. Scooter: Based on the number of posts you have on this topic, is it fair to conclude that if it were between the GM you coveted and KS, you’d pick the GM.

              8. Not necessarily. Depends on the HC candidate. I don’t think a 37 year old OC that is a first time HC and has only one post season win to his name after 9 years plus a history of being somewhat of a difficult personality is the ultimate, can’t afford to miss out on him hire as HC.

                And I also think the role of a good GM is to know how to identify good coaches, as well as players.

                Personally I think the GM should have final say on player acquisition decisions – they are after all the guys that spend the time studying these players – and the HC be given the job of selecting his 53 from the players the GM gives him and obviously the 46 that suit up on game day. Only where a HC is a proven leader and has shown a strong aptitude for player evaluation, or a strong aptitude for working with and listening to others, would I give them control over player acquisition decisions.

            2. As to how Rapaport ties it to the 49ers GM search, you would have to ask him. But it is quite clear in the interview (if you listen to it) he is being asked if Shanahan’s reported power over personnel is playing a role in candidates decisions, which he replied ‘some’. Not a general statement, specific to this situation.

              1. I just read the NN transcript, but “some” seemed pretty generic. As I already said, it doesn’t appear to have kept some pretty good candidates from being interested with only one of the 4 being rumored to have a problem with the amount of responsibility being given to Shanahan.

              2. It wasn’t generic, unless Rapaport misunderstood the question, because the question was specific to this situation.

              3. I don’t know, it seemed like he said it would bother some GM candidates, but whatever the case, one guy is rumored to have a problem with the job and dropped out. If we were sitting here right now and scrambling to get someone to interview because the job was a glorified scouting position, I’d be concerned, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.

              4. I think Jed’s experience with Baalke and Harbaugh has led him to conclude that the HC position is more important. He knows he should have kept Harbaugh over Baalke. This conclusion seems well supported by the fact that York is giving KS a large say in who the GM will be.

                There are also other HCs who have the type of power that supposedly Kyle seeks (although Maiocco has a report that seems to debunk this). Belichick and Carrol come to mind. Personally, I’d rather have the good coach than the suit.

              5. Thanks for that list. It supports the conventional hierarchy between GM and HC. But successful coaches, Belichick, Carroll and Quinn have some or almost all GM control. I wouldn’t be surprised if the most successful HCs consider having some control over personnel as important to their success. Harbaugh certainly would have wanted that power if they would have given it to him. Maybe that’s what started the rift between him and Baalke.

              6. There’s no one right way of doing it, and there are some successful teams where the HC is the ultimate decision maker.

              7. Very interesting article Scooter. This one caught my eye and I van only wonder if that’s what Shanny is after:

                ” Atlanta Falcons: Falcons coach Dan Quinn has final say over the 53-man roster. And although Quinn continues to express his admiration for general manager Thomas Dimitroff and values the partnership they have, Dimitroff doesn’t have the power he once had, as owner Arthur Blank demanded changes. When Dimitroff was asked about making the call on drafting players, he said, “In the end, if the head coach is totally against a player, the success rate of that player working out obviously is quite low.” In other words, Quinn has the final say. — Vaughn McClure”

              8. “In the end, if the head coach is totally against a player, the success rate of that player working out obviously is quite low.”

                I think what he’s really saying is that “final say” doesn’t really come into it because if one of the two parties doesn’t like the player then they wont be committed to that player being successful. I’ve heard many stories throughout the league of GM’s acquiring players the coach didn’t like so the coach wouldn’t play him or give him reps in practice. GM’s will hard ball a player that he doesn’t like but the coach wants in contract negotiations and make the player unhappy or want to sign elsewhere.

                If it isn’t a mutual or consensual agreement then it’s not going to work out for the party forcing it so why bother.

      1. I beg to differ. I think the drop uts are because of Jed, and his decision to bring 2 pencil pushers instead of football legends.

          1. He and Paraag were tied at the hip. Jed should have fired Baalke and Paraag, not Baalke and Chip.

  53. Maybe you do not remember, but I predicted that Jed would be rejected and humiliated, until he will be forced to just promote Gamble and hire back Chip. Heck, sounds like Tomsula wants to coach D, I would hire him back as the DC. Chip would welcome Tomsula, because he wants to concentrate on the offense.

    Jed needs to eat some crow, but the nationwide shaming of this once proud franchise is extremely painful. They are past irrelevant, they are pitiful.

  54. York’s GM search appears more to do with rehabilitating Marathe’s public image so Marathe can return from Siberia to once again haunt the halls of HQ without internal whispers or public condemnation. I suspect York’s insecurity runs deep so having a fall guy for yet another run at professional football management gives him great comfort. Stand-by for another session of Leaks 101.

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