Trent Baalke: “The draft is a crap shoot. We all know that. It is.”

This is the transcript of Trent Baalke’s 2015 postmortem press conference, courtesy of the 49ers P.R. department.

 

What kind of role did you play in the decision to fire Jim Tomsula after one season?

“Well, it was a decision that [CEO] Jed [York] and I made together with the rest of ownership.”

 

And, I mean you were entrusted to hire Jim, correct?

“I was involved in both processes, yes.”

 

As you have the ultimate say in the roster, who has the ultimate say then in the hiring of the coach?

“Well, anytime you work for somebody, they obviously have the ultimate say. As we went through the process last year, Jed and I worked, along with his father, and made that decision. So, ultimately ownership has final say.”

 

Looking back, do you think that was the wrong decision?

“Obviously, anytime something ends after a season you could look to that. But, Jimmy did a lot of good things. He’s a heck-of-a football coach and an even better guy. There were a lot of things that took place that were positive. At the end of the day, we just didn’t feel that we made enough progress to get to the next step.”

 

Is the roster strong enough to put a coach in position to make progress with the team?

“I think when you look at the roster, we’ve got work to do. There’s no question about that. The good thing is we’ve got the ammunition to do that. We’re sitting in a very good situation relative to cap and cash for this offseason. We’ve got 12 draft picks or around that number. We don’t know officially yet, but it’s going to be a significant amount of picks. So, we have the ability to do some things this offseason that we haven’t been able to do going into this one.”

 

Jed said he has the confidence in you to turn this thing around, to hire the right coach, to make this right so to speak. What was that conversation like with him and going forward what are your thoughts?

“Obviously I appreciate the confidence that ownership has shown in me. But, I also understand the gravity of the situation and understand exactly what this fan base looks for and what this ownership looks for. It’s the San Francisco 49ers. It’s about championships. It’s about being in a position to compete for championships. You’re not going to win it every year. That’s unrealistic to think that. But, to put yourself in a position to is really the ultimate goal and that’s what we’re striving to do.”

 

When did you get your last contract extension?

“The last time, I’d have to go back and check, but the last time I signed a deal was probably 2012 or 2013 maybe.”

 

And it runs through when? How long are you under contract?

“Honestly, I don’t know. I think it’s two more seasons I believe. But, I’d have to check.”

 

Didn’t your contract matchup with Tomsula’s, that you’re both signed through 2018?

“Honestly, I do not know. It’s either at the conclusion of the 2017 season or possibly the 2018 season. It’s one of the two.”

 

So, your deal wasn’t redone in conjunction with Jim’s four year contract last year?

“No. What I don’t want to do, I’m not going to get into my contract details. But I believe, for transparency reasons, I want to say there was an option year that was exercised, but I honestly don’t know if that was ‘17 or ‘18.”

 

You just said what Jed said this morning, about that this team is all about championships and you need to get back to that level. It seems to a lot of people, a lot of observers, that you had a coach that got you to that level three years in a row. Maybe not won a Super Bowl, but that actually got to a Super Bowl, three championship games. You jettisoned him for a guy who had never done the job before. Now you’re back at square one looking for a coach that can get you to the championship level. Do you think the organization has lost some credibility on this quest?

“I don’t look at it like that, credibility. I think we’re in a situation right now where we’ve got, I look at the positives. I’m not someone that’s going to look back and say, ‘We should have done this or we should have done that.’ You look back and you say, ‘What could you have done better?’ But, right now the focus is on tomorrow and really the focus is on today. I just got done meeting with probably 85-percent of the guys. I’m going to finish that up as soon as I’m done here, getting a good feel for them and also letting them know what we need to do, what they need to do individually, just as I do. I need to look at what I’ve done and how can I learn from it.”

 

You interviewed nine candidates last year, took the better part of a month to make a hire. Can you use that experience from last year? Will this necessarily be as exhaustive as last year’s was?

“I don’t have an answer for how exhaustive. I mean, we’re going to go about this and do our due diligence, that’s for sure. To answer your question, I think experience in anything matters. I think you learn from everything you do. Sometimes, you’re going to make the right decision and sometimes you’re going to make the wrong decision. And I’ve done both. We hired [former 49ers and current University of Michigan head coach] Jim Harbaugh and we hired Jim Tomsula. Some would say one was a strong hit and the other one was a miss. That’s the game we’re in. You’re going to make mistakes and if you learn from them, that’s what you hope to do. Just like the draft. People point to 2012. That was a bad draft. I’ve got no one to blame but myself for that because I was making the decisions, had the final say on who we drafted. Last year’s free agency wasn’t good enough. But, we’ve also had some really good years in free agency and we’ve had some really good drafts. So, you learn from everything you do in this business and that’s all I hope to do is learn from it and get better.”

 

The Cleveland Browns have hired a search firm to help them get their new coach. Other teams have done that in the past. Why wouldn’t you guys do that given the last coaching search ended up with a guy who’s not here anymore? Have you thought about that and why wouldn’t you do that?

“I think we’ve discussed it. But like you say, we pointed to the last search but what about the one before that, right? You’re going to hit some and you’re going to miss. Coach Tomsula, once again, he did some awfully good things, some things that didn’t show up on the scoreboard. It’s unfortunate that we’re in this position, but at the same time, this is the San Francisco 49ers. It is a job that people respond to and respect. It is an organization that’s respected and we’ve got to get looking forward. We’ve got to get this one right.”

 

So, you think you have enough in-house to go out and do a thorough and exhaustive search?

“We’re going to rely on resources that we have. So, to say we’re not relying on any ‘search firm,’ that may be the case but we have resources and individuals that we rely heavily on in this business that have a lot of experience and that have worked with us for many years.”

 

Would one of those be former NFL head coach Bill Parcells?

“I’m not going to get into the specifics.”

 

Who is your sounding board though? It seems like everyone has an advisor or somebody that they bounce ideas off. Who do you go to for that?

“Well, I think it’s well documented that I search our coach Parcells on a lot of things and will continue to. I’ve got great respect for the man and everything he’s accomplished in his life. I don’t know what else I can say. He’s somebody that I have great respect for.”

 

In your search for this head coach, are you willing to give up some of your control over the roster or is that absolute? Is that something you would negotiate with a candidate?

“We’ve talked about this so many times and roster control and who hires the coaches and all that stuff. For this to work, both individuals have to be in sync, working together for the same goal and purpose. It doesn’t matter who has the ultimate final say because what matters is that you make the decision together and once the decision’s made, you move forward and you don’t look back. And that’s the type of relationship that you have to have. The control part I think is way overblown.”

 

Have you had any interviews yet?

“No.”

 

Have you scheduled them? Starting when?

“No.

 

Will you have any in-house candidates this year?

“No.”

 

Some names have, you’re probably not going to comment on specific names and I realize that, but some names have been floated from older guys that have been out of the league awhile like former NFL head coach Mike Shanahan and former NFL head coach Mike Holmgren. Will you rule that out? Are you looking for somebody who’s working today as a coach?

“We haven’t ruled out anybody, within reason obviously. Everything’s on the table and really there’s no competitive advantage for us, with all the openings that are out there, it’s an extremely competitive market. So, it doesn’t do us any good to lead into who we may be looking at, who we may be interviewing, who we’ve ruled out. Just not willing to go there right now.”

 

Do you want someone with experience though considering that this last coach didn’t have any head coaching experience?

“I think experience is a good word.”

 

What about offensive experience?

“Once again, I’d like to go there with you, but in this case the transparency would hurt us, not help us.”

 

With last year, it seemed like last year with the coaching vacancies, people were kind of slotted. You kind of knew where people were going. You had your eye on Tomsula all along and Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase wasn’t getting any big bites from other people. Do you have to move more quickly just because this is going to be competitive and there’s going to be multiple teams going after perhaps the same people?

“Yeah, I would go back to last year, I wouldn’t totally agree with your assessment that it was slotted. There were a lot of the individuals that we went through the process with that weren’t slotted, that we were open to hiring and could’ve hired. So, I think every year’s a little bit different. Are things going to move a little quicker this year? I think a lot of it depends on teams that are in playoffs, not in playoffs, when you can get access to him, when you can’t. There’s a lot of variables that go into it.”

 

You mentioned the 2012 draft. You had mentioned this year’s free agency.

“You keep going back to 2012.”

 

You brought it up first.

“Own it, right? The only way you can fix it is if you own it.”

 

There have been other draft picks in recent years that, to be kind, we don’t know about yet or it doesn’t look like they’re going to work out. Jed said recent events this year had humbled him. Do you feel the same way that it just hasn’t been good enough as far as your job performance?

“I’m not here to evaluate my job performance. That’s for you guys and gals to do. It’s not for me. I would say that you have to look at all of the, put all of the pieces together. I’m humbled every day in this business, not just by one experience. Every day you get humbled in this business. So, to say that one event humbles you, I don’t look at it like that. I think every day in this business humbles you on what you think you know versus what you really know. You learn on the job. I think, I forget if it was [former Indianapolis Colts executive] Bill Polian or someone who was talking about this job and there’s no training ground for it. Once you’re in it, that’s when you start really figuring out what all goes into it. You just don’t go to school for this. So, I think every day you figure out a little bit more. You make mistakes. The draft is a crapshoot. We all know that. It is. Now, it’s an educated crapshoot and you can do the best you can to minimize the misses. But, at the end of the day, when you look at the percentage of guys that make it and don’t make it around the league, across the board, it’s a crapshoot.”

 

Will this free agency though, in your experience, carry more weight given the youth on the current roster and the fact that so many veterans will become unrestricted free agents and you also lost so many last year? Will that be a bigger importance for this upcoming roster?

“We’re a young team. I believe we’re the eighth youngest and if you took [K] Phil [Dawson] out of the equation, we’d probably be the fourth or fifth youngest. So, it’s a young roster and when you have youth, you’re going to have growing pains. It’s just the nature of the business. They haven’t quite learned how to be a professional, what it takes. So, you look at the locker room and then you look at each room within the locker room. You look at the receiver room, what does that need? You look at the running backs, what does that need? You look at each room and you try to, in your mind, equate what’s going to help that room grow the quickest. And some rooms, you look and you say, ‘You know what? It’s going to be an influx of young guys.’ Other rooms you look at and you say, ‘You need a veteran presence there.’ So, that’s kind of how you start putting this thing back together.”

 

Jed mentioned that you’re going to be top-five in terms of salary cap space. Does that mean that you’re going to more aggressive than you have been in the past in previous seasons and do you have to be as far as reaching a salary cap floor, minimum?

“Well, the one thing that I’m convinced of is you can’t buy championships. You earn championships and there’s a process to it. You build through the draft. You supplement your roster with free agency. You take care of your own guys because that creates ownership on their part. So, to say we’re going to go out and because we have X number of dollars to spend, how are we going to spend that? Are you going to spend that on two players or are you going to spend that on 12 players? I don’t know. I don’t have that answer right now nor would I from a competitive standpoint share that. But, there’s different ways to use that money. We just have to make sure we use it correctly.”

 

Any disappointment that the win yesterday pushed your draft pick back a couple of slots?

“No. This is the National Football League. You play to win. So, there’s absolutely no thought of tanking it. And I’m proud of the players, real proud of the players. Proud of the coaches because they went out there and they played a team that was playing well, playing good football coming into this game and I think we put up 460-plus yards of offense and the defense did a nice job as well and the kicking game. The players went out there and they were pros. And when you go out there and you’re still playing hard, I think that says something about Jim Tomsula.”

 

What about your quarterback situation next year? You’ve got some choices to make it would seem. What do you expect that to look like?

“That’s still, that’s going to be evaluated. I think the most important thing we’ve got to do right now is get the head coach in place and then follow that by getting the coaching staff in place. And once we get those pieces together, then myself and the head coach and the rest of the staff can sit down, evaluate the roster, evaluate every player within it and then determine who we’re moving forward with. Because system, and I’ve said this many a times, system is so important to so many of the guy’s success in this league. You put a guy in the right system, they have success. You put them in the wrong system, they don’t. That’s why you see players leave a team that no one thought was very good and they go somewhere else and they become good.”

 

But, you’re the architect of this. So, do you go look for a coach with a system that fits your roster or do you go for a coach and then have him help pick the roster that will fit his system?

“That’s a good question. I mean, what came first the chicken or the egg? I do think the least amount of changes you need to make the more easy the transition. But, the most important thing is getting the right guy for the job and then we’ll work from there. We’re fortunate in the fact that our players have some versatility. We’re not a team that’s maybe locked in specifically. We’ve got some flexibility because of the versatility of some of our players.”

 

What’s your timeframe just given that the playoffs, when they begin, I know some of the coaches will be off limits I think during the playoffs? What is the timeframe for you? Are you up against it for candidates on playoff teams that you’re interested in?

“Well just for everyone, the team’s that are playing this week, obviously anybody that are on those staffs, they’re off limits. Anybody that has a bye this week you have access to or obviously if they’re not playing right now you have access to them. The teams that don’t have a bye, then you’ve got to go to the next week and then you get one opportunity and that team determines when you can visit with their staff members. So, if they say the only day you have available is Monday, then you’ve got to find a way to make it work. And if that individual has five or six or seven interviews, obviously that’s a long day.”

 

Just to follow-up on that, do you have a timeframe then or no? Obviously you want to get the right person in here.

“We have a plan in place. We know the directions we’re going. We’ve just got to make it fit within the schedules that are out there that these men are tied to.”

 

Do you have a gauge on former 49ers T Anthony Davis’ health? He’s expressed wanting to come back to football.

“All I can tell you about Anthony Davis in all honesty is he’s retired. And until the NFL sends me a notice that says he’s un-retired, he’s retired.”

 

What about Colin Kaepernick’s physical condition? The shoulder, the thumb, the knee. How does his physical condition impact his future with the team?

“Well, you’ve got to get it healed. You’ve got to get him through. And the most important thing is the health of the player and getting him ready for the offseason program. I’ve got extreme confidence in our medical staff. I think it’s as good as there is. They’ll continue to work with him. He’s got several things that he’s working through. We’ll get a better grasp of how the rehabs are going and the different things and get him ready for the offseason program. That’s the goal.”

 

He suffered that thumb injury in October. I’m just curious, why is the process starting now? He might need surgery later this week. Why didn’t it happen sooner?

“I can’t answer that. I think there’s a process that these players go through. That would be a better question answered by our medical staff.”

 

Are you confident with it by April 1 you’ll have enough medical information to make the choice, a pretty big money choice for you guys?

“I’m not worried about April 1 to be honest with you. I’m more worried about getting him healthy and getting him ready for the offseason program. So, whatever that date is that the medical staff steps up and says, ‘Look, he’s ready to go.’ That’s when he’ll go.”

 

Did you have your exit interview with Dawson today?

“Oh yeah.”

 

I mean, he’s expressed that he’d like to be back here. He also still believes he can kick off. So, what’s the status in that and in terms of how that conversation–?

“Well, I like his evaluation. We had a great conversation. Phil’s a pro. He knows the business. What I told him is, in all transparency here, I told him I would visit with him as the process unfolded. The first priority is getting the head coach in place and then we’ll sit down. I know exactly where he’s at. I know exactly what he wants to do. And he’s a pro’s pro. He’s been awfully good for this organization in a lot of ways, not just on the field.”

 

Obviously, Colin signed his extension and it’s a very lucrative one. He’s a guy that was benched this year. What’s your expectation for him going into the offseason? Where do you want to see him if he’s back here at the start of next year?

“Like we do with all the players, you’ve got a great opportunity in the offseason to get better, to work on your craft. Whether that’s in the weight room, in the film room, on the field, doesn’t matter. You’ve got a great opportunity. I want to see what guys are willing to go the extra mile. Put in more time. We’ve got a great opportunity ahead of us. We finished 5-11, which we all know is not good enough. Not here and not really anywhere, but it’s certainly not good enough here. So, what are you going to do? As I mentioned to all the guys today, I know what I’m going to do. I’m going to take a hard look at every decision that I’ve made and try to get better from it. Now, what are you going to do individually? There’s no finger pointing. There’s no excuse making. We are what our record said we are and it isn’t good enough. There isn’t a player, there isn’t a coach, there isn’t anybody in this organization that would say it is. We know that.”

 

We know that Colin does put in the work. He gets here early. He went to Arizona to try and improve his game and then midway through this season he was benched. So, your next head coach you want to have experience, but how important is that coach going to be in the development of the quarterback position?  Because, Colin is entering his sixth year, if you have QB Blaine Gabbert returning, if you draft a quarterback, that’s a very important position.

“Absolutely it’s an important positon. But, I don’t know that I have an answer for, the next head coach is going to have a lot of say in what we do at that position and a lot of say at what we do at all. Working together. Go back, I keep saying it, these decisions, I don’t sit in that room with a gavel and slam it down and say, ‘That’s what we’re doing.’ Every coach that’s been here has had a great opportunity to have input. Whether it’s the draft, whether it’s free agency, whether it’s impending trades, there’s no iron fist in this organization. At the end of the day, a decision has to be made and you have to make it, but you hope you come to the conclusion that it’s the right decision for everybody and that’s what you try to do.”

 

Jed in his opening comments, he felt compelled to say, “Hey, Trent Baalke is still our general manager.” And talking specifically about you, he said that you know he’s not satisfied with the state of the roster. (York from earlier in the day – “Trent understands that I’m not satisfied with the current state of this team.”) I inferred that to mean he’s not completely pleased. What conversations have you had with him and has he expressed any sort of disappointment as far as how this roster is currently constructed?

“Well, we’ve had a lot of conversations. I’m not going to get into all the particulars. When you’re 5-11, it’s not all coaching. You’d love to say it is, but it isn’t. I guess I shouldn’t say I would love it, but it’s a team effort. We got to this point for various reasons and we can once again point to this guy retired or that. There are no excuses. It is what it is. We know, and I personally know, what we need to do moving forward. There are things that we need to do better. Anytime you’re sitting answering these types of questions, it’s obvious you need to do better. The good thing is, once again, we’ve got the ammunition. In the past we haven’t had a lot to work with in terms of free agency because our roster was an older roster, a lot of guys on second contracts. And when you’re in that position it’s usually a good position to be in. If you have a team that has a lot of guys on their second contract and a lot of guys that were homegrown, now you’ve got a real chance. That tells you something. When you don’t have that, it means you’ve got a young roster and when you have a young roster you generally go through growing pains. And that’s where we’re at.”

 

I was just going to ask a follow-up to you. You said you learned on the job. What’d you learn in this past 12 months?

“I learned a lot. I learned a lot.”

 

Please expand.

“Once again, you get humbled. You get humbled by decisions you make that you think are going to work. You think you’re making them for the right reasons and some don’t work. Whether that’s a draft pick or whether that’s free agency, whether that’s a coaching hire, whether that’s somebody within, every decision you make is going to get scrutinized and rightfully so. The fans deserve it, the media ask for it and so every decision you make gets to that point. Got to make better decisions more consistently.”

 

LB NaVorro Bowman’s comeback year was a real bright spot. I would think you would agree. How do you assess how NaVorro came back? How do you feel about how he came back from such a devastating injury?

“I think anytime you come back from a significant injury it’s a testament to who you are and how you’re wired, what’s in your DNA. His injury was significant. It wasn’t just a normal, typical ACL. There was significant damage. So, for him to come back and to play the number of snaps he played week in and week out and to see him get better with each outing, that was a tip of the cap to him. What can you say? This is a man’s game and he’s a man.”

This article has 226 Comments

      1. Oh, I think some guy with deep pockets named Jed has fingerprints on this as well.

        1. Your dad better stop lying. He knew exactly what year his contract ran to, and his prevarications and obfuscations just make me realize when he lies.
          Its when his lips move.

    1. Why not just tell your dad to throw darts at the board? Have a first round board, second round board, third round board, etc. You can be sure it’s a crap shoot with your pops pulling the trigger.

      1. No, not darts. He uses an old spinner from the board game LIFE. I think it’s from 1967. He tried TWISTER but didn’t get good results.

    2. Cassie, right on! I am a big fan of your father’s and am always singing his praises. Sadly, you will meet a lot of haters on this site who know very little about the game. They go well beyond simple opinions; they actually think they know what went on behind the scenes. And, they don’t. As for Trent’s performance, with the exception of 2012 year he’s drafted pretty well and much deserved being voted Executive of the Year. Usually, at the end of every draft (again, except for his 2012 experiments), all the more crtics have bowed to him. His only misses are when promising players take a step back in potential: e.g., Lemonaire, Carradine, Vance, Borland, and Armstead. In my opinion, your father’s 2014 draft picks in total were the best that year. And, for some of those men, the best is yet to come in what they will contribute. You should remain very proud of your dad.

      If I have any problem with Trent Baalke, it is only his penchant for drafting players from small schools and weak leagues, such as the PAC 12. He likes discovering raw talent in the smallest places. Which is a fine motivation, but enough already. From Oregon, he drafted LaMichael James and Arik Armstead. Both had to start late in training camp, due to finishing their final semesters. LaMichael never achieved much for the Niners, just whined for playing time. Armstead seems more likely to become a substitute role player. He is soft, slow, and too weak to be dominant on the defensive line. Small schools are my only reservation against Baalke’s genius.

      1. Actually, according to Pro Football Focus, Armstead finished among the top for 3-4 DE in pass rush efficiency with 200+ pass rushes. 38 pressures in 250 snaps. A rookie with a lot of room to get even better. “Substitute role player”? – someone wasn’t seeing the same film.

  1. NFL.com’s Albert Breer calls Bengals OC Hue Jackson a “name to watch” if the 49ers strike out on Saints coach Sean Payton.

    Breer highlights the fact that Jackson and 49ers GM Trent Baalke overlapped in Washington in the early 2000s. A true offensive guru, Jackson would be inheriting some interesting pieces in San Francisco, but an uncertain quarterback situation. Jackson is more than deserving of a second chance as a head man, and seems primed to get it this year.

              1. The Niners have to consider 3 things in their next hire:
                1. Can this guy develop a QB

                2. Can this guy sell tickets to an angry fan base?

                3. Can this guy beat our arch rival the Seahawks?

              2. Sean Payton checks all those boxes and then some. Does he have the ability to push the right buttons and connect with players? Is the composition of that connection comprised from the grit and integrity of the man? Players can spot a phoney a mile away. Does he exude confidence? And finally, is he one of the smartest football minds in the NFL? Check, check, check and checkmate….

              3. Is he worth a 2nd round pick and 8 million? The 8 million a year is irrelevant I guess but a 2nd round pick that this team desperately needs seems risky? Especially if we don’t go QB 1st round.

              4. I can’t believe you’re even asking that question Prime. Hell yes he’s worth it!

              5. Someone earlier suggested the 49ers could test to see if swapping first rounders would work. Worth exploring I think. May need to add a couple of later round picks to flesh it out, but would still give them pretty high picks in each of the first three rounds.

              6. I like Payton a lot. Might be the best play caller in the NFL. I just don’t like the idea of a talent riddled team given up any picks, for anyone.
                I hate this idea of compensation where both sides want out. End the agreement. Why does a future employer have to get the shaft? I know in hockey they have eliminated that rule.

              7. I think Baalke tipped his hand when he spoke of the playoff schedule. Sean Payton has no scheduling conflicts that need to be worked out. I would be shocked if he chose SF over NY. The roster in NY is there.
                The Eagles are reportedly interested in Hue Jackson as well. I think we’ll see just how much credibility the organization lost if Hue goes to Philly instead of coming here.

              8. Well, he was the HC at the time, and, if I remember right, Drew Brees had a horrible game and was largely responsible for many of Seattle’s scoring opportunities.

                Also, you mentioned that one of the boxes Payton checked was his ability to beat Seattle.

                I’m not saying he’s not a good coach, but…

              9. 36 points is more than enough to win a football game. The defense did not do there job. Sean Payton is smarter than Pete Carroll….

              10. Razor,

                Payton is the HC and, therefore, is responsible for both sides of the ball. I do agree, he’s smarter than Pete Carroll.

              11. I remember that Seahawks – Saints playoff game. The surprising thing was how well the Saints ran against the ‘Chickens. That year, no one ran well against them, yet the Saints were able to do it. Luck?

          1. I want Mora to stay at UCLA for a long, long time so Stanford can win that match-up every season for the next decade…

          2. “Leaning toward”?

            Typical journo. $h!t cans everything & everyone, but when asked to produce a key piece of the puzzle himself gives a tepid response.

            Onya Gwant!

      1. He took a talentless team to 8-8.. Made McFadden look like an all pro. Made Jason Campbell look like a rock solid QB. His downfall was acquiring Carson Palmer and giving up picks. He wouldn’t have that authority here. He would a great hire!

      2. Grant, if you remember well enough, the team started out great. But, then, Al Davis died and this has a very huge, grieving effect on Jue Jackson. In addition, Mark Davis took over control and hired G.M. McKenzy. The man Jackson had pushed for a trade “Carson Palmer” eventually was let go. That QB is now leading the Arizona Cardinals to a top seed in the playoffs and seems likely to gain MVP votes. So, a lot went on after Jackson’s father figure Al Davis passed away. As we now can see, Hue is back to being a brilliant offensive mind. He even made Andy Dalton look good.

  2. I had a dream Trent Baalke, Sean Payton and Bill Parcells met at Camp Payton and the 49ers made the Camp Payton accords, thereby giving him 6 years as the 49ers 20th Head Coach….

  3. Great point Grant I don’t want Jackson
    Sean Payton Adam Gase or or Mike Holmgren anyone of them would be great

  4. Michael Silver ✔ @MikeSilver
    To follow up on the @JeffDarlington report: The 49ers, like the Dolphins, have also put in a request with Bengals to interview Hue Jackson

    1. You’re doing it again Grimey. I looked at his tweets and got nothin’. It’s all in the timing, huh. :)

    2. Interesting, Fins and Niners going for the same coach as they did during Harbaughcalypse of 2011…

    3. Silver’s been a proponent of Jackson for years. He really wanted Cal to take him after he was gone from the Raiders.

  5. Michael suggested this morning that maybe we could swap first round picks with New Orleans. I thought it was an interesting suggestion that is worth at least some exploration. So that would be their 12th for our 7th. I haven’t looked at the nominal point values for those picks but wouldn’t be surprised if the difference is higher than the value of the 2nd round pick. But my question is: as a practical matter would it really make that much difference given that we won’t get Goff or Bosa. Is their really that much difference between 7th and 12th place for the 49ers in this year’s draft. If there isn’t, then maybe it’s a good trade because we won’t lose the 2nd.

    1. I think Michael suggested an excellent idea, well worth the 49ers exploring. As I said above, may need to add some later round picks to sweeten the deal, but the idea has a lot of merit in my book.

      1. I hope Baalke can get creative so we don’t lose a 2nd round pick and still maintain a 1st round pick. Hers to hoping maybe Cassie can tell her dad what us fans are thinking.

    2. Niners should move back to the 17th ATL, 18th INDY or 19th BILLS, Niners should trade their first, sixth and seventh for the other team’s first and second round pick.
      That way the Niners can have 3 picks in the first 2 rounds.

      1. I suggested this move week 3, but then it involved trading Kaepernick for more picks. I like it. If the draft is a “crap shoot” as Baalke thinks, why not have a few more rolls?

    1. Here you go, Old Coach:

      Adam Schefter ‏@AdamSchefter 23m23 minutes ago
      Colts announced Chuck Pagano has agreed to a contract extension.

  6. No to Jackson……that’s just recycling, and taking a chance on a guy that struck out in Oakland (whose players quit on him, by the way)….. Besides that, he is unproven as an HC…..Jed said that they want to, and have to get it right this time…..Jackson ain’t that part….I really don’t think that there is a proven head coach, that is available, who will be willing to work under the parameters the 49ers have set….I don’t see Holmgren, for instance, going along with Baalke’s picks of sub standard nobodies to rebuild this team with….face it, with Baalke as the GM, and pulling the strings on draft day, a quality, offensive ‘guru’ wont take the job….the 49ers and their fans may well indeed have to settle for the likes of Hue Jackson, or somebody that’s willing to surrender his pride at the front door, just to get the job…

  7. Ian RapoportVerified account ‏@RapSheet 1h1 hour ago
    From what I’m told, the meeting between Sean Payton and GM Mickey Loomis is over. Belief on why it took so long was compensation discussion

  8. When the Niners say they have to get it right, they know this might be the last chance to hold onto to what Baalke called ” a job people want and respect”
    The tradition of a storied franchise is fading. With that dollars out the door. This new hire has to be proven. He has to be able to develop a dynamic offense(QB) and sell tickets. Sean Payton right now might be the best choice.

    1. Let’s hope that the compensation meeting didn’t go well and that Baalke can convince the Saints to swap first round picks (with maybe some very late round picks thrown in)

    1. He satisfies the Rooney rule, and does have a good offensive mind, but not my favorite after the Palmer deal.

      1. Palmer has looked pretty good in Arizona, though, hasn’t he? Maybe it wasn’t quite as stupid of a move as it seems.

    2. Kind of odd that they’re requesting an interview since they can’t talk with him this week.

    1. Evidently the one who made that moxk didn’t see LT Thomas and Browns owner Haslam’s comments in regards to Manziel.

        1. Yeah, MidWest …

          Johnnie Football is history in Cleveland .. but..
          I’m wondering if what I’ve been hearing is true (or not)

          I’ve heard Jerry Jones is interested in him …

          If true … then ..
          Grant’s man-crush notwithstanding…
          …but, hasn’t The Jer-rah learned anything from
          the Romo experience ?

          1. I’d take Romo in a wheelchair over a healthy Manziel any day MWN. And I absolutely loathe Romo.

            1. good point, MidWest ! but still ..
              I’m beginning to wonder if Jerry isn’t
              a prime candidate for “The Protocols” ??

    2. Browns will grab Goff at 2, or the Cowboys at 4 because Lynch looked good against weak opponents, but struggled against quality.
      I would like Stanley, Buckner, Lawson or Ogbah.

        1. I’ll take that gamble. Loser has to have an avatar of Jed York from the 2016 draft up until the conclusion of Super Bowl 51.

            1. I dunno, Matt … looks like some
              very slim odds on your side ..

              You brave, my man !! .. ;-}

    3. I like it, but I don’t see it. I think the Browns will grab Goff. Even if they skipped Goff, the Chargers could trade way down and still get Treadwell. Any QB needy team (including the Niners) would happily trade up for a reasonable price.

      I’m a trade value chart guy. I avoid trade scenarios that are unrealistic relative to chart. But the charts go out the window near the very top of the draft. Some years it takes and arm and a leg to trade up (like 2012), other years top choices can he bad relatively cheaply.

  9. What about Chud? He acted as the interim OC for the Colts, I believe. Since the Colts are keeping Pagano, I wouldn’t be surprised if Baalke interviewed him. They wanted to interview him last year for OC.

  10. Holmgren WANTS the job. Hire him. Love Payton but why would he join the 49ers? Fallback: Jackson or Kelly. Team stinks but at least those are interesting offensives coaches. Tomsula NOT a big time coach (his going along with Geep tells you that) but … how the heck did this bunch win five games? Gotta give him credit for that.

  11. Interesting piece of information on NFL Total Access just now. It seems that Payton contacted the 49ers last year to let them know if something happened that he would be available.

        1. He also bring a system that would utilize Smith and Bell better.

  12. I hope Jed learned that going cheap on coaching leads to 5-11 seasons. Payton may be expensive, but if they win, he will be worth every penny.

  13. A talent starved team giving up the 36th overall pick for permission to sign Payton? Count me out!

      1. 1) Decreasing Leverage. The longer the Saints wait for teams to complete a bidding war for Payton, the less time (and choices) the Saints have to find his replacement.

        2) A QB guru needs a disciple. I think Goff is the perfect student for Payton. He even does that chin up/ lean back when throwing (accurately) under pressure that Breese does. The 49ers will need that 36th pick if they want to trade up to secure Goff, or maneuver for another QB.

        3) Its the 36th overall. Forget “2nd rounder.” Its pick 36.

        4) I’m not as wild as others about Payton. I think he knew about the bounties.

        1. 2) Explained – QB Guru + Goff is a big part of why Payton is an attractive option. Without Goff, Jackson or another coach might fit the 49ers better.

    1. You’re a trade chart guy right?

      Year Traded Name Win % (at time of trade) Draft Pick Value
      1970 Don Shula .724 780

      1997 Bill Parcells .606 1,444

      1999 Mike Holmgren .670 470

      2000 Bill Belichick .450 1,105

      2002 Jon Gruden .594 2,210

      2006 Herman Edwards.488 60

      He’s an absolute steal for the 36th overall pick. You tell me what 36th overall pick will help this franchise more than Sean Payton….

        1. I’m pretty sure its 36. SOS is reversed in even rounds with teams that have the same record. Subtract the seized pick from the Pats and you get pick 36.

          Am I off?.

            1. Pats got Malcom Brown with their first last season. Anyone know how he did this year? He was many favorites to go the 49ers at 15 (17)

              1. Brown did Ok with the Pats this year. He got a few starts and made a few plays. I think he’ll come on as his career progresses.

                Cool story about Brown. One of my friends is a local high school coach so I was on the sideline when Brown played a High School playoff game when he was at Brenham High School. Brown was the biggest kid on the field and seemingly the fastest. My buddies team was no slouch. They had 1 loss on the season and they were averaging something like 49 points per game. Brown absolutely dominated the game. It was impressive. He was in the backfield on nearly every play. I’d guess he probably had 6-8 sacks. My buddy told me he instructed his o-linemen to tackle Brown off the line of scrimmage. He didn’t care if they got called for penalties. He just didn’t want Brown laying out the QB on every play. After Brown sacked the QB and caused a fumble the line is coming off the field and my friend is screaming at them asking what happened and the RG speaks up and says, “Coach we’re trying to tackle him but we can’t get our hands on him.” That’s how quick and agile and the great handwork this kid had. One of the most impressive HS performances I’ve ever seen.

              2. Houston9er – Great story. Alot of people rated Brown a top 10 pick. The Pats might have gotten a steal.

                I thought the 49ers might take him over Armstead because of all the chatter about replacing Justin Smith, who played alot of 3-tech.

      1. The 4th rounder in the Herman Edwards trade (44 to 112 in the standard Jimmy Johnson chart) is generous for an HC that must have known about bounties on Crabtree’s ACL.

        1. And there it is. It’s not the 36th pick that’s the issue. It’s the bounty gate. Well I’m here for you B2W. Here is a quote from Troy Aikman:

          “Sean Payton did not cheat,” Aikman explained. “There was nothing that Sean Payton and the Saints did that was illegal. And they did not give themselves a competitive edge. I maintain, regardless of whatever was said in the locker room, and in that locker room, is not anything different than what’s been said in any other locker room around the league. There’s no proof on the field of what took place that guys were targeting players. You can always pull out a play here and there. They were one of the least penalized teams for unsportsmanlike conduct. So there was no evidence that anything translated to the field that they were trying to hurt players. And they did not give themselves a competitive advantage”.

          1. The DC specifically instructed his players to take out Crabtree’s ACL. Essentially ending his career.

            1. Just like every other DC in the National Football League. You don’t think there is an injury file on hand for every player of every opponent every week? This player has had a history of this, or this player is dealing with that and this player is concussion prone. C’mon man, Troy Aikman just told you every locker room operates this way. Football is not a PC game….

          2. In terms of straight coaching value, I prefer Jackson+36 over Payton… bountygate or not.

            1. I like Jackson but he’s not even in the same league as Payton. You can have Jackson and Scooby Wright….

              1. Agree with you that the 9ers should try to get Payton over Jackson but you’re crazy if you don’t think Payton’s teams are dirty. There are coaches that promote that type of play and Payton is one of them. Look around the NFL and you can easily see which teams play a bit dirty. Seattle’s o-line is probably the dirtiest in the NFL and that’s because they are coached to hustle downfield and block to the whistle so they routinely are picking guys off piles. That’s because that is how Tom Cable coaches. IMHO JR Sweezy is BY FAR the dirtiest player in the NFL. He not only tries to block to the whistle he routinely is trying to hurt players by going after their legs – ESPECIALLY when he can do it blind side. It is what it is. But Payton is one of those guys. Still think you go after him but don’t mistake it that a Payton vs Jeff Fisher game will always feature injuries.

  14. If we could get Payton by only giving up a 2nd draft pick I’d be fine with that.
    Payton could do more with a few picks then Tomsula could do with 10-12 picks.

    If Payton is sincerely interested in the 49ers, then Jed needs to fulfill his words that he will use all his resources and make it happen.

    1. Payton is an excellent coach guys but at the end of the day, this roster lacks significant game changers. No coach can change that but draft picks will.
      A 2nd seems steep. Swaping 1st round picks is insane. How about a 3rd. Great, done deal!

      1. Was counting on that 36th pick. With extra 4th,5th,6th rounders (and Kaepernick?) it could be traded back into the first round.

          1. Its January. I haven’t examined the draft that closely.

            I like Scooby Wright around 28-36.

            Paxton Lynch is at risk of falling into reasonable trade-up range because of his bad bowl game. BPA at 7 + Lynch would be a nice day one of the draft.

            Then there’s Wents, Elliott. Its really early. I’ll have a clearer idea in a month or two.

  15. I’m not able to find any updated information on Jaylon Smith’s injury.

      1. “No word has yet come from Notre Dame on the knee injury suffered by All American linebacker and former Bishop Luers star Jaylon Smith, but a report has surfaced indicating the injury is severe.”

        Shat. Well, if he recovers he’s going to be tremendous value for whomever takes him in the third.

        1. If he declares. I believe he should return to Notre Dame for one more season so that he can fully recover and hone his craft.

          1. yeah, but the big $$’s have a very loud call …

            (and then.. there’s always Cassie’s daddy !)

            1. That is true, but would a team be willing to spend a first or second round pick on a guy that could be out for potentially a full year if not more?

    1. Cool. Thanks for the link. That’s an interesting website. I agree with the main complaint… relative to revenues, NFL players are the least compensated of the big three sports.

      What good is it to fans to have salary caps without ticket/parking price caps, caps on migration to pay TV, caps on advertizing, caps on shaking down impoverished municipalities for stadium “improvements” (luxury boxes), etc.

    2. I think the draft and salary cap would cause more parity if it were not for increasing passing orientation of the league. A teams with one of the elite 6 or so quarterbacks can overcome much of the parity effects of the draft and salary cap.

      Increasing Parity – Draft, Salary Cap, Rookie Salary Cap
      Decreasing Parity – 40 years of rule changes favoring the passing game and protecting pocket quarterbacks.

      (Housing costs and higher state taxes might have an anti-parity affect when it comes to signing free agents and lower paid position coaches)

    3. In short, if the passing rules were the same as 1970, I think there would be more parity.

  16. General question to everyone: What do you think the Saints will get for Payton?

    I’m not asking for what he’s worth, but specifically what pick will the Saints wind up with?

    Mid first? High 2nd? A 4th rounder like the 2006 Edwards trade?

    Teams (even crummy ones) are not without leverage. They know the coach wants to leave. If the Saints dally too long waiting for the highest bidder, the pool of replacement candidates will quickly dry up. The clocks ticking for all parties.

    1. My guess would be a second plus the switching of the first round picks.

        1. I heard the price had dropped to a fourth earlier today. Could be just a rumor, but it was from a national reporter, but I can’t recall which one.

          1. I just googled payton trade for 4th round pick. A number of links were returned for 2nd round pick but nothing for 4th round pick.

      1. Assuming you are using the 49ers as an example:

        Pick 36 [540 Chart] + Difference between picks 7 and 12 [300 Chart] = 840 Chart.

        Rough equivalent to the 20th pick overall.

        You guys are probably right. Some team might give up that amount of trade value.

      2. Second plus swapping first round picks? I’ve only heard about a second and then the idea of swapping was floated here (that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t come up it with it on their own).

        If Payton wants out, I can’t believe they’ll keep him. Of course they’ll try to get what they can.

  17. How much say will the new coach have in the QB?

    Will Payton or Jackson want to draft a QB in the first round? If they do which one would each want?

  18. If I’m Trent Baalke and my job is on the line, who better to bet my security on than Sean Payton. For a second round pick? I could replace that pick with a free agent….

  19. It’s refreshing to hear Baalke unequivocally acknowledging the obvious — that the draft is a crap shoot.
    To have some success on the offensive side of the ball, Niners will need to draft mostly offensive players this year, BPA be damned.

    I don’t get this fascination with the Memphis QB Lynch. I watched him closely against a decent defense in the Bowl game. The kindest thing I could say about him is that he has a strong arm. He played mostly out of the shotgun and so it was difficult to evaluate his pocket presence. But he didn’t show much composure under pressure. His long passes were Ok, but his short and mid-range passes were not impressive. In the red zone, he was either inaccurate or threw unnecessarily hard. He reminded me a bit of Kap, only less athletic. To use a couple of handy cliches, I didn’t really see much “intangibles” or “NFL throws”. He’s a definitely a project with uncertain future in the NFL, IMO. At best a late second-round pick.

    In contrast, I watched Goff against Stanford and Utah. I was impressed by his pocket movement, awareness ability to throw a catchable ball, ability to throw under pressure in a collapsing pocket, and sideline accuracy. His mistakes are correctable with proper coaching. He’s definitely superior to the other QBs I have watched this season.

    If Niners can’t get him which probably will be the case, they should consider trading down. And Niners cannot afford yet another D lineman or DB at this time.

    1. I’m with you on Lynch vs Goff. That bowl game was a disaster for Lynch. The TV game announcer called him a possible 2nd rounder (wince)

      The more I studied Goff, the more I liked him. It wasn’t states and great games. It was he mastered skills so many rookie QBs often don’t. Quick release and pocket footwork.

  20. While it’s a pretty odd thing for an NFL GM to admit publicly, the draft is a crap shoot. I challenge anyone who doesn’t agree to look at redraft articles from drafts gone by (at least two years after the actual draft in question). Very few players actually picked in the first round remain in the first round in the mock redraft and almost none stay in the same slot they were actually picked. I believe a similar look at the rest of the rest of a given draft would yield similar, or even more extreme, results throughout the draft.

    Also, take a look at how few first round picks are pro bowlers in multiple years, a pro bowler one year, and a multi year starter. Look at the bust rate in the first round. Examine the same stats for later rounds. You’ll see a pattern. The draft is something of a crapshoot.

    1. Or in other words, what Mood said in the first paragraph of his post immediately above mine.

      It was refreshing to hear Baalke admit the crapshoot dimension of the draft, but it was strange, too. Maybe a sign that he feels the heat?

      1. He’s right, but expecting him to luck out may not be realistic. Maybe he is Jed’s master yes man and went along with firing Harbaugh and hiring Tomsula to keep his job.

      2. Ex,

        I think you may right about Baalke feeling the heat. To quote young Jed:”Trent understands that I’m not satisfied with the current state of this team. Trent’s role is to find the next head coach and continue to build this roster and get us back to championship form.”

        I think the following historical quotation may be in order here:
        “When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully,” from “The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.” (1791) by James Boswell; September 19, 1777.

        1. Mood,

          Agreed.

          Maybe Jed should hang a noose from the ceiling in one of the corners of Baalke’s office.

    2. Walsh had at least three drafts with a Hall of Fame player in each one. He also had some busts. It’s a crap shoot.

    3. I don’t think it’s odd,in my opinion, no matter if you ask an owner, GM, or head coach, they will tell you the draft is a crap shoot. Weather they are in the hot seat or not. Main reason, let 1 of them say they are great at drafting and evaluating talent, then let even 1 of their picks fail, then the questions fly about “I thought u were an expert” you aren’t supposed to fail at drafting. So its not odd at all

      1. I don’t know, Steel, I don’t remember hearing Schneider or Carroll ever say, “No, no, we just lucky in proportions never close to being seen before in the history of sports when we hit on Chancellor and Sherman in the fifth round of successive drafts,” when someone is heaping the mantle of genius talent evaluator on them.

        Nor do I remember hearing any other active GM say that the draft is a crapshoot. I have heard GM’s turned analysts admit it’s so, Bill Polian, for one. He said that if a GM converts 60% of his draft picks into usable players, which he defined as players who were at least core special teams players.

        I think the a GM pulling back the curtain like Baalke did is most likely due to his knowing that he’s next to be fired, if things don’t come right.

        1. Should’ve been: He (Polian) said that a GM should be considered successful if he converts over 60% of his draft picks into usable players over time, which he defined as players who were at least core special teams players.

    4. The draft was one of the first areas to be analyzed when quantitative analysis began to appear in the NFL media 10 years or so ago. Football Outsiders and others beat it to death. The conclusion was that it indeed was a crap shoot. However, there are some statistical conclusions (with significant margin of error because of small sample sizes). For example, drafting linemen in top half of first round has a significantly higher chance of success than a receiver (one of the lowest chance of success in the first round). The chance of finding a franchise QB past the first 2 rounds drops of precipitously, far faster than any other position. There are many other general rules of thumb that I have read. Some were conventional wisdom that was confirmed by analysis.

  21. I hope the hue Jackson news is just the Rooney rule. That guy stunk up the place in the second half of the season and then called his players out publicly. OC yes. Head coach? No thanks! Not the start I wanted to hear.

  22. MD,
    I believe that you have a good point regarding Jackson. I always thought that Al Davis did not show enough patience with HJ when he was the raiders headcoach.
    Jackson has certainly proven himself to be a very good OC but as you say there is a major difference in being a headcoach.

    I remember Norv Turner being one of the most prestigious OC’ in the business, but couldn’t do much as a headcoach.
    We just saw this with our own Jim Tomsula.

    Payton is a proven high profile HC with a resume to back it up. Sometimes relationships with your bosses after so many years start to get stagnant and I believe that this is the case with Payton and the Saints.
    A fresh start for Payton on a different team could get Payton’ juices flowing again and be a major boon for our team.
    Giving up a #2 pick is a small sacrifice (imo) for a coach like Payton and if available young Jed needs to pull the trigger on hiring him as quickly as possible.

    1. Loomis and Payton have been tight in past. If you take a close look at the Saints teams since the Super Bowl Loomis has struck out as a GM. Very poor drafts, bounty gate and Payton has continued to be a very good coach on a team with a great qb and very little else. I would trade more than a second rounder to get him. He is my dream coach.

    1. Can’t feel bad for a guy who made $14 million for one year’s work and is still owed more.

        1. I might be wrong that the $14M includes more owed. Probably read too hastily.

          1. Yeah, I think $14M the total. I was mistaken too, though, I thought JT got three years at $3.5M per ($10.5M total), but it was four years ($14M total).

              1. I didn’t believe that the Yorks would give JimmyT a guaranteed contract but it’s clear that I still don’t understand the Yorks. When John York was counting water bottles the franchise was worth around $800M, and now it’s supposed to be worth $2.7B_B_B_B. I guess JimmyT’s contract is a pocket change tax write off.

            1. That’s where I made my mistake. I read too fast and saw 14 with 10.5 still owed.

  23. We could go out and get a good offensive minded
    coach- who will fall flat on his face with the lack of
    good skill set players. Baalke not only can’t pick dynamic wr, tight ends and a good qb, he also never bought into an aggressive pass oriented offense. Maybe the niners could hire a scout or two
    from a proven team-like the Bengals or Steelers, they seem to find dynamic offensive players every year. Beyond that, I have zero faith in Baalke.

  24. Latest idea from the mind of the OldCoach:
    President in charge of football operations Tom Coughlin
    HC Hue Jackson

  25. I woke up this morning realizing that we are all setting ourselves up for disappointment. We’ve forgotten that this is York and Baalke we’re dealing with. The team will lead an exhaustive search sparing no expense only to ultimately promote Eric Mangini to be the next head coach.

    Might as well just stop expecting anything else to happen. Mangini will be the next head coach.

    1. I don’t trust them either, but Baalke has gone on record as saying there are no internal candidates. He would have to be politically obtuse, which he is not, to then make and internal hire. They will hire from outside the organization. How good a hire? We shall see.

      1. I’m not being truly serious about it Leo but at the same time what rule would they be breaking if after better candidates choose other spots they suddenly came out and said that the best candidate was in fact already on the team?

      1. That’s possible. However, what I hear from the company men (Matt Ryan and Ted Robinson) is that the BaaYork are looking for a big name with proven record of playoff success for HC this time around. Matt Maiocco, who has the best feel of the F.O. for an outsider, pretty much said the same thing.

        That leads me to think that if they can’t haul in Payton, then it’s Shanny next on the list.

        Rather than Shanahan, I’d have Chip Kelly followed by Hue Jackson if they can’t get Payton. I think Kelly is a better coach and an innovative offensive mind than Jackson, and will do very well at his next gig. Kelly just needs a little fine-tuning of his player-handling skills, and needs a strong-willed GM (much more alpha than Howie Roseman) who will limit his influence on personnel decisions.

        1. I think I’d rather have Holmgren before Shanahan and I’d definitely take Jackson before any of them.(Holmgren, Shanahan, Kelly)

          Kelly’s offense is so easy stop. Just take away the run game and his passing game disappears.

          1. I would prefer Kelly to either Shanahan or Holmgren, as well. And would prefer Holmgren to Shanahan.

            Shanahan seems to be embittered and hasn’t been successful in his last three or four (?) seasons and has been out of football for a while.

            Holmgren could be ok if he was able to land a really good defensive coordinator he could just turn the defense to, and a really dynamic OC to train/collaborate with.

            I fear Holmgren’s work muscle has atrophied due to age and his time away from the game and, especially because of his age, it would take him quite a while before he got back into coaching shape, if he could to it at all (NFL head coaching is a grind on younger men) . If he had strong coordinators to lean on, it might work.

            1. I would also perfer Hue Jackson to either Kelly, Holmgren or Shanahan.

              I didn’t like the Payton idea initially, but I’m starting to flip on him. I just don’t like paying a second, or more, for the priviledge.

              1. I agree on Payton. He’s not my first choice but I wouldn’t be too upset either as long as they don’t have to give up a draft pick for him as well.

            2. Sure you can say this about most coaches but Shanahan has only succeeded when he’s had a roster full of MVP’s. I haven’t seen him build up younger players into better ones.

              1. CFC,

                Agree on Shanahan. Yet, you still prefer him to Kelly? I’m not crazy about Kelly, but I can at least see the argument that maybe Kelly the GM screwed Kelly the HC, and that’s why the Eagles sucked this declined over time.

              2. No I didn’t intend to infer that. I don’t like Shanahan at all. I would perfer Kelly over him and Holmgren.

        2. Mood, do you really like Baalke keeping Chip Kelly in line as the new plan going forward?

          When did Harbaugh behavior ever come close to the strange Chip Kelly we’ve seen in Philadelphia?

  26. One of the ironies of life, tweeted by MM an hour ago:

    “Jim Harbaugh was #49ers coach for four seasons. He made $20 million. Jim Tomsula gets $14 million for his one year.”

    http://www.csnbayarea.com/49ers/york-money-not-issue-rebuild-49ers/

    Jed talks about learning from his mistakes. The problem is he makes so many of them, and it doesn’t stop. His latest is letting Baalke hire the next HC. He needs an up and coming guy from one of the elite franchises. Besides Baalke’s spotty drafting history, he showed another side to him when he got on the practice field to coach the DBs, essentially undermining Tomsula and the position coach. What GM does that? And who would want to work under a GM like that? IMO, it would be only someone with no other options. But Jed doesn’t seem to recognize that, showing that while he may look good on a podium, in reality from an organizational standpoint he is really dumb.

      1. Thanks, Yoda. (Where do you want me to send that $100 I promised you?) Having written the above, I have to wonder what would motivate Shanahan to express interest. My logic implies no one wants him, and maybe that’s true. But if he is truly interested and if Jackson and Payton say no, I would guess our next HC will be Shanahan.

        1. If so, I hope he’s been in very effective therapy since he left the Washington Aborigines.

  27. This has been awesome witnessing the ineptitude of Denise debartolos York’s son and baalke.. Allen>York, Schneider>Baalke, wilson>kap….. Seahawks>>>>>>>niners. Enjoy high first round draft pick faithful

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