Report: Kyle Shanahan expected to become 49ers’ next head coach

The search for the 49ers’ next head coach may be over, according to Michael Silver.

One more odd piece of information from Silver:

Questions for the class:

  1. Do you think Shanahan could change his mind if the Falcons win the Super Bowl or the Colts fire their head coach, Chuck Pagano?
  2. Do you think it’s a good thing Shanahan will get to pick his GM?
  3. Do you think Shanahan wants to pick his own players and will choose a GM who specializes in making contracts, like Briant Gutekunst from the Packers?
  4. Do you think the 49ers are creating a power conflict?
  5. Why do you think Denise DeBartolo interviewed Tom Cable?
  6. What does that Cable interview say about Denise’s relationship with her son, Jed?
  7.  What does that interview say about the power structure within the 49ers?

This article has 476 Comments

    1. Don’t think that he’s on the list of guys being brought to Atlanta for 2nd round of interviews

      1. Barrows says he is still a candidate but hasnt been scheduled for 2nd interview. Doesnt sound like hes much of a candidate at this point. Oh well.

    2. I know most are excited about KS, but is he really ready for this job at this point? Or is he just an obvious option because of his success this past year.

      Could he be just like a very attractive rookie QB That gets put out there too quickly?

      I understand at this point there are few other good options.

      1. I was concerned about his quitting the Browns job until I learned that they tried to force him to play Johnny Manziel. Then instead of a black mark, it became a gold star.

    1. No, I do not want a coach who did not want the future HC, and would only take the job if his buddy got the job. Let KS assemble his own staff. Would not mind if Raheem Morris became DC. He has lots of experience and was even a HC.

    2. He wants to work with his buddies from Seattle. Maybe Shanny can convince him to come? I’m thinking Raheem Morris becomes our DC or maybe Vrabel.

        1. Crennel was made Assistant, and it’s clear he will hold Vrabel’s hand until the time comes for him to retire. If we have to hit the college ranks, Brent Venables brings the kind of intensity I’d like to cultivate on that side of the ball….

    3. I don’t care that Bradley turned it down honestly. He had success in Seattle under Carrol but sure didn’t get much out of his defense in Jax.

      1. Jacksonville’s defense is very young. They took some time to develop. Toward the end of the year, Bradley had them playing extremely well. That defense is going to be a top 5 defense in another year or 2.

        1. The defense has a lot of young talent, but Bradley had 4 years there and the defense was near the bottom in points scored and yardage every year. This year they improved the yardage totals at least.

      2. It’s different when guys are the HC instead of the coordinator. Take Brian Bilick for example, high flying offense as a coordinator, but as the HC his teams were defined by defense.

        1. There’s some truth to that Jack, but in Billicks case I think the failures of his offense had more to do with the lack of a QB and the fact he could rely on his defense as much as he could. It tends to make you more conservative when that is the hand you’re dealt.

          Bradley may be very good as DC going forward, I don’t know for sure, but his history doesn’t impress me. Many have questioned how good McDaniels was and could be away from Belichick, so the same questions should be asked about Bradley imo. Away from Carrol he failed. Quinn has won because his offense has been great while his defense has been poor overall. Maybe Carrol’s system and influence make these guys look better than actually are?

    4. Not for me. As I posted yesterday, Bradley’s defenses have been awful except for his final two years when he had Thomas, Chancellor and Sherman. He needs exceptional talent for his D to work.

  1. 5. I think Denise was just doing due diligence. Wonder if she had talked with KS during that first bye week.

  2. 1. Sure. I’d be surprised though.
    2. Will Shanahan really “get to pick” the GM? At this point it looks like Shanny is the virtual HC. I’d rather have a GM hired first, but this is the way it timed out. I think he will have virtual veto power if he’s not comfortable with Jed’s GM choice.
    3. I think most HC’s would love to have final say on draft picks.
    4. Yes. This org seems personality driven. Not good.
    5. Not sure. She’s the real owner? The DV thing? Cable demanding to speak to a grown up?
    6. She’s the boss.
    7. Power structure not properly defined.

  3. After this huge build up, if KS does not accept for whatever reason it will be the final nail in Jed’s coffin. Does KS dad get a front office job ?

  4. If they are truly trying to pair the right coach and GM together I’m fine with the order that is progressing. Last time we chose the GM over the coach it didn’t work so well. “It’s easier to replace a suit than a coach”

  5. If Cable was the only candidate DB interviewed it might have been related to the domestic violence issues in Cable’s back round and getting a woman’s point of view.

    1. OC,

      Very good point. I also thought they interviewed him on Sunday. It sounds like this might have been a follow up after the interview.

  6. 1.Do you think Shanahan could change his mind if the Falcons win the Super Bowl or the Colts fire their head coach, Chuck Pagano? No.

    2.Do you think it’s a good thing Shanahan will get to pick his GM? Yes! Yes! Yes!

    3.Do you think Shanahan wants to pick his own players and will choose a GM who specializes in making contracts, like Briant Gutekunst from the Packers? Yes.

    4.Do you think the 49ers are creating a power conflict? Not at all. A power conflict was what we had with Baalke and Harbaugh. Jed has realized that not having a GM and Head Coach on the same page is a recipe for disaster. Good for him.

    5.Why do you think Denise DeBartolo interviewed Tom Cable? Money. Denise is a well known cheapskate. Jed told her that he was going with Shanahan and Denise wanted to talk to Cable one last time because Cable would have commanded far less money than Shanahan. Clearly she was not able to change Jed’s mind. Good for Jed.

    6.What does that Cable interview say about Denise’s relationship with her son, Jed? I don’t think it says anything. The choice was Jed’s all along. Denise was kicking the tires one last time hoping to get a cheap HC.

    7. What does that interview say about the power structure within the 49ers? Nothing. Jed is in control of the franchise.

    1. Good stuff Rick!

      Also, it appears Elliot Wolf is very much still in the running. I like this pairing, and I especially like the fact that Kyle appears to be at the top of the pyramid. It’s always been my opinion that the head coach is the most important position within an NFL organization, not counting the owner.

      http://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/102761-eliot-wolf-meet-kyle-shanahan-49ers-next-week/

      Any guesses on DANIEL JEREMIAH’S favorite quarterback prospect in this draft class? That would be Notre Dame’s DESHONE KIZER, who he has slotted @ No. 15 overall. North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson are next at Nos. 31 and 32, respectively.

      I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with Jeremiah’s assessment! DeShone Kizer needs to develop. But, IMO, DeShone is absolutely the right pick for the 49ers in round 1. I have a hard time finding a trade partner who isn’t a threat to draft Kizer, so for that reason, if I am Kyle, I am pulling the trigger on Kizer without hesitation! Once Kizer fixes his occasionally poor footwork, and learns NFL concepts, he’s a sure fire franchise QB in every respect! I would be over the moon if the 49ers hire Kyle Shanahan/Elliot Wolf and draft DeShone Kizer!

      1. I’ll say it again………..DeShone Kizer may not be a finished product (most QB draft prospects aren’t) but it’s my humble opinion that this kid has everything I want in a franchise QB and then some. I’ll have my full scouting report for all of the top QB prospects ready to go by the end of May. However, here are some thoughts on Kizer from others:

        Brady Quinn: “You see a lot of natural athletes who play quarterback because they can throw the football and they’re fast and athletic and they can get a coach out of a bad call because they can scramble. DeShone can get out of the pocket and run, but he’s a NATURAL PASSER. He can pass with different anticipations, different speeds.

        Lance Zierlein- NFL.com’s Media draft analyst: “My comparison for Kizer, a redshirt sophomore, is still a work in progress, but from a size and diversity of talent standpoint, he reminds me of the late Steve McNair. While McNair was more of a game manager in the pros, he was a gunslinger at Alcorn State. McNair had a very pedestrian yards-per-attempt average (6.9) in the pros, but “Air McNair” had the ability to push the ball down the field, especially coming out of college. Kizer has that same arm strength to attack down the field and can make winning throws on the move. What really stands out to me is the mental makeup and toughness of Kizer in comparison to McNair. McNair was extremely difficult to rattle and Kizer appears to operate with that same confidence and calm. While McNair could beat teams with his legs, he looked to win from the pocket and I believe Kizer has that same trait.

        NFL.com’s Dan Parr (Dec. 2016): “Despite the struggles, Kizer remains one of the most highly regarded QB prospects. Two scouts told NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein in September that they preferred Kizer to Clemson QB Deshaun Watson, who also intends to enter the 2017 draft, and an executive has projected Kizer as a top-10 pick.”

        DinkDumpDish- SBNation: “DeShone Kizer maybe the most intriguing quarterback prospect in this draft, as his ceiling is maybe as high as we have seen in a handful of years. He has the size, athleticism, and arm, and he’s still learning the position. Earlier this year, Bruce Feldman reported that Kizer was a three-sport star in high school, and didn’t do anything to focus on learning the finer points of quarterbacking outside of football season. If Kizer can put all of it together, he has the ability to be similar to Cam Newton (without quite the same arm strength) who when used properly is lethal for defenses to handle. If Kizer declares, he will be an upside quarterback who will need to land in the right position to start right away. And, with time, he has the ceiling to be a top flight quarterback in the league”.

        Luke Easterling – Draftwire-USA Today.com: “It’s never effective to evaluate a prospect based solely on a box score, and Kizer is a perfect example. While he lacks the gaudy production or near-flawless starting record of recent first-round prospects at his position, Kizer has all the physical tools NFL teams are looking for in a potential franchise quarterback. He’s got ideal size, arm strength and athleticism, and it doesn’t take long to see all three on film. He can make every NFL throw, and his ability to make plays with his legs when the pocket breaks down will only add to his value at the next level.”

        Kizer isn’t the most polished passer in this class, but he’s arguably got the most upside. NFL teams aren’t afraid to bank on physical traits and potential, which is why Kizer could easily end up being not just a first-rounder, even a top-five pick come next April.

        1. Grant, I know I am getting the cart ahead of the horse here, as the 49ers HC/GM search is obviously all that matters at the moment. However, when you get a chance, I’d love to hear your opinions on Kizer, if you’ve had an opportunity to study him.

          Lance Zierlein has compared Kizer to the late Steve McNair.

          Personally, he reminds me of a taller, faster Dak Prescott. Not because of the color of their skin. They look very, very similar in terms of the way they play. Kizer has 2 inches on Dak, and has about 5 more pounds of bulk. Kizer looks a little more athletic and fleet of foot. As I watch them simultaneously (Notre Dame @ Texas, Miss St. @ Texas A&M) they appear to be near mirror images in terms of the way they both set up and move within the pocket. Dak seems to hold the ball ever so slightly higher, but they both throw from an almost identical slot. Interestingly, they both also exhibit shaky footwork from time to time, which is obviously something Dak was able to correct early in his rookie season, and I suspect Kizer would be able to do the same with proper coaching.

          By all accounts they have very similar personalities in terms of quiet leadership. I’ve been told both QB’s impressed their coaches and teammates with the same type of unflappable poise and mental strength as well as quiet confidence throughout their college careers.

          As you can probably guess, I am very, very high on Kizer. In fact, I am higher on DeShone than I was on Dak coming out. I’d like to see the 49ers make a trade for a serviceable starter who can hold the torch for a season or two while Deshone Kizer develops under the guidance of Shanny.

          What say you?

            1. Way to connect the dots on this one #80. Very good knowledge!! I think you’re right #80. I think it’s almost a sure thing that Kyle will bring LaFleur over with him. You are obviously familiar with LaFleur #80, here’s a little background information for those on this blog who might not be:.

              MATT LaFLEUR is entering his second season as the Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks coach. He helped coach QB Matt Ryan, who recorded his fifth straight year throwing for at least 4,000 yards (4,591). Currently, Ryan is one of three quarterbacks to accomplish that feat, joining Drew Brees and Tom Brady. Ryan was also third in the NFL in completions (407), fifth in yards (4,591), and sixth in completion percentage (66.3) during his first year under LaFleur.

              LaFleur spent the 2014 season in the same role, as Quarterbacks Coach at the University Notre Dame. LaFleur worked directly with DeShone during that time, while DeShone was a rookie and #3 on the depth chart. During that 2014 season, starting QB Everett Golson, under the tutelage of LaFleur, led the Fighting Irish to 6 straight wins to start the season and Notre Dame was ranked 5th in the nation before they eventually fizzled out, finishing 8-5. However, Golson (who was never a viable NFL prospect and eventually ended up in the CFL) completed 60% of his passes for 3,445 yards with 29 touchdowns and a 143.6 Passer Rating on the season. Prior to arriving in South Bend, LaFleur found success during his four seasons in the same role with the Washington Redskins. LaFleur worked with QB Robert Griffin III, who became the first Redskins rookie quarterback selected to the Pro Bowl and led the team to its first NFC East title in 13 years. Under LaFleur, Griffin established Redskins rookie QB records in pass completions (258), passing yards (3,200), passing touchdowns (20) and rushing yards (815).

              Prior to joining the Redskins, LaFleur spent two seasons as an offensive assistant for the Houston Texans (2008-09) where he worked with the quarterbacks and wide receivers. LaFleur was the offensive coordinator at Ashland University (Ohio) prior to joining the Texans. He began his coaching career at Saginaw Valley State as an offensive assistant and also spent time at Central Michigan (2004-05) and Northern Michigan (2006) universities. LaFleur played quarterback at Saginaw Valley State where he guided the Cardinals to three straight NCAA Division II playoff appearances.

              You made my day #80!!!

              DeShone Kizer is my guy and LaFleur is obviously extremely familiar with the Irish QB having coached him for a full season. If Kizer is who I think he is (the best QB prospect in this draft class with the highest ceiling of any NFL QB prospect since 2012 [Andrew Luck] Indy), he’ll be the 49ers first round pick in late April.

              And I have GOOSEBUMPS!

              1. Thanks 49. Kizer has a sky high ceiling and he’s runs a pro style offense. With Shanahan and LaFleur coaching him up he could be ready to start right away.

            1. If we draft him, I hope you’ll extend him the kind of support you have given the Rams quarterback. Btw, McVay is the next best thing that could have happened to him. His bust factor has been reduced by half, now at 30%!

              1. Of course I will. I don’t dislike Kizer. Physically he’s the best in the draft at QB. I’m just concerned about some aspects of his game enough to not want to use the #2 pick on him. If he falls to the lower part of the first – not likely I know – then I’d be all for trading up to get him there. Now that it appears we will have somebody who can actually get the most out of a QB, I feel a lot better about drafting one.

                McVay will be a lot better for Goff than Fisher was that’s for sure.

            2. Look, I get the fact that Kizer is not a finished product. He had his share of struggles this season. DeShone hardly put up gaudy stats in 2016 as a result.In fairness, he lost 4 of his top 5 WR’s, his left tackle, and his starting RB from last season and DeShone put up some rather pedestrian numbers as a result. Notre Dame simply didn’t have many offensive weapons this year.

              As far as I am concerned, game film doesn’t lie. And when you get past the less than spectacular numbers, what you have is a QB who is built to play QB at the NFL level. In addition to the obvious physical talent that absolutely jumps off the screen, you find a mature young man who has the mental will, leadership qualities, and a desire to become, not only a great football player, but also a great role model.

              DeShone Kizer is a young man that I would be proud to call the 49ers QB, and I would be willing to push all the chips to the center of the table to make it happen.

              I am not sure who those people were on this forum who were impressed with Goff coming out of college, and felt like he was worthy of first round concideration, but there were plenty. Compared to Goff, DeShone Kizer has far more potential to win at the NFL level, and rates well ahead of Goff at this stage when it comes to passing the eyeball test.

              The Los Angeles Rams swapped their first-round pick (#15 in 2016), two second-round picks (2016), a third-round pick (2016), a first-round pick (#5 in 2017) and another third-round pick (2017) to Tennessee and in return they received a 4th and 6th round pick in order to draft a kid who clearly wasn’t anywhere close to being a viable starter without at least 2 seasons of NFL seasoning under his belt. The Ram’s Jarred Goff has arm talent, but he had next to no experience running NFL concepts. On top of that, it’s questionable whether he’s got any other qualities that make for a winning quarterback in the NFL. He was a skinny kid coming out of Cal, and he played like a skinny kid, allowing himself to be tackled with such little force that an Atlanta Falcons defender threw him to the ground with nothing more than a backhanded, off balance, single armed tackle. And though Goff did prove more durable in college than physics would suggest, he looks and plays like a boy among men at the NFL level.

              Jarred may not have what it takes between the ears either. We know he’s underdeveloped when it comes to pre-snap reads while taking the ball from under center. I’ve heard he simply doesn’t inspire confidence from his teammates or command the huddle. I don’t claim to know just how smart Goff is in terms of intellectual acumen but, holy cow, the kid didn’t even understand that the sun, which is the largest and brightest object in the entire solar system, rises in the east and sets in the west, despite earning a college degree and growing up in California.

              To conclude my point, DeShone Kizer, in the opinion of myself, and many others, has as good of a chance to develop in to a franchise quarterback as many of the highly rated prospects that have come before him over the course of the last generation. And the 49ers presently have an opportunity that doesn’t come around all that often, to draft any of the top QB prospects whom they feel has the best chance at becoming the quarterback they need in order to take the next step and compete with the top teams in the league. A a kid with all of the god given physical tools, as well as the temperament and mental makeup required of the sports most demanding position.

              While DeShone Kizer has plenty of work to do, there is absolutely nothing on his game film that suggests he doesn’t have the capacity to develop into a fantastic NFL QB, nor is there anything about who he is as a person, professional athlete, and leader, that doesn’t line up with what we know are the innate qualities required to lead an NFL team to sustained success, as long as he is given the type of guidance we can expect from Head Coach Kyle Shanahan and Quarterbacks Coach Matt LaFleur.

              The stars are finally lining up for this storied but downtrodden NFL franchise. And I couldn’t be more excited to be a lifelong 49ers fan!!!

              1. I just don’t know how anyone can get that excited by a guy with such inconsistency in his accuracy, poor footwork and poor win-loss record. He’s got a lot of work to do before he will realise his “potential”.

              2. Kizer is dedicated to his craft, unlike Pryor and our current QB. Kizer isn’t a one read QB. He runs as a last resort like Russell Wilson.

                http://walterfootball.com/scoutingreport2017dkizer.php

                Some of Kizer’s strengths according to the above link.

                Keeps eyes downfield and delivers passes in the face of pass rush.
                Field vision
                Working through progressions
                Has some pocket presence
                Good ball placement – I’ll admit that one is debatable.
                Experienced against good competition
                LEADERSHIP SKILLS
                WORK ETHIC
                COACHABLE
                PASSIONATE ABOUT FOOTBALL

                I used caps on the traits that Pryor never possessed. Kizer is a much better prospect than Pryor. People were already suggesting that Pryor should a WR before he was drafted.

                A lot of Kizer’s weaknesses such as footwork are coachable and he’s willing to work on it.

              3. Pryor was dedicated to his craft. He’s an earnest, hard-working guy. He just wasn’t accurate.

              4. “Terrelle Pryor 2.0”

                Speaking of Pryor, the 49ers should try to bring him back to the Bay Area.

              5. I’m not a Kizer guy. Not in the first round at least.
                He is a great prospect physically but that means little to me.

                I like quarterbacks that perform well in college and this is not the case with Kizer. With him you are drafting a guy with good traits, and ok production.The fact that he couldn’t complete 60% of his passes this year is very frightening to me.

              6. I don’t think Pryor is a good comparison, but he has some serious issues with his mechanics he needs to iron out.

                #80, while it is nice to point to his work ethic and think he’ll work his butt off and correct his issues, mechanics are hard to change. The problem is that by this point it is largely ingrained – his current motion is natural to him. Minor changes here and there can be done, sure, but Kizer’s footwork is a mess. Hard working guys fail too. And I also think he suffers from paralysis by analysis at times. Too busy thinking, not reacting instinctively. That can get better as you get more experience and could just be a factor of only being a sophomore, but its still a concern.

              7. Fair points Scooter. However there is always exceptions. Cam Newton worked on his footwork prior to the 2015 season.

                http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000497841/article/cam-newton-working-to-fix-footwork-accuracy

                He went on to win MVP that year. He set career highs in TDs and passer rating, 35 and 99.4. He also threw a career low 10 INTs. It would seem that he may have reverted back to some of his bad habits this year. To your point, it is largely ingrained. With Kizer’s work ethic, new mechanics would be more likely to stick.

                Since we have Shanahan and probably LaFleur, I will trust thier judgement on our next QB. Whether it’s Kizer, Watson, Trubisky, or Garoppolo. It’s great to have a coaching staff that excels in QB development.

          1. My opinion of Kizer: He’s a big project with a lot of talent who could bust. Another underclassmen who would be a Day-2 pick in a stronger QB class. Not a fan of Day-2-caliber underclass QBs. They tend not to pan out.

            1. Thanks Grant. I’ll concede your point in terms of his development as it relates to coming out as a junior, though he does have 2 full seasons under his belt as a starter.

              I would be more apprehensive if Kyle Shanahan wasn’t going to be the 49ers next HC. However, the 49ers MUST draft a QB with franchise potential. Given Kizer’s obvious talent and physical attributes as well as, from all accounts, his maturity as a young man of his age, and desire to do the hard work required, along with the type of tutelage Kyle and LaFleur can provide, I think he’s certainly as safe of a pick as any of his class’s prospects. And I think the sky is the limit given his size, mental makeup, and natural ability when you factor in the type of guidance I expect from Kyle.

              While it’s a reach to believe the current coaching situation, assuming Kyle brings on LaFleur to guide his quarterbacks, is more conducive to developing a winning team than Jim Harbaugh was, a strong argument can be made, IMO, that the new coaching staff may create a better learning environment for the 49ers next group of QB’s specifically, given Kyle Shanahan and Matt LaFleur’s track record getting the most out of young, developing QB’s, and Kyle’s current version of the WCO.

              I would be shocked if Kyle doesn’t see this as a golden opportunity to build his franchise QB from the ground up, given Kyle’s pedigree, and I can see Kizer becoming a special QB when it comes to running Kyle’s offensive schemes, given a proper amount of time to develop.

              1. By the way Grant, have you and your pops had an opportunity to throw a few back, reminisce about the past, and celebrate his outstanding career yet? Pass on my congratulations. I think he’s a one of a kind sports reporter/writer.

  7. Rather than to be a ” revelation-a-day, the sky-is-falling, fart-in-a-frying pan” prognosticator, I’m choosing to be satisfied with what’s dealt to me, ’cause that’s all that any of us is gonna’ get….wake me when it;s over….

    1. P.S…..and NO Seb, they’re not reading your posts…keep our eyes on the prize….Wolf GM…KS HC….

      1. Ore. Eddie himself emphatically declared that he never read what others wrote, but now admits he lied, and read every word.

        Jed himself admitted that he reads social media, and gets the message loud and clear.

        Do not keep fooling yourself. They read these blogs, but you may be right, they tend to ignore them.

        I would be happy with Gutekunst, and KS gave his word, so I do not think he will pull a switcheroo.

  8. My guess is that its Gutekulkflkkfdl (did I spell that right?)

    I think Wolf and Shanny would likely be a power struggle. They will no doubt have to give KS more power to agree to be HC. I’m not sure if he’ll have complete power, but definitely have final say over the 53.

    It’s going to be interesting to see how it works out.

    Honestly tired of the drama. The longer this takes the more the media will take its jabs. Its a tough situation to be in for Jed and the Org, but it will be well worth it in the end if they land KS and Wolf/BG

  9. It looks like Shanny is the new HC, so who is the room cheering for this weekend? I hate all 4 teams but would like to see Shnny get to work so I’m taking a GB-Pitt Superbowl.

      1. Yup, since both the Seasquawks and Cowgirls were eliminated, I am happy.

        I am kinda pulling for the Falcons.

        Do not want the Steelers to win another ring, but if Bellicheat loses, I will not be upset.

  10. 1. I mentioned the possibility in a previous post. If the Falcons lose, KS will probably come to the Niners, but if they win the SB, he will become red hot, and Irsay may try to ninja him. Andrew Luck would be a big incentive for KS, and he could choose his GM, too.

    2. Yes, since they both have to be on the same page. If they try to push a Baalke on him, he may walk.

    3.Yup. Niners should learn from their mistakes. Baalke forced his favorites on the coaches. Just look at how Devey was given preferential treatment, and he meddled with the coaching by insisting on players like Ward to start, even though he was not in the proper position.

    4. KS has all the power. No conflict at all. Jed should remember about the
    last time when he preferred a suit over a coach.

    5 and 6 were already covered.

    7. Dysfunctional dumpster fire. Letting Jed lead the interviews was a Colossal blunder, compounded by having 2 anal lytics in, while not having any football people attend.

    1. …”5. Why do you think Denise DeBartolo interviewed Tom Cable?..”

      I find that curious … on a couple of levels ..
      Was she really lookin’ for a cheap HC ? .. and
      did the “domestic violence” thing come up in that
      conversation .. ? … and …not to mention ..

      Inquiring minds wanna know …

      Was she wearing a tank-top (wife beater)
      T-shirt while she was on the phone
      with Cable ?

  11. I think Denise York interviewing Tom Cable is interesting. Was this done to get a woman view on the DV issue? Maybe. Was this because son Jeb was pushing Cable as a viable candidate and Mom wanted to see how this hire would fly? Is this the example if the variable and unclear organizational structure of the 49ers? Probably. In most NFL teams there is one clear owner/boss. Denise’s involvement makes this unclear. It appears if Jeb is the CEO and Denise is the Chairman of the Board who controls all the stock (which in this case she does).

    It appears as if she is unhappy with how the business has done at least on the football field and she is uncertain that Jeb really can make the right HC/GM decision based on his recent failures.

    So did Cable withdraw his name after he talked to DB?
    Is DB going to make the final decision on the choice of a coach or at least veto who she will not accept? It makes me think that in private Mom is not so sure that son can run the team.

    1. how are you guys referring to Denise as DB!!?????
      It should be DD ( Denise DeBartolo)……..or DY ……..( denise York)
      or, in fact, DDY……..Denise DeBartolo-York!

      and jeb!!!!??????
      well……..that guys deserves to have his name hacked! LMFAO!

  12. 1) No. I think if he’s let them know he’s going to take the job he’ll take it. It wouldn’t do much for his rep if he agreed to one job and then bowed out to take another at the last minute.

    2) I don’t think it’s Shanahan picking his own GM so much as seeing who he likes and will work best with. As far as I can tell from looking at all the details, it appears the 9ers interviewed the GM’s and gave them a list of potential HC’s they were also interested in. At that point I would guess they got input from the GM candidates on how they felt about each candidate. The same thing likely happened with the HC interviews, with a list of potential GM’s being given to them and then opinions solicited on how they felt about each. They apparently gave McVay info to contact GM candidates so my guess is they did the same with the other HC’s they interviewed. The GM they hire will likely come down to how both Shanahan and the potential GM view each other.

    3) I would think Shanahan would want some say in picking players, most HC’s would, but I doubt it will be at the expense of somebody who truly knows personnel. The “Gut” is not just a contract guy. He actually has quite a bit more personnel experience than Wolf:

    http://www.packers.com/team/staff/brian-gutekunst/17567ea1-38e4-4d60-8270-84a5095551dd

    4) I think the reason they are proceeding the way they are is to try and avoid a power conflict. If you have both candidates meet and interview each other before they are officially hired, you can hopefully avoid the clash of egos that tends to happen later on.

    5) I think Old Coach nailed the reason for Denise talking with Cable. The prior domestic violence issues would have been something she likely was concerned about. My understanding was Cable was interviewed on Sunday as well. I wonder if this telephone call was a follow up after the fact.

    6) I think it says she is still the boss and if she has concerns she will take it upon herself to act on them.

    7) I don’t think it says anything really. Jed is still in charge of the process and Mom stepped in to ask some questions about a candidates past history.

    I can honestly say I am feeling optimistic for the first time since Harbaugh was fired. It feels good to finally be able to look to the future with some hope and confidence.

  13. 1. Yes. Shanahan could change his mind, but I don’t think he will. My reading is that he is drawn to the 49ers thru their shared family history. In addition, he will be able to create a team and culture with the same type of authority that Bill Walsh displayed. Also, we who follow the niners know what a horrible reputation Jed has. As bad as it is it is better than the raging drunk who runs and owns the colts: Irsay.

    2.Yes it is a good thing that he can pick his own GM. If he pick the right one :)
    Jed has seen up close what happens when a disconnect happens between the coaching staff and the front office. I actually think Jed is doing the right thing. I am caustically optimistic. I have been a fan of Wolfe, but would be glad for Gutekunst, though I know very little about him.

    3. Yes, of course he wants to pick his own players. The more important task is assembling a well integrated team of scouts who know what type of players to look for. I look forward to having the whole organization, scouts, assistant coaches all pulling in the same direction. Yes, they will make mistakes on players, everybody does, but they will limit those mistakes and have many more hits than we have had in the recent past.

    4. Conflict is a given. It exists. The question is how do you resolve conflict. If there is mutual respect and a common vision conflict can actually help you make good decisions. That is my hope for the niners.

    5. Denise is the true power. She lets her son pretend to be in charge. There was no way in hell she was going to let Cable be hired without putting her thumb on the scale. Jed may have been open to his, she was not.

    6. Who knows. My Mom is 94 and drives me crazy. She still gets me to do what she wants.

    7.Mama is in charge. Ain’t nothing going to happen until she green lights it.

    1. “Mama is in charge. Ain’t nothing going to happen until she green lights it.”

      Well said Leo, it made me laugh.

    1. something ive been wondering…….with Shanahan surprisingly available this late in the game…( many thought he would end up in Denver)
      Did Mcdaniels sense, or was he told point blank…..that he was no longer the favorite for the job? again, he was the consensus top choice based on a pool that did not contain Shanny…….When Denver hired Joseph(?) or whatever……it changed everything!
      If the Niners FO informed Micky D of this, and allowed him to withdraw his name instead of winding up w egg on his face……..it would have made things less awkward and allowed the niners to begin to restore there reputation in league circles.

      That might explain why DDY contacted Cable…..so that hes finding out from the horses mouth that hes not getting the job……and allow him to politely “back out” as well.
      I think part of the problem with jed and paaraag is that they fail to acknowledge the human element of doing business in a league that really is a tight knit community

    1. CFC,

      I don’t know if you saw it a couple of threads ago, but I need some suggestions on good stuff to catch up on TV wise. I’m laid up after back surgery and have a lot of time on my hands. Any thing you recommend?

      1. I’m liking Sneaky Pete on Amazon. If you didn’t watch Preacher then I’d go back and binge it’s first season. ‘Atlanta’ was excellent. If you want something a little deeper but slow, I mean really slow, then Rectify was pretty good.

          1. Hey rocket, wishing you a quick and full recovery bud.
            Happy you can stay on the board like a real trooper.
            I’ve got the Falcons in the SB so may not have an official announcement until a few days after the game.

          2. Rocket also hoping you get better soon, my 22 year old is recovering from knee surgery, surgery is no joke! My 11 year old likes the new series of unfortunate events now on Netflix. I like timeless on nbc, lot of people don’t. I am also watching x files on nbc, funny how outdated that show looks now! If you like marvel, daredevil, cage and Jessica jones are fun on Netflix, westworld is tense on HBO, make sure no young kids watch it with you!

    2. Damn it I was wrong! Well sometimes it’s good to be wrong I guess. Here is hoping Grant and others predictions are true on the coaching front…. And it looks like we are getting a quality GM candidate with the 4 remaining…

  14. Sounds like The Gut is well thought of and GB has tried to block him from leaving a few times already.

    From Maiocco’s article today:

    Gutekunst received a new title prior to last season after Packers general manager Ted Thompson denied permission for him to interview for the director of player personnel job with the Tennessee Titans. He was also denied from joining the Philadelphia Eagles’ personnel department in 2015 during Chip Kelly’s tenure with the team.

  15. The item that stuck out most to be about the Denise interview was that it was for an hour. Wow, a whole hour huh? Must have been a pretty exhaustive conversation…

  16. Denise conducting interviews says that Mama York doesn’t trust Baby York. It speaks volumes about the dysfunction within that organization. Shanahan might catch wind and not want anything to do with this football purgatory.

    1. Jed did the original interview Nick:

      The situation played out over the last several days, as 49ers CEO Jed York traveled to Seattle to interview candidates for the team’s coach and GM vacancies. On Sunday, the day after the Falcons defeated the Seahawks in a divisional-round playoff game, York interviewed Seattle offensive line coach Tom Cable for the coaching position.

      That essentially short-circuited the candidacy of Cable, who after learning early Tuesday of the Niners’ intention to hire Shanahan — and the coach’s apparent willingness to accept the position — prepared to pull his name from contention. However, Cable received a phone call Tuesday afternoon from 49ers owner Denise DeBartolo York, Jed’s mother, who spent an hour interviewing him for the head-coaching position.

  17. I wonder if Jeff Ulbrich would be a consideration as DC. Former Niner and has Coached with Quinn for awhile now.

    1. That would be great, and definitely someone I would want on the list for consideration. As a UCLA alumni, I was impressed with Ulbrich as a linebacker coach. In fact, he was in line before Tom Bradley to become Defensive Coordinator, but got offered a NFL job as linebacker coach for the Falcons.

          1. Thanks. I remembered a blow up but no fisticuffs. I always liked him, but doesn’t mean he is or isn’t a good coach.

        1. Also, his departure caused UCLA to lose out on the top linebacker recruit that year. We wanted him to stick around for that as well.

      1. Hasn’t Donatell been attached to Fangio’s hip for quite some time? I have a suspicion he’s happy working with Fangio.

        1. Donatell has been wanting to be a DC for quite awhile. In fact, I think we blocked him once and then gave him a raise to keep him….

  18. From Maiocco:

    The 49ers will seek second interviews with Green Bay executives Brian Gutekunst and Eliot Wolf, along with Minnesota assistant general manager George Paton. Arizona vice president of player personnel Terry McDonough is also still in the mix.

    1. All good candidates — I’d go with the one with the best mix of proven talent evaluation, front office experience and superior communication skills. That may rule Wolf out.

  19. Hey Grant,

    I have absolutely zero respect for Mike Florio. The type of conjecture presented as fact “reporting” he engages in is the exact type of cancerous reporting that I detest. Florio and Skip Bayless belong in a sports gulag where they are not allowed near any team or player. Is there any truth whatsoever to what Florio claims in this article? He is saying multiple GM candidates refused to be interviewed and the Shanahan move is borne out of desperation. What say you?

    http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/01/18/as-49ers-candidates-fled-kyle-shanahan-won-big/

    1. For the most part the article seems to suggest that some candidates are wary of taking the job due to Marathe’s influence. That isn’t surprising at all really.

      The positive thing is they appear to have some good candidates who are interested in the position and will hire arguably the best HC candidate available this year.

      1. The article doesn’t suggest anything. The article makes a statement of fact that GM candidates are refusing to interview because of Marathe. I can see how that may be true but my opinion is someone like Florio needs to confirm that story before running it. Who are his sources? Did he verify it or did he run with a rumor and state it as fact like Skip Bayless does all the time. IMHO, without confirming the story Florio is a total dbag POS for writing that article unless he confirms the story.

        1. Most of the article is conjecture and summarizing information. The only area he attributes to league sources is the belief that the jobs would be more coveted if Marathe weren’t in the position he’s in.

          Here’s what we know based on the reports so far:

          Only two GM candidates – Casario & Ballard – have refused to interview and both have refused opportunities previously. Another has traditionally refused interviews but accepted this time around (Paton).

          The only HC candidate to withdraw was McDaniels. Cable withdrew because it became known that Shanahan was their choice.

          The point of the article from what I gather, is that the Niners would have had even more interest in the positions had they not kept Marathe in his current role. The positive is that even with Marathe, it looks like they are about to nail down a top notch HC and GM.

          As far as confirming sources, no one does that anymore do they? It’s always just sources or insiders no matter who breaks the news.

          1. That’s my point Rocket. How does Florio know candidates refusing to interview had anything to do whatsoever with Marathe? And the way he presented it was to say he knew exactly who the 49ers wanted (Chris Ballard) but Ballard didn’t want the job because of Marathe. I think that’s irresponsible of Florio. IMHO, Mike Florio is a delta bravo of the highest order.

            “It began with Chiefs director of player personnel Chris Ballard. Regarded as the team’s first, second, and third choice for the job, Ballard wasn’t interested. He asked the team to deny the request for permission to interview him for the job, apparently in order to avoid the impression that he generally isn’t interested in an opportunity for advancement.

            Next came Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio, who didn’t want the job, either. Other candidates for the G.M. job either declined an invitation to interview or withdrew after interviewing.”

          2. I understood Florio’s comments in the same way you have rocket. Florio’s comments also indicate that Marathe is starting to be seen nationally in a way that’s very similar to the way he’s seen in this blog.

            One can only hope that Shanahan has enough leverage to get a line of separation drawn that keeps Paarag from dictating who is signed/retained for the 53 man squad. It would be nice if he is not allowed to hang out in meetings too.

            1. This is pure speculation, 100% conjecture. Paraag Marathe is a god damn cancer. He has now spawned another anal ytics guy. Both are attending meetings and interviews. WTF? My father was right, he once said “don’t let Indians get in your house or soon after they’ll want to bang your wife.”

              1. Everything about the 49ers efforts to fix themselves is conjecture. I find it amusing that people want to pick their conjecturers (is that word?) and make arguments that this is what is really happening. With the 49ers the only thing that you can count on is that they will do everything to hide, obfuscate and try to make up their own story. What this board is good at is shooting messengers depending on whether they side with the favored theory or not. Speculation is speculation. It’s like Warren Buffet says: The only way to see who is swimming without a suit is to wait for the tide to go out.

    1. BASG had a great expose’ pertaining to Paraag’s anal lytics clashing with Walsh. Since that day, the Niners have not won a ring.

      The problem with Anal lytics is that the opposing team also have Anal lytics. This tends to lead to predictability, which has been all too apparent for all of us dedicated fans who have ground their teeth over the dunderingly predictable play calling for all these years.

      The Dec 3rd, 2015 incident has been swept under the rug, but exemplifies everything that has gone wrong, and it spotlights Paraags’ involvement and culpability.

      The problem is that Jed opened his big mouth and inserted his foot. Jed proclaimed that he would part with anyone who he found out was the source of leaks. Tomsula found out that Paraag was the source of leaks, and left. Jed supposedly sent Paraag to Sacto and demoted him, but now he is doubling down by announcing that Paraag and another anal lytics suit will accompany him on the interview. The interviewees are not stupid. They know what has happened, and some like Ballard and Caserio heard the truth, and would not allow themselves to be used . The whole process is tainted, and the flood of leaks continue.

      Of course, leaking is just a business tool, a modus operandi, to Paraag. He does not realize how damaging and damning leaks affect a organization, or he just does not care. Jed is incredibly obtuse to go through this charade. Interviewing Cable made me physically sick, but Paraag was so desperate to interview their GMs, he allowed this scenario to unfold. The Niners were essentially blackmailed into interviewing a wife beater. I do not care if it was just a slap, he laid a finger on a woman.

      Now, Jed’s mommy has to bail him out, by taking over the negotiations.Can the Niners sink even lower?

          1. Interesting that Biderman wrote that piece after we heard about the national presses’ favorable view of Paraag. Maybe Biderman is pissed that he his not getting his fair share of leaks anymore. I don’t want to belabor the point but bringing a biz school guy to a football meeting is going to cause concern to anyone with a functioning brain. Biderman is just writing what virtually everyone is thinking and saying privately but does not want to say out in the open. It’s like Jed has his fly down and everyone refuses to tell him.

            1. WC, they liked his business acumen. They did not say a word about his football acumen. If they knew how much he meddled with the coaching, they would be singing a different tune.

              Football people do not like leakers. JH and Tomsula hated leaks.

    2. now were getting a better understanding of the Haurbaugh situation……I can totally see JH losing his sh I t when the pipsqueak that is Marathe starting horning in on football meetings………medaling.
      Then backstabbing Baalke siding with the suits over the football men……..and Baalke was supposed to be a Bill Parcels disciple ……..smh, lmao!!

  20. Wire wrote a story off of Florio’s story.
    McDaniels didn’t need to worry about Paraag; different spheres. Only he knows why he withdrew.
    My guess is Cable was seen as a legitimate fall-back choice by Jed etc although Denise had right of refusal. Cable had to sell his image to Denise. When he couldn’t come off as squeaky clean she gave him the option to withdraw his name to save face.

    1. Denise had to have a long talk with Cable since she would have to meet the press to vouch for Cable had the latter become the HC.

  21. 1. It is possible, but I do not think it is likely because he can mold the team to suit his preferences better than he could at the other spots.

    2. Yes. The 49ers have had enough soap opera situations; it’s time for the HC and GM to get along with each other.

    3. I think so. He has shown a tendency to work with a certain QB type, and he will want fast and physical playmakers that can fit in his creative offense.

    4. It is possible, but giving so much power to a GM resulted in power struggles as well. I chalk the current strategy as York hoping the change in power hierarchy would do the team some good in the long run.

    5. My best guess is she knew McDaniels was not sold well enough to make him uproot his family and leave the Patriots.

    6. I think it has no impact on their relationship.

    7. That it is sound for better or worse.

  22. 1. No, that would be a bad look for KS.
    2. Yes, HC and GM should be on the same page
    3. Bingo Grant
    4. No, unless you mean Marathe and Gutekunst
    5. Mom is the boss
    6. Mom is the boss
    7. Mom is the boss

  23. Mike Florio wrote this:

    “Shanahan will benefit from that situation, significantly. He’s expected to be the highest-paid first time head coach in league history, and he’s expected to have final say over the roster and the draft. Next, he’ll be directly involved in the General Manager, which makes Shanahan the clear-cut captain of the S.S. 49er.”

    Questions for you Grant:

    Have the 49ers talked contract terms with Shanny?
    Have the 49ers agreed to give Shanny final say for roster and draft?
    Have the 49ers told Shanny he gets to pick the GM?
    Did Florio pull all of this out of his rear and present it as fact?

    1. My guess is York wants both the HC and GM to have equal say. No one supersedes the other. It’s gotta be zero hierarchy for this to work.
      Now course someone always has to have final say so I’m guessing that if it’s a disagreement, then Shanny gets final say.

          1. GM and HC have EQUAL power. Great theory – but who breaks ties? Paarag or Jed. What could go wrong with that?

            1. Shanny will have final say. Both Jed and Paraag should stay far away from any football matters.

  24. Falcons owner endorses Kyle Shanahan for 49ers
    http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/01/18/falcons-owner-endorses-kyle-shanahan-for-49ers-coach/

    “I know (Shanahan) has been interviewed and I know he has interest,”

    “I saw (49ers CEO) Jed York at an owners’ meeting and we chatted a little bit about his candidate pool. I spoke highly of Kyle. We’ll see what happens.”

    “Kyle is a brilliant offensive mind and a great play-caller”

    It’s sounding more and more real with each passing quote, observation, hint or rumor. Count me happy about the situation

    1. Naw, you should listen to the Amy Trask podcast with Fitz and Brooks. In it, she establishes her bona fides by recommending Bill Bellichick to Al, a mistake when he chose Gruden. Imagine how many more rings the Raiders could have won with BB at the helm.

      Amy succinctly outlines why Chip failed. He tried to fit the player to the system, when he should have been trying to fit the system to the player. Baalke and Paraag have their grubby little fingerprints all over this debacle, too. The whole team was discombobulated, with players playing out of position.The disgusting way how they played favorites to try and make themselves look better. It was almost criminal how poorly Kaep was utilized. Like Amy said, he was asked to sing soprano, when he is a bass.

      Now we have some gutless wonder, anonymously smearing Kaep behind his back, hating him for his stance on civil rights. He hides and slings stones, calling Kaep a distraction, when the team voted Kaep the Eshmont award winner.

      Thankfully, I am confident that KS will take Kaep, and utilize him properly. He will accentuate his strengths and disguise his weaknesses. He will watch tape and see how the defenses worked hard to contain Kaep, and how the Niners gave up and obliged them. Now KS will have a mobile QB, and with his implementation of the Bill Walsh WCO concepts, he will make Kaep as effective as Ryan. The doubter thinks KS is not competent to do that, but I am confident that he can rehabilitate Kaep and make the Niners relevant again. KS had that Falcon offense functioning crisply, efficiently and effectively. KS could do the same thing for the Niners.

      No matter what, KS will want to take his time to assess all the players. He will not be stupid like Carolina when they dumped Josh Norman. They went from the SB to out of the playoffs. If he acted rashly, Kaep may come back to haunt him. Both the Cards and Rams could be looking to upgrade their QBs.

      So, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to defend Kaep once again. I would prefer to dwell on surmising about possible coaches and coordinators. But you know me, I like Kaep.

      1. Well said. CK7 is a better option than Jay Cutler, Brian Hoyer, etc. Shanahan – if he comes to the 49ers – is not stupid to let go the best offensive player on the team.

      2. Seb – Believe me I know that arguing about Kaep with you is a non-starter. That said, I just want to get on the record. Kaep goes the way of Tebow and for the same reasons. The only thing up for discussion is the speed at which it happens.

        1. Its OK. I just want to remind you that Kaep is the only QB on the roster, so he is the de facto starter.

          Tebow is out of the league.

          KS is smart enough to utilize him properly.You must think that KS is incapable or incompetent, I do not.

  25. I think the fact Shanahan will have input on the GM clearly shows who will have the power.

    I think it highly unlikely KS will back out now, but he is in a great position to demand a lot. And I think he will go with a GM that has experience doing contracts in order to minimise the involvement of Marathe.

    I see quite a few people are getting on my Raheem Morris for DC option :-P Before everyone gets too carried away with that, be aware he has known Dan Quinn for nearly 20 years and it was Quinn not Shanahan that brought him to the Falcons. The only reasons I think it might happen are:

    – KS and Morris worked closely together this year and clearly to good effect, as Morris took on a role as WR coach and passing game coordinator, where he provided KS insight to how upcoming opponents defend the pass.
    – I believe Morris is setting himself up for another HC gig in the future. His willingness to move from secondary to offense for the first time suggests a guy that is looking to broaden himself. But realistically, the best way to get noticed is to be a coordinator, so I think he’d be keen to make the move.

    1. Scoot can you tell me why you are a fan of Morris or are you just anticipating he could be the pick for KS?

      1. Just my guess on a name to look out for. As to why he might be a good candidate, he’s an excellent coach and good leader. Players love him.

            1. His record presiding over the defense when he was a HC wasn’t good, and he’s been a wide receivers coach the last 2 years. Not exactly honing his defensive craft if you get my drift….

              1. He was WR coach just this year. And his main role was to study opponent Ds and provide input to KS on tendencies, looks and ways to beat it. He was also the assistant HC to Quinn.

              2. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t brought along in some capacity, but I highly doubt it will be DC. Better prospects out there with more experience and quite frankly, better production….

              3. I think the only capacity he would be interested in coming along in would be DC. Why leave his mate Dan Quinn for a similar role elsewhere?

                As for better prospects out there, there really isn’t many. Most of the competent and experienced DCs are already gone. That mostly leaves cast offs and first timers.

              4. I consider Martindale and Donatell as better prospects. As far as Morris making a lateral move, he was passed over for DC and given this hybrid designation. Then moved to wide receivers, plus as I noted, his defensive production when he ran the show was sub par….

              5. The Broncos ranked dead last in D in Martindale’s one year as a DC. He’s a better option than Morris?

                Donatell could be a good choice if the Bears let him leave. And if he wants to rejoin the 49ers. Two big ifs.

      2. It could be Ray Rhodes as DC. He’s worked for big Shanny and big Wolf. He would command respect from our young D.

    2. Mike Pettine is a possibility for DC. Him and Shanahan were both coordinators for the Browns. If Shanahan wants to stick to the 3-4 then I’d bring in Manusky if the Skins don’t hire him.

      1. When KS was a coordinator for the Browns, our very own Jim O’Neil was DC. The simplest hire is the one already in place…

        1. Noooooo, gotta air out the facility and get that stench out. Martindale and Donatell are two very good prospects that have been around great defensive minds. If they aren’t ready now, they never will be….

        1. KS should post the fact that he did not want Johnny Manziel, and they tried to force him to use Manziel, so he stepped down, as the first thing on his resume.

        2. I became convinced that Shanny was our guy after this priceless video of him giving Pettine “the look”.
          http://www.ninersnation.com/2017/1/13/14259072/kyle-shanahan-mike-pettines-run-play-suggestion-reaction

          This “lean on the run” (to quote Singletary) is one reason that in general I don’t like DCs as HCs. I heard that Del Rio had an issue with Musgrave last season because the latter would not run the ball when Del Rio wanted him to do so. Seifert tried it with Holmgren until Steve Young and other players in the offensive team meeting bodily removed him from the room……

        3. There’s an example of a writer spinning his piece to stay in step with the coach still there and bash the guy who left. Shanny Jr probably couldn’t hide his disdain for ongoing stupidity by Pettine and tweeting FO, this the dark cloud. That parting was likely mutual. Now Kyle coaching in the CC and the Browns are wallowing.
          The old Brownies would break hearts by getting close then coming up short. These resurrected Browns…….

      2. He wasn’t terrible, just average. The defensive ranking the years he was with the team: #8, #20,#18,#20

    3. I like how they took Morris and put him coaching the WRs. It helped to gain a different perspective, and those WRs have been running wild.

      Like you said, it makes him more well rounded with an eye for advancement.

      1. Mangini was well rounded too. Didn’t coach tight ends one season? Bring him back as DC … not

      1. Ok, I must have missed it. I brought him up in the previous article as a guy to keep an eye on, but hadn’t realised you had already mentioned him.

  26. Grant – What’s your thoughts if everything works out as anticipated? Do you think Jed kinda just lucked into this situation or are you gonna give him some credit for this?

    On the outside it does seem like luck had some involvement i.e. Broncos going Joseph over KS, Rams impatiently choosing McVay, McD opting out.

  27. Another guy Shanny Jr. could look at for DC is Wink Martindale, LB’s coach from the Ravens….

      1. And a damn good one too, CFC. Loved that guy! We’ve talked about Don before, and thought we agreed he’d be a good candidate….

      2. Grew up watching Wink on Tic-Tac-Dough.

        I think Don is worth giving a shot to. Only been a DC in the NFL once for one year but he had the #1 defense for that season.

        1. I grew up with him too, CFC!

          I don’t know much about this guy, but his name keeps coming up as the one Shanny Jr. plans on making his DC. Marquand Manuel

          1. DB coach for Falcons. Pretty limited coaching exp so far. Not sure hes ready to run a defense but maybe Shanny really likes the guy.

      1. Pagano has the third most NFL and coordinator experience, plus he’s got the third best winning percentage among the top candidates. His team’s haven’t fared well in the takeaway department and Football Outsider’s DVOA metric, but they performed well in all of the other stats. He’s got a top-three average ranking among the candidates in each of the other six statistics too. Could do a whole lot worse, good call, Rocket!

        1. Ingram was in my thought process when considering Pagano. As Razor mentioned he has been pretty solid with the Chargers and wouldn’t have to leave Cali if he came aboard.

    1. Deshaun Watson will be a start QB in the NFL. He’s a winner and plays well on the biggest stage. I’d draft him 2nd overall.

    1. I believe the #2 pick is the hot spot for a team to trade up for Watson or Trubisky and quite possibly Kizer after the combine. I don’t see the Niners taking Barnett at #2. Maybe in a trade down scenario but with that said I would take Foster and Mike Williams before him. I believe there better prospects.

      1. Yea, if Barnett puts up the kind of numbers at the combine that are indicative of the kind of burst people say he lacks, he’ll be right there with Garrett….

        1. Watch out for Kizer to destroy the Combine. I believe a team like the Browns who believe there QB of choice will be there at 12 is a mistake. Too many teams need QBs especially this year. Bears, Jets, Bills, Texans, Cards to name a few. Of course the Niners. QBs will be pushed up. I like Trubisky, Watson, Kizer better then Goff coming out. Just my opinion.

        2. Agree everything will change after combine and pro day workouts….still hope they move back a few spots and acquire a couple more picks. Maybe make a move for garrapollo or aj mc too.

  28. Spotrac states Niners have $87M in cap space in 2017.
    Are there 2-3 free agents who the Niners should try to sign this off season?

  29. Grant… One Question. Why is it so much negativity? Do we think Shannahan will change his mind if the colts open up? Was that question basically because of Andrew Luck, or some other reason? Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying Jed is perfect, but why would a competitive Man be willing to pass up his own team? This man will have carte blanche. But just like a bunch of media outlets, your basically pushing him toward other jobs, or saying he should wait for other jobs, or he should just or he might turn it down. Contrary to popular opinion, no other coach or GM was offered this job. None. So all these other coaches, and GM’s that pulled their names, so what. They knew they weren’t getting the job. But if u listen to guys like, lacanfora, coaches were walking away left and right. My god, in my opinion this is coach heaven. A chance to build a contender in his own legacy. Concur or fail he and his gm will have a chance to right this 49er organization. And for any man or woman looking to lead in life accepts these challenges. Not tuck their legs in between their butts and run. But thatd my opinion. I want to lead in life not follow.

    1. Steele, the problem is, you are being led over a cliff. That 2-14 season was painful. Talk about tucking and running, that is what I saw on defense. Bellore would run out of the gap they would run through, and even manage to block his own player. Bethea wanted no part of some RBs, but of course, they were running untouched with a head of steam.

      So what if people are turning down requests for interviews? It is very telling for everyone to see that the Niners are dysfunctional, and the fact that all of the most competent coaches have found jobs elsewhere, is not something to crow about. I would have been happy with McVay, and I wanted Lynn for 2 years.

      This is a coach heaven? Well, the last 3 coaches these last 3 years had it leaked that they would be losing their jobs just before they coached their last game. It might be 4 coaches in 4 years. KS has a daunting challenge

      The main problem is, Jed himself. He keeps shooting himself in the foot, and sticking his foot in his mouth after it has been shot off.

      I think that KS can succeed, but I will be hoping for the best and expecting the worst. KS is not even hired, so that could blow up in their faces. I admire your optimism, but will temper your enthusiasm with a dose of reality.

      1. No Seb I’m not being led over a cliff. The reality is we are at ground 0. We are fresh off of balkee. The reality is we have a brand new direction. And the only people who turned down requests were Ballard and caserio. Everyone else either interviewed or found out they weren’t the top option. Which brings me back to the point where nobody has been offered a job and turned it down. In reality your hatefilled glasses. You talk like you don’t want this team to succeed by saying Jed gets whTs coming to him. That happened already, he saw what life was like when he let Trent run the building. Now it’s time to get over that crap. It’s all past tense. Game is over. We hit restart. It’s time to start over and rebuild a legacy.

        1. Steele, I just want Jed to grow up and start behaving like a mature adult. I cheered for him when he selected JH. Maybe Jed will luck out again with KS.

          And you know me, I was hoping for an 8 win season, and if the planets had aligned and there were no injuries, they might have gone 10-6 with a chance at the playoffs. Alas, it was not meant to be.

          However, I do have standards, and if Jed had hired Cable, i would have said that he does not deserve to win a game with a wife beater as HC.

          Now that Baalke is gone, I am hopeful. I would be happy if they won 6 or 7 games next season.

      2. Seb I completely agree with the play on the field with those guys. I believe they believed there was no consequence because they were balkee guys. Hopefully the film can point out those players and they will be promptly dismissed

        1. Maybe they could be traded to other teams for draft picks that could then be bundled to move up in the draft, so they get something for them, instead of nothing.

              1. You actually have to have something of worth to trade for. Next summer TC will be fun and the offseason to see who’s getting cut. They’ll bundle their way to unemployment.

              2. Well, the Niners could bundle Bethea, Brooks and Mike Davis for Frank Gore.

                With 11 picks, it might be smart to bundle the later picks to move up. Maybe they could find a team with few picks, so they would want more picks.

                The good news is that the compensatory picks can be traded now.

              3. Seb this is crazy talk. We were playing guys off the PS over Davis. Brooks wouldn’t fetch much and everyone else saw what you did about Bethea so they don’t want him either. Not a strong showing there.

              4. Wilson, I am counting on the Colts wanting to move on from Frank Gore. Davis is young and fresh. Brooks would upgrade their pathetic defense and Bethea used to be a Colt. Maybe the Niners would throw in an O lineman, too. I want Frank Gore back so he can retire a 49er, but also for his leadership.

      3. Seb… Yes this is coachheaven.. You know who would have jumped at this job in the past? A job that you can build your own team, have your own legacy built. I’ll tell you who, the greats…. Walsh,Holmgren,Halas, bellichek, parcels, heck even Lombardi. Those guys weren’t given ready made teams. They built their legacy. They fought for what they wanted. Not just sat and hung around for the “best job” to open up. That’s chicken sh**. But maybe it’s the millenniel way, just to take what’s easy.

        1. Steel, being an older gentleman, I can not claim to be a millenniel.

          Have it easy? I have mowed acres of lawn and dug miles of trenches. I wish I had had it so easy. ;p

          1. My bad Seb. I wasn’t saying you were a millenniel, I was suggesting the coaches were millenniels. I’d never disrespect a hard working man. Miscommunication..

            1. Its OK, glad your nose is not bent out of shape. After reading what I wrote, I may have been a little harsh.

              I am glad we can disagree without being disagreeable.

  30. “Dumpster Fire” I hear this phrase alot and it may have been a dumpster fire the way the old gm ran this roster, and employees in the front office. And the owner made his biggest mistake by trusting Trent Balkee. But I don’t see it as a dumpster fire. Fresh start, new gm, new coach, new staff, new organizational philosophy, and an owner willing to Let his gm and coach run things. Especially knowing Jed will not get in the way of rebuilding this once great organization. I see the term dumpster fire, in the past. I’m not being a homer but knowing this team is starting completely fresh has my hopes high.

    1. You are right, now that Baalke is gone, I have hope. I hope the Niners do not wait until the 6th round to draft a WR, RB and QB. I hope they draft an ILB and NT. I hope they discontinue the ACL picks.

      1. If there’s a position of need that we can afford to wait until round 5 or 6 to pull the trigger, it’s running back. I can’t remember a deeper draft at that position….

        1. +1 on not drafting a running back early Razor. The Shannys’could find another Mike Anderson in the 6th round. The Shannys’ system is great for RBs.

  31. Now that most of the pro coaches have been taken up, maybe KS should look to the college ranks.

    Don Brown of Michigan might accept the DC position, especially if he triples his present salary.

      1. What about trying to poach Crennel. He is no longer the DC because Houston wanted to keep Vrable. Maybe money could get him here

        1. I think he’s content as an Assistant HC now. He got a raise and his job will be to ensure the defensive transition under Vrabel is steady as she goes….

  32. Scary that Denise wanted Cable on the cheap. Guess we know whose behind Tomsula, Singletary, Nolan, Erickson. Dr. York and Denise.

    The Falcons will make it to the SuperBowl . Book it !

    Three weeks is plenty of time for the “Good Dr. & Denise to screw things up, say, force DC, Jim Oneil on Shanahan, hoping he recinds his application.

    Another worry is Shanahan leveraging the 49ers, hoping ATL ups the ante on a lucrative contract, blowing the 49ers offer away…Time has always been the 49ers enemy.

  33. I said it in the previous blog post but I think it’s short minded of jed to find a gm who is more interested in the business side of things to give shanahan final say over draft and roster.

    To expect that a coach would it should be great at motivating men, great at Xs and Os and a great talent evaluator is not wise in my opinion. Very few coaches are great at one of these let alone two. Most times in my memory when a coach has had that much power it’s a been a failure.

    Most motivators of men (aka singletary as the epitome of this) are not the best at the Xs and Os and others like Mcdaniel’s shanahan chip Kelly are not the best at motivating men.

    I think the gm pick needs to be made independently without a complete emphasis on if he will be shanahan’s female dog.

    The problem with Baalke was not only because he had different opinions and clashes with the coach. It was that he was a poor evaluator of talent and a control freak. Probably more than anything was his poor evlaition of talent. If the roster stayed loaded with Patrick Willis types the conflict beteeen him and coaches would most likely be much less of an issue.

    I believe that this emphasis jed is focused on is misconstrued and reflects his and his teams lack of understanding of human behavior. He has almost identified the issue but not really.

    1. I disagree. Bill Walsh was GM/HC when he built that dynasty.

      The Niners should rely on the scouts for player evaluation, but since the coaches must coach those players, they should have a say in the decision making process.

      It should be a collaboration between the Scouts, GM and Coaches, with both the GM and HC finding some kind of consensus for pulling the trigger on the draft.

      1. Only after Kyle shanahan proves that he is in bill Walsh territory- he can start looking for this type of control.

        Sacrificing a gm that can be awesome for The possibility that kyle shanahan might be super human once in a generation person is premature

        1. More importantly, the GM should not have a fat head and thinks he should run roughshod over everyone else.

          We tried it Baalke’s way, and we went from SB contestants to a 2-14 dumpster fire.

          I am not saying that the GM needs to be emasculated, but he should think what is best for the team, and be more inclusive and more of a consensus builder. You know, a team player, not another Pol Pot.

      2. It should be a collaboration between the Scouts, GM and Coaches, with both the GM and HC finding some kind of consensus for pulling the trigger on the draft.

        Agreed.
        Where I might slightly disagree would be final say. In terms of final say; in the draft I believe the GM should have the tie breaking vote.
        In terms of the roster, I believe the coach should be given final say.
        My reasoning for this is simple. In regards to the draft, the GM should know the players and prospects better as he has been scouting them throughout the season. In terms of the roster the coach should know the players better as he sees them in practice every day.
        With that said you would hope they would seldom have major disagreements and could narrow it down to players they both like.

    1. “Gase said one of the elements of working for the 49ers that attracted him to the job was the opportunity to reconnect with Jed York and Marathe, whom he got to know during his season as an assistant coach in 2008.”

      How’s that even possible? I thought Kawakami and others had convinced us that no decent coach wants to work for Jedraag…

    2. Hmmm. So Gase wasn’t told by Jed to hire tomsula. This team has been balkees from day one and he wanted nobody to challenge his authority, so harbaugh was fired and tomsula was hired. Explains alot. And even tells how York was never in nobody’s way. He let his man do his job. Which was royally screwed. His trust in balkee set us back big time.

      1. That’s very interesting and actually a bit promising.
        A couple of takeaways from this.
        – Tim Kawakami’s sources are not very good.
        – Jed was not forcing a Jimmy T down anyones throat so he was not a meddlesome as first thought.
        – Paraag is more well respected than first thought. (interesting to me)
        – Trent’s name must forever be stricken from 49er books and never be spoken of again.

    3. Glad to hear him say what many of us thought, Baalke called the shots. This likely also puts to bed who was responsible for the firing of Jim Harbaugh.

      1. Does this mean Jed gets a little less heat for what has transpired? Obviously he chose wrong in sticking with Baalke, but if Baalke was the one calling the shots then at least Jed hasn’t been the one directing the Harbaugh, Tomsula and Kelly bungles, he’s just been going along with it. And it also suggests Jed is less of a meddler than has been claimed, and in fact is willing to trust his staff (for better or worse).

        1. I see Jed as a guy who says let’s make money and you guys figure out this football thing.
          I think he sat back too much with Baalke and Harbaugh instead of stepping in and giving each an ultimatum. Things got out of hand and Baalke had too much of his trust and took advantage and he led with his ego.

          Now it looks like Jed is trying to find 2 guys who will hold each other accountable with autonomy split down the middle and with his guidance on matters they can’t figure out.

        2. It’s what I’ve been saying all year. But people, especially on this blog always seem to suggest that, nobody wants to work for Jed or this dumpster fire… Those shall remain nameless.

        3. Jed still deserves a lot of criticism for the way the Harbaugh situation was handled and the fact the team has crumbled under his leadership. Baalke is just another poor decision he made and continued on with.

    4. Well, I was totally wrong on this one which Grant pointed out in a post I made about 3 to 4 weeks ago. It’s now clear to me that Baalke has been the greatest problem with this organization. Good riddance.

  34. TomD’s response to the Paraag interview of McDaniels…McDaniels declined the job…nuff said.

    Fans, the Paraag presence is real. Like Baalke, he won’t relinquish power easily, and his connection to the Silicon Valley elite is very real….Jed has a tough choice…Remember, Marathe was given the flag challenging position in the coaches booth over qualified coaches, so the Silicon Valley elite could wave to him on NFL Sunday’s…It’s a game to these super wealthy folks.

    We have our answer on Paraag Marathe

    mm

    By Bay Area Sports Guy  

    1. •Tom Cable was interviewed by Denise York

    2. •Trent Kirchner and Cable removed themselves from consideration yesterday, apparently because they knew they weren’t legitimate candidates and were interviewed to provide some leverage against Kyle Shanahan.

    Tim Kawakami
    ‎@timkawakami

    Sounds like there was at least one major problem when McDaniels and Riddick started negotiations with the 49ers. That’d be: Paraag Marathe.

    10:46 AM – 18 Jan 2017

    Tim Kawakami
    ‎@timkawakami

    Three questions: 1) Is Kyle Shanahan more comfortable w/Marathe’s role than McDaniels was? 2) If he isn’t, will he threaten to walk? And…

    Tim Kawakami
    ‎@timkawakami

    3) And if Shanahan demands power over Marathe, in writing, or that Marathe can’t negotiate the deal, what does Jed do then?

    10:54 AM – 18 Jan 2017

    The answer to that last question might start with “Mike” and ends with “Nolan.” Seriously, who else would the 49ers hire if they screw up this Shanahan thing? Chuck Pagano (if he gets fired by Jim Irsay)? Trent Dilfer?

    This seems to be a very odd search, and not just because most teams would try to hire a general manager first. If the 49ers were trying to build leverage against Shanahan, aren’t there better choices than Cable?

  35. I wonder if the Niners would be interested in Bill Musgrave.

    He has been OC for 6 different teams.

  36. Since Marathe interviewed the 49ers # 1 candidate, McDaniels and he walked, why would the 49er chief contract negotiator sign Shanahan to a deal giving him more power than Paraag ?

    Marathe will purposely go crying to Jed that Shanny won’t sign unless he gets more power everyone but Jed.

    1. I like Rocket’s choice better. John Pagano

      Raheem Morris may be the most logical choice.

    2. Thanks for the link, good info. Interesting they say Morris is a buddy of Shanahan, from what I had read it sounded like he was Quinn’s buddy from way back when.

      Darren Perry would be an interesting hire if they do bring in one of the GB executives.

    3. I don’t like that list at all.. there has to be at least 1 inspiring hire. I’d even give Rex Ryan a call. Something better than that uninspiring list. It’s bound to fail.

    4. If that is the options, then I would rather have Rex Ryan as DC. :-P

      1. All to do next is hire a smart GM, form a quality staff and get a franchise QB.
        3 years away faithful!

        1. Prime, if we get Jimmy, I think that could be on point, maybe even 2 years away. Having a ready made QB would be AWESOME. Then you just mold him to your system.

          1. I agree.Id love Jimmy G. But we still need to draft a QB just to strengthen the position. In fact I’d draft 2 this year and sign a vet if we don’t get him

            1. I honestly think I would. Mainly because of the number of picks. Jimmy looks like the real deal and he’s seen live NFL action. Maybe I’m a prisoner of the moment.

            2. I don’t think they would consider trading a 2018 first rnd pick. That’s a very strong QB class. I think Jimmy G with Mcdaniels made a ton of sense. With Kyle not as much. I think getting a vet like Hoyer for cheap and draft two young guys like the Pack seem to do would seem smarter. Draft a QB in the second and one in the 4th. Then you still hold on to most likely a very high pick in 2018 were Jackson, Browning, Rosen could declare…

              1. Besides Jimmy G is free agent next year. I think the most we should offer is a 2nd and a 3rd in 2018. Otherwise I like your idea Rebuild.

              2. Can’t think in those terms, Prime. Any trade will be contingent on the team trading for him being able to work out a long term deal with him.

                If they don’t get a young QB with starter potential through trade/ FA, then I have been a proponent for drafting two QBs for awhile. One high, and one in the mid rounds. Chad Kelly as a mid to late round pick I think would be a good get.

              3. Good point Scooter. Getting a ready made QB makes things easier in free agency and the draft.
                But yes, a long term deal is probably a major point in where he goes.
                I’m ok with either trading for him or drafting 2 QB’s next year and bringing in a vet. I actually think Matt Barkley is a cheap alternative.

              4. After watching the last playoff game, Bellichick will not trade way a backup for Brady, because he may be one solid hit from retiring. I bet after all the hits he took, he was sore and stiff the next day.

                Brady is 39, and one cannot recover as quickly as a 25 year old.

                Before they traded away Garropolo, BB would have to be convinced that Brisette could take over seamlessly.

  37. I don’t trust the York’s over Arthur Blank.

    Vegas Odds : York’s vs. Falcons Arthur Blank……Blank + 15

    Blank resigns Shanahan while York’s screw this one up again.

  38. Is Brian Gutekunst really a contracts focused guy?

    My understand of his background was that its scouting and personnel. He was a GB scout for like 13 years and then was promoted to GB’s Director of College Scouting and then given a title bump to Director of Player Personnel. So I imagine he would be very involved in player acquisition.

    He’d be my pick if I had a say in the matter. I really like that he scouted in the Southeast which means he probably has experience and connections with a lot of these SEC programs that seem to churn out great NFL prospects year after year. I think the fact that his background is scouting, he’s a little bit older but not old would be a great fit with Shanahan and a young front office.

    Plus, all the GMs that come out the Green Bay system are finding success and developing talented players. Guys like John Schneider, Reggie Mackenzie, and John Dorsey. Given time those teams are stocked with talent, especially talent from the middle and late rounds.

    1. Grant, I am one poster on this site who would be thrilled to have your father post here. Now that he is retired, he may have a lot of time on his hands, and he would certainly be welcome.

  39. Has anyone noticed Jeff Ulbrich on the sidelines for the falcons ?
    Would be nice if Kyle shanahan could bring him to the niners in some form
    I never understood why the 49ers don’t ever give a chance to their former players to coach I always see former niners players on other teams staff
    ????

    1. I understand… It was because balkee didn’t give a crap about no er history. Neither did Mike Nolan for that matter. He’s the one who refused Jerry rice a 1 day contract to retire as a boner. Because it would have taken a guys spot. Well hopefully tradition returns. Outside of rarhman we have no homegrown coaches.

  40. I can’t help but think one of the QBs on the 49ers roster next year will be Matt Schaub. Which probably isn’t a bad thing if he is the experienced vet helping develop a young QB, but you’d prefer he was doing so in a backup role. He could be a good backup for Jimmy Garoppolo.

    1. Oh Man Scooter you read my mind. I was just thinking about this earlier. He knows Shanny system inside and out from their days in Houston and now ATL. I totally can see that coming and he may be that bridge QB we keep talking about, as terrible as that sounds, he did have his best years with kyle.

      1. Since he is on the Falcon squad, that could be a distinct possibility, along with the fact that he tends to throw pick sixes.

    1. Seems like he was a head coach for so long that its not likely he’d step down at this point to coordinator. I think he’ll get another HC job in 2018.

  41. JKV hires a nobody over Chip Kelly. What does that tell you about Chip and his offensive philosophy?
    I never felt like Chip got a raw deal in SF even with a limited roster because he knew what he had going into the draft but thought he could make it work with Kap and Gabbert. What an idiot!

  42. Well, this is the waiting period. Nothing will happen until the end of the SB, or Atlanta getting eliminated this weekend.

    Personally, I hope they go all the way. If KS can help them win the SB, he will be able to attract good coaches. Better ones than if they lose this weekend.

    Looks like many good coaches are being hired, but there also seem to be many decent ones are still available.Many position coaches could be considered, especially for the coordinator spots. He could also tap into the college ranks, too.

  43. I’m all for KS as the new head coach. But I keep thinking this could get screwed up somehow and not necessarily Jed’s fault. Irsay not saying anything about his GM and HC’s future. And now Vance Joseph all but admitting that he assaulted the two women when he was a young man. What if the Broncos decide to rescind their offer and go after KS? They could probably claimed fraud on Joseph’s part. Weren’t they heavily linked to KS at the beginning of their HC search.

    Here’s what Joseph said:

    “That was resolved a long time ago. For myself, for my family, for the Denver Broncos, I’m disappointed and embarrassed. I was a young guy and it showed to my immaturity and irresponsibility in my life when I was younger,” Joseph said, via The Denver Post. “But I’ve grown so much and that’s why I’m disappointed, because I’ve grown so much as a person, as a coach, as a father, as a husband. Everyone who knows me knows that I try to live my life the right way, and I regret that my name is even associated with this.”

    The announcement that KS is the next 9er coach needs to happen ASAP, which means I’ll be rooting heavily for GB on Sunday.

    http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/vance-joseph-addresses-sexual-assault-allegations/ar-AAm0nSh?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp

    1. Vance got the Denver job because of a college connection with Matt Russell. If this was something that just happened that would be different but with Russell signing off on him they aren’t second guessing his character at this point.

    2. BTW, there was no real other candidate for the job then Vance. They’ve been trying to hire him for years now.

      1. John Elway ‏@johnelway Jan 7
        We spent the morning with Kyle Shanahan in Atlanta. He’s a very bright coach who’s had a tremendous year and has a great future.

        Sure they picked Joseph, but why interview Shanahan. Why the tweet.

        1. “Why the tweet.”
          Cause he’s a professional and classy guy. What he said was true. He’s a bright coach with a great future.

          “Sure they picked Joseph, but why interview Shanahan.”
          Well for one I don’t think they wanted the impression that they only were considering one person for such an important job. Also, NFL interviews are commonly nothing more then information grabs. Pat Kirwan has mentioned many times how teams will bring in coaches from organizations and interview them to learn more about the team and organization they currently work for then the coach themselves. It’s not a way to learn plays but to learn how different teams run especially the successful ones.

          1. “It’s not a way to learn plays but to learn how different teams run especially the successful ones.”

            I should also add not just teams but systems. If you want your offense to be as successful as Atlanta’s offense who would you talk to? They had an opportunity to pick Shanahan’s brain about how he works and how he thinks an NFL team should be run. If I’m running a team I’d do the same thing.

    3. While horrible, at least when she said to leave, he left. That showed restraint. Sounds like he expressed remorse and has never repeated his transgression. Maybe he should atone for his mistake by volunteering in a battered women’s shelter.

      Tough call. They did not press charges, but he came very close to crossing the line. Guess they forgave him and learned not to invite someone into their apartment and drink to excess. A teachable moment for all involved, with everyone needing to show better judgement. While no traumatic physical damage, I hope they did not suffer any long lasting psychological damage. If so, I hope they received the proper help and counseling.

      I am sure the Broncos knew all about the incident,yet still hired him. Should it have been a disqualifying factor? Perhaps. Yet the NFL condones physical abuse, killing dogs, beating children, drunk driving, and Big Ben was accused of far worse actions.

  44. http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/Falcons-owner-Kyle-Shanahan-s-leadership-10867152.php?cmpid=twitter-desktop

    Not the first time Kyle Shanahan’s ability as a leader and communicator has been questioned. Its nice that it improved this year apparently, but the fact it needed to is of concern.

    Its easy to say what happened in Washington and Cleveland wasn’t his fault, but it does appear he has a bit of a history when it comes to communication issues, and taking advice from others.

    1. Am I missing something on Shanny in Cleveland? He left abruptly after the sideline tweets affair. Was there other friction?
      Many words expended on the the QB friction in Wash with Shanny Sr. In the past. Now that’s transferring to Shanny Jr.?
      Again, perhaps I’m missing some details……..?

      1. It was Shanny Jrs offense that RGIII had issues with. As HC, it became more about Shanny Sr vs RGIII though.

  45. Do you think Shanahan could change his mind if the Falcons win the Super Bowl or the Colts fire their head coach, Chuck Pagano?
    Ans. yes if he is smart
    Do you think it’s a good thing Shanahan will get to pick his GM?
    Ans. Not sure. It depends on how well they draft
    Do you think Shanahan wants to pick his own players and will choose a GM who specializes in making contracts, like Briant Gutekunst from the Packers?
    ANs. Not sure
    Do you think the 49ers are creating a power conflict?
    Ans. With the Jedster involved there are always conflicts
    Why do you think Denise DeBartolo interviewed Tom Cable?
    Ans. Cable would have been cheaper
    What does that Cable interview say about Denise’s relationship with her son, Jed?
    Ans. Maybe she is losing faith

    What does that interview say about the power structure within the 49ers?
    Ans. Still as screwed up as ever

    1. Leave it to some idiot (not you #80) to foolishly believe this. Enough with this ridiculous song and dance already.

    2. Sure sounds like the same sort of fluff we heard when the 49ers hired Chip Kelly.
      Colin Kaepernick cant be reinvented. He is what he is.

    1. Actually, I hope the Niners will be balanced, so the defense does not know whether they will run or pass. Then they will have to defend both. Therefore, teams cannot stack the box, or put out 8 pass defenders.

      With his top 10 offenses, KS seems to do both equally well.

  46. Matt Maiocco:

    Hearing it’s unlikely Kyle Shanahan will be allowed to bring any Falcons position coaches to staff with #49ers once hiring becomes official.

    1. Maybe if it is a lateral move, but they probably will not stand in their way for any promotions. Its a good way to build resentment if they hold back coaches from advancing.

  47. I for one hope the Falcons continue to win. I hope KS offense is in high gear and performs flawlessly. The Falcons offense is very talented and if it fails during the playoffs then we can expect nothing with the current talent level on the Niners if KS is the hire.

  48. My QB comparisons:

    Mitch Trubisky — Andy Dalton. Quick release, strong arm, accurate. Solid traits. Low ceiling.
    Deshaun Watson — Johnny Manziel. Dual threat. Throws 50/50 deep balls to great WRs.
    DeShone Kizer — Josh Freeman. Big, athletic, strong arm. Terrible mechanics.
    Brad Kaaya — Mark Sanchez. Inconsistent pocket passer. Needs a clean pocket to operate.
    Patrick Mahomes — Vince Young. Wants to throw on the run. Scrambler.

    1. So-o-o ,, Grant …

      Out of any of those you mentioned ..
      who would you use the #2 pick on ?
      (if any)

    2. Wow…solid class there.

      Trubisky would be a solid 2nd round pick.

      Out of this QB class who do you see as a possible mid-round pick with developmental upside

      1. If they don’t take a QB early or even if they do, I’d probably use a day 3 pick on Chad Kelly or Nathan Peterman as a developmental prospect.

    3. Nobody compare Mahomes correctly. He’s has has nearly 3 times as many rushing attempts as he does passing. He’s not a running QB, he’s not a scrambler. He runs when the pocket breaks down, like a good QB should.

      1. Shoot, not awake yet I guess. He has nearly 3 times a many passing attempts, not rushing. Need stronger coffee today.

              1. I disagree but since you said it, where do the ‘majority’ of his plays come from not just the occasional big one?

              2. He throws a lot of sideways passes from the pocket, just like most air-raid QBs. But his big plays come when he scrambles out of the pocket.

      2. He’s much more comfortable throwing on the run. In the pocket, he tends to throw off balance.

        1. Because he’s good at it doesn’t mean he’s more comfortable doing it, you wouldn’t know such a thing unless you asked him personally, did you?

        2. How many times last year did you try to tell me that Prescott was lousy in the pocket?

            1. He always seems off balance in the pocket except when he’s making snap throws horizontally.

              1. Well, he’s not perfect but he has the traits and tools to succeed at the next level and that’s why I pick the QB’s I do. Vince Young didn’t succeed in the NFL but Mahomes will.

              2. Fair enough. I’m not saying Mahomes will fail. I’m just just trying to compare where he’s at coming into the league. He almost never sets his feet and steps into a throw, and he has a low release point.

              3. Release point, yes that’ll be an issue but it’s a fixable one. I don’t agree his feet are as bad as you think and even if they are there are just some QB’s that are athletic enough to overcome bad mechanics. Cam Newton would be a good example and I wonder if Newton isn’t a perfect comparison for Mahomes.

              4. Right, I’m not saying Mahomes won’t improve his footwork and release point, but he has a lot of work to do. And Newton was successful because he was such a threat to run. He ran less last season, and his passing production plummeted. He’s getting worse.

              5. Watch enough film of most any QB that has to avoid pressure in the pocket and you’re going to see a lot of bad footwork and mechanics. Show me a nice clean pocket to throw from and I’ll show you pretty QB mechanics.

              6. It’s rare when you see Mahomes set his feet and step into a throw, even when he has time and space to do so. He seems much more comfortable throwing on the move.

              7. I don’t see the level of footwork problems you do Grant, but he will have to work on his mechanics at the next level. The thing about Mahomes is, even when throwing off balance, he is able to throw it fairly accurately. He’s raw in many respects, but he has a natural ability to throw an accurate ball which is tough to teach.

              8. He’s not that accurate — he’s college accurate. Throws into huge windows. And he’s always throwing off of one foot.

              9. You said you wouldn’t draft him before pick 60, so you must not like him that much. He’s going to be a second-round pick, maybe even a late first.

              10. Just watched some video of Mahomes and even in the highlight reel his mechanics and footwork look terrible, but despite that he’s still pretty dang accurate. Its really impressive actually. I wonder how much of that is correctable, and how much would need to be corrected.
                It will be interesting to see which QB Lil’ Shanny favors.

              11. His receivers have to adjust to most of his passes. I doubt he’ll ever complete 60 percent in the NFL.

              12. I’ve seen a lot of QBs “make some pro throws.” Doesn’t mean they can do it consistently enough to be good in the NFL.

              13. You said you wouldn’t draft him before pick 60, so you must not like him that much. He’s going to be a second-round pick, maybe even a late first.
                ——————
                I’ve said he’s the best QB prospect in this draft so I guess I do kinda like him. Turns out that Prescott was the best QB in last years draft but did anyone take him before pick # 135? Good GM’s don’t pick a player before they have to just because they like him.

              14. Prescott had a DUI, which meant no one would touch him before Day 3. How high would you take Mahomes. He’s not lasting until the third round.

              15. If I felt that I couldn’t get with him #66 then the highest that #66 and a 6th gets us into the 2nd round. I’ve often said that #60 is where I’d first imagine taking him.

                For someone so down on his mechanics you’re pretty sure he’s going to get drafted pretty high. Must not think NFL GM’s care about mechanics all that much.

              16. All the QBs are getting pushed up the draft boards this year because it’s a bad class.

                66 and a 6th gets you to 63.

              17. If his stock catches fire and I hear rumblings that he’ll go in the mid 2nd then I would begrudgingly use our 2nd round pick. I wouldn’t be happy about it but I’d do it.

              18. 66 and a 6th gets you to 63.
                ———–
                That really depends on the draft and what players are falling into that range. Yea 62 or 63 with a 6th sounds about right. I would’ve thrown in both 6th’s to go a bit higher up to 60 if needed.

              19. Grant Cohn January 19, 2017 at 10:58 am
                All the QBs are getting pushed up the draft boards this year because it’s a bad class.
                —————
                Maybe, even so Mahomes is still no higher then the 4th QB taken behind Kizer, Trubisky and Watson. That puts Mahomes in the middle of the 2nd at the highest realistically.

              20. Grant Cohn January 19, 2017 at 11:04 am
                Big gamble. Would you put your job on the line that if you were the GM?
                ————
                I would need to sit down and talk to him. I know what I see on the tape and what I’ve read in articles about him but I need to verify that he’s the man that I believe he is and can be. If I come out of that conversation feeling the way I do from reading about him then yes, I’d use pick #34 on him.

                Look at it this way, Colin who wasn’t as good of a prospect as Patrick was taken #36 and despite all the complaints about Baalke I can’t think of one time that I read of someone complaining that he reached for Kaepernick.

              21. Grant Cohn January 19, 2017 at 11:09 am
                It’s possible Trubisky goes No. 2, Watson goes No. 3 and Kizer goes No. 10
                ——————–
                Oof, I don’t know. I mean sure it’s possible but is it really that likely? I’ve been really backing off an earlier claim that Watson goes top 15. The decision to not play in the Senior Bowl I don’t think was a good choice.

                If nobody reaches then as of this moment I think #6 is the first QB off the board. #10 is certainly possible although we’ll see how things go with Taylor. #12 is another landing spot. However once you get past the Browns 2nd pick that’s where one of those names(Watson) could start sliding. There’s always a surprise riser that we’re not considering right now that could sneak up into the late first early second area.

              22. I dont’ have an answer for that yet but I’m not so sure they plan on addressing it at #3.

              23. Grant Cohn January 19, 2017 at 11:13 am
                how was Kaepernick not as good of a prospect as Mahomes?
                —————–
                System or not, Mahomes has spent his College career passing the ball and doing it with a lot of success. He had one rushing attempt for every 4 passing. Colin had one rushing attempt for every 2 passes. He spent a good portion of his time running either by plan or not. Tells me that Colin has been coached to equate running as important as passing. He was coached to believe in his legs as being equal to his arm. Guess what, that carried over to his professional career as well. What a shocker.

                Mahomes has spent his college career relying on his arm to succeed. When considering two QB’s which of the two descriptions would you rate higher?

              24. All that passing never prepared a Texas-Tech QB for the pros.

                If 23-year-old Kaepernick were in this draft, he’d be the top QB taken. No question.

              25. Also, and almost more importantly as to the prospect status. Kaepernick didn’t have the pedigree or upbringing that Mahomes has. When talking about maturity and poise under pressure there’s no comparison in my mind between those two prospects.

              26. Grant Cohn January 19, 2017 at 12:35 pm
                All that passing never prepared a Texas-Tech QB for the pros.
                —————-
                That’s not true at all, of course it did the difference is that they didn’t possess the extra intangibles that Mahomes does. He’s a unique prospect.

              27. History is replete with events that hadn’t happened until they did, that line of reasoning makes no sense to me.

            2. If 23-year-old Kaepernick were in this draft, he’d be the top QB taken. No question.
              ————
              No way. Watson and Trubisky would still go before him.

              1. I would have rated Mahomes over Kaepernick for sure if they were in the same draft. Put CK into this draft and I’d rank them:

                Mahomes
                Trubisky
                Watson
                Kizer
                Kaepernick

                In reality they’d probably get drafted like this
                Trubisky
                Watson
                Kizer
                Kaepernick
                Mahomes

              2. At the very best he’s #3. Trubisky looks like a more polished pocket QB in his one year as a starter then Colin did his entire 4 years and Watson’s College career completely outshines Kaepernicks.

              3. Trubisky is a one-year wonder version of Dalton, who was barely taken ahead of Kaepernick after a full college career. No way Trubisky would be taken ahead of Kaepernick. And Watson won’t be taken ahead of Trubisky.

              4. What is it with the four-year starter mantra, Grant? Is it just because Bill Parcells says that is one of the most important things. I might agree, if you expect the “senior” QB to be your starting QB. But if he is going to sit behind a veteran, then I say get him out of the college system, most of which don’t help a QB succeed in the NFL (and with many seeming to be detrimental), and get him into the NFL system. Of course this is all with the understanding that the QB wants to declare as a junior.

        3. I am a bit late to the party, but I am not as enamoured with Mahomes as many others are. If given a clean pocket he can make some nice throws with that big arm he’s got, but his accuracy is inconsistent. Many of his big plays come from busted coverages where his guys are wide open. And he doesn’t manipulate the pocket well – rather than sliding around the pocket to buy time he prefers to drop his eyes and scramble around. He’s good at it and can lead to some big plays, but he drops his eyes too quickly for my liking.

          1. I don’t know how you achieve 64.6% completion of 1164 attempts being inconsistently accurate. His receivers aren’t having to make tough or acrobatic catches. Not being accurate consistently would show up in his completion percentage with that many attempts or in his interception rate which it doesn’t.

            “And he doesn’t manipulate the pocket well – rather than sliding around the pocket to buy time he prefers to drop his eyes and scramble around. ”

            Sometimes I think you’re just watching a different player. He makes small adjustments in the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield. He doesn’t hear ghosts and try to escape too soon.

            1. Here’s where I see Mahomes deficiencies:

              Poor deep ball ball placement. If you’re going to accuse him of being inaccurate then this is the department that I would agree that applies. He wasn’t asked to go deep all that often either which is probably a product of system as much as it was a coach trying to exploit the stronger qualities of his QB.

              Low release. In the NFL he’ll be batted down repeatedly until he can take better advantage of his height and fling the ball above those long NFL arms.

              Has shown a tendency to put too much faith in his arm strength and throw back across the field. That will have to stop in the NFL.

              Will have to learn to play from under center and call plays in the huddle. I don’t put this last to de-emphasize it’s importance. This will likely be the largest hurdle towards him being a successful NFL QB and one of the primary reasons I’ve had him as a third round QB from the start.

            2. He plays in an offense that effectively replaces the running game with short passes. The same an be said of a lot of spread offenses, but more so for Texas Tech, they barely run at all. So his completion % is inflated. And even so it is behind guys like Watson and Trubisky.

              We are definitely seeing different things. No question.

              1. He’s got a ton of risk with him. It’s why I want to take him in the third round. If a team reaches for him then good for them, they might have one heck of a player on their team or they might have wasted a second rounder.

                Trubisky is a strong second place candidate in my book. I just really wish he had returned for another year. Trubisky at #34 would be perfect in my book. Of course he’s gone by then but that’s where he should go. Watson at #66 would be pretty fantastic value on a good prospect. Gone by then too but that’s where he belongs. Mahomes at #66 is a safe bet, risk/cost is pretty close to equal. At #98 he’s good value, but gone by then for sure.

                I wont argue with anyone that it’s a dicey QB draft to be sure. Nobody feels safe. Nobody should be taken in the first that’s about the only thing I feel 100% about.

              2. Definitely a risky class. But I don’t mind Watson or Trubisky in mid to late first round, or Kaaya in the 2nd.

              3. I think I would take Chad Kelly before Mahomes, too. But I agree Mahomes is worth the risk in the mid rounds.

              4. “So his completion % is inflated. And even so it is behind guys like Watson and Trubisky.”
                ————-
                It’s a lot easier to have a higher percentage with less attempts. Trubisky completed 68% of 447 attempts and Mahomes completes 65.7% of 591 attempts this past season. Who’s to say but my guess is that if Trubisky had attempted another 144 passes his % would be lower. Even still we’re talking 2% difference between a player that attempted 144 more passes.

                Mahomes averaged 8.5 pet attempt, Trubisky 8.4. Looks like they were in the same short passing system or Trubisky wasn’t hitting that many deep passes either.

              5. CFC,

                I agree on the no true first round QB observation, but I would try and trade back up into the first if Trubisky or Kizer fell to the bottom of the round. It would be a bit of a reach, but one worth making to make sure they aren’t taken ahead of the second round pick.

                Mahomes to me is a lot better than he’s being given credit for but that’s what tends to happen to QB’s in that type of offense. You really can’t predict how they will transition to a pro system and have to rely on the physical traits and interview more than you’d probably like to. Goff overcame those negatives to get taken #1 last year and I would guess Mahomes will as well, although not to that degree. I’d be really surprised if he gets out of the 3rd when it’s all said and done.

              6. I don’t see why we should believe his completion % would be lower with more attempts. Both players have a statistically significant sample size.

                Mahomes hit quite a few long plays. But I asked the other day whether you think the Ds he played against helped. I really think they did, especially on his long plays. Lots of wide open players. Mahomes often only needed to get the ball in the right vicinity. Also lots of big plays after he had scrambled around awhile, buying time for guys to get open deep. Not sure how that will translate to the NFL where the guys chasing him will be better athletes.

              7. “He plays in an offense that effectively replaces the running game with short passes”

                That sounds like the West Coast Offense to me.

              8. Chad Kelly is an idiot with an inflated ego, but I don’t think he’ll party his way out of the NFL like Manziel. In terms of play style they are quite different.

              9. West Coast offense uses a lot of short timing routes, but still requires an effective ground game. Texas Tech use a lot of passes at or behind the LOS to replace the running game.

              10. If Kelly grows up he has some good traits that could translate to the next level. It’s a big If though.

                The West Coast offense comment was mostly tongue in cheek.

              11. CFC:

                You say in one of your posts that you’d equate Mahomes with Russel Wilson, yet in another you say Mahomes suffers from deep ball inaccuracy. As a result, I don’t think you can equate him with Wilson. I’ve seen every game that Wilson has played (know thine enemy). While Mahomes might have a similar scrambling ability, Wilson is a QB who makes the big play and for the last few years that is mostly scrambling and then throwing the ball deep downfield. Wilson has good downfield accuracy. The other trait that Wilson has is that he does not easily get hurt. The shots he takes would put most QBs out for weeks yet he bounces up and continues on. It’s possible that this past year may start a buildup of injuries, but his shorter strong frame has pretty much kept his ligaments protected (with the exception of this past season and even then he played through it).

              12. In terms of injury the fact that Wilson has lasted as long as he has is an aberration for a guy his size. I understand your reasoning but that just doesn’t hold suit when talking about the human body especially the hits that QB’s take Bigger bodies can take bigger hits. Mahomes has a full thick frame. He’s very athletic, there are no concerns about him taking NFL hits.

                As far as your comparison difference with the deep ball, you’ve got me on that point. It’s hard to come up with comparisons for Mahomes. Where I see them being similar is in their ability to extend plays while still looking for their receiver rather then abandoning the pass and simply scrambling for yards.

    4. Mitch Trubisky–Carson Wentz.

      Deshaun Watson — RG3

      DeShone Kizer — Akili Smith

      Brad Kaaya — Cade McNown

      Patrick Mahomes — Russell Wilson

      1. I don’t really think Kizer will be Akili Smith I just wanted to pull that name out.

      2. Didn’t Russell come from a pro-style system? He was much more pro-ready. I guess you’re just saying their style of play are similar?

        1. Stewart couldn’t even complete 60% of his passes averaging less then 300 attempts per season in College. The only year he did(62%) was because he only attempted 237 passes. Stewart in a lot of ways far exceeded what one should have expected from him coming out of school with the career he had with the Steelers. the guy threw 33 TDs to 19 INTS in 31 games in College, how did he even get signed by a team?

          1. Your credibility for picking QB’s is not great. However I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. If you think he’s good ok.
            I’m thinking the Niners will take Trubinsky #2 overall and he will sit behind a vet next year and learn.

            1. What are you talking about almost every QB I like ends up on an NFL team and stays there in some capacity. That’s pretty good.

      1. Good job cfc! Just heard the same on Knbr! Does this mean shanty likes gudacoost or people swimming away from the titanic?

    1. Kevin Jones ‏@Mr_KevinJones · 42m42 minutes ago

      Kevin Jones Retweeted Tom Pelissero

      Losing control of the 53 man roster to Kyle is going to be a problem for some candidates

      yup, this is how I see it

        1. I agree… I’m thinking and hoping it’s Gutey. I’m not sold on McDonough, from all accounts he did a terrible job in Jacksonville. Though he seems to have redeemed himself in AZ

          1. You have to be careful when analyzing these guys Leo. McDonough was a personnel guy in Jax but didn’t pick the players. The year after he left Jax had another horrible draft so sometimes it’s the guys making the decisions who are to blame. The thing I like most about McDonough is the people he’s worked with – Ozzie Newsome and Steve Keim to be exact – and the fact he’s been in the league a long time. He’s not some guy who spent a couple years here and there and was out of the league for awhile. He’s held important positions for 25 years and is well thought of.

          2. McD has the better resume from an experience point of view.

            “McDonough has experienced success from the time he entered the NFL as a scouting intern with San Francisco in 1989, when they won Super Bowl XXIV. As a personnel executive with the Barcelona Dragons of the World League, McDonough helped them to the World Bowl in 1991. A year later the Dragons won the European championship. His first professional entry to the NFL came with the Cleveland Browns in 1992 as an area scout. He moved with the franchise to Baltimore in 1996. Four years later the Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV.”

            “He’s spent the last two years working as general manager Steve Keim’s right-hand man in a position where he’s been responsible for discovering some of Arizona’s small-school draft picks which include wide receiver John Brown (Pittsburg State), running back David Johnson (Northern Iowa) and defensive tackle Rodney Gunter (Delaware Sate).”

            Gute spent one season scouting for the Chiefs before taking a job with the Packers where he’s remained.

          3. Interesting… how do you guys feel on Paton…I don’t know much except that he’s been in Minny for a while

            1. In terms of experience that is closest to the duties of GM Paton would probably be the top candidate. It’s important to know that he was once one of the top choices for Rams GM and decided to stay in Minny. Would he take the job if offered?

            2. If we’re going to pluck an NFC right hand man then take McD from our West rival. Hard to discern who’s really better suited for the job so if you need a way of picking then make yourself stronger while weakening your opponent.

        2. I’m for that as well. A GM should put the players on the team. A HC knows what he needs on gameday. Why are GM’s so caught up in being the head of 53

      1. Steele, I am overjoyed now that Baalke is gone, but just consider MS as another Baalke.

        I do like your preference for McDonough

  49. Razor, this is the year we finally get to draft Gunner…or sign him as an UFA which is far more likely.

    1. Didn’t forget about him, just focused on the others in this part of the thread. Any one of the remaining 3 would be a good hire imo.

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