Well, it’s a new day, a new year, and a new vacancy. Jimmy (bag-of-donuts) T got the heave-ho yesterday. The Jimmy T era started with a solid win over a good team, and ended with a ‘thrilling’ OT win over a division rival. That’s the good news. The bad? Well, they were 3-10 in those other pesky games.
But this isn’t about Jimmy the fall guy. This is about the recent announcement that Trent Baalke, the architect behind the talent drain and likely the biggest source of Jim Harbaugh’s disgruntlement, was just given the green light to lead the search for our head coach.
Ahhh, well. Welcome to my nightmare.
Jed York: Trent Baalke remains 49ers’ G.M., will hire next coach
I mean, yes, lets let the guy whose draft record is fair to awful pick the next head coach.
I don’t even want to get in to the problems we had last year when Jed York apparently put the kibosh on the Adam Gase hiring because of Jed’s insistence that Gase accepts Jimmy Donuts as his DC, and not Vic Fangio.
Granted, ol’ Adam is likely thanking his lucky charms he’s not here, but he didn’t fare very well in Chicago either. Losing to the Niners isn’t a crowning achievement. Neither is going 6-10 for a team that was gunning to improve their offense. One with Matt Forte and Alshon Jeffrey in the stable. 23rd in scoring? Ouch.
Man, I dont know. I hope beyond hope we can pry Sean Payton away from N’Orleans. Worst case scenario? Chip Kelly. Naturally, this will be what happens. If so, there will be riots in Santa Clara.
Even still, a tiny part of my brain wants to see what Chip and Kappy could come up with in a crazy-ass no-huddle pistol offense. Probably we go 3 and out faster than any team in history (20 punts per game), but hey, at least it would be more exciting than this last year of BORING mundane plodding offense that was torture to watch.
Forty Niners Forever 
A longer Baalke interview:
http://www.ninersnation.com/2016/1/4/10712356/trent-baalke-on-49ers-roster-coach-search-draft-free-agency
KGabbert gets us nowhere. Protection or no.
We need a QB much higher than the 6th round. Unkess you think we’re going after Kurt Cousins.
Gabbert is a place holder and Kap is under contract. A lot will depend on who the new coach is as to what happens with those 2. Either way they should draft a QB and should have done it before.
My biggest gripes about Baalke are he picks BPA ignoring need and he drafts too many injured guys for future need. He underestimated todays needs.
Free agency last year was a bust too with his big names Bush and Dockett adding nothing.
The list of needs above aren’t in draft order. I expect they take a QB in the first 4 rounds. I doubt in the first unless whoever is the draft darling at the time unexpectedly slips.
New England has Brady, an elite QB who makes the rest of his team better and Bellicheat, Those 2 are arguably the best in football. In addition they play in a perennially weak division.
Pittsburgh is similar to a lesser extent.
It proves the concept of the need for an elite QB teamed with excellent coaching and all things being equal a competent GM can place enough talent around the QB to do well on O without it being top tier talent although Pit also has arguably the best WR paired up with Ben.
In conclusion: Jed has got to make dramatic and positive moves to improve this football team. Promises without action are meaningless. Baalke is lucky he did not walk the plank with Tomsula. Very lucky indeed.
To get to the playoffs, either have an elite defense, or an elite QB. That is the rule in the NFL. When Harbs was around, the Niners had an elite defense. They won by holding down the opposition, and using ball control to score enough points to win. The Niner’s salad years were with elite QBs, when the league didn’t even favor throwing the ball as much as now. Draft a QB, and use the rest of the picks to build around the guy for the future. Get an offensive coach in here that can offset Baalke’s idiotic penchant for picking crap wideouts and injured dudes…
Lowell on Jed and Baalke:
http://cohn.blogs.pressdemocrat.com/19163/jed-yorks-presser/
Thats how I saw it too.
I hope that is really the way it pans out. Maybe Jed did lay down the law. We shall see.
Baalke in the crosshairs…………Clint squints and utters quietly “make my day.”
Clint doesn’t mess around, Baalke’s knees must be shaking
Winder how does it feel attaining that rare status of a “cross blogger” on Skeebs? That’s rare praise indeed!
I still like Skeebs blog so I guess it’s better than a lot of things I coulda been called
Speaking of Baalke:
http://www.sfchronicle.com/49ers/article/GM-Trent-Baalke-admits-he-played-role-in-49ers-6736779.php
Article is behind the paywall but it says the same as the longer Baalke interview I posted above. He says a 5-11 team is not all coaching, he blew the free agents last year and he blew the 2012 draft.
Seems pretty clear that if Baalke doesn’t deliver in the draft, free agency and coaching he won’t see the end of his own contract. He has been given enough rope now.
Here’s the article:
_________________________________________________________
The day after the 49ers parted with Jim Harbaugh, general manager Trent Baalke said the loss of the ultra-successful head coach didn’t mean the franchise would lose its way.
“This isn’t a rebuild situation,” Baalke said. “This is a reload situation.”
On Monday, 12 months, 11 losses and one fired head coach later, Baalke wasn’t talking about reloading, but reflecting. He acknowledged that he’d learned a lot in a challenging year.
“You get humbled by decisions you make that you think are going to work,” Baalke said. “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. Every decision you make is going to get scrutinized, and rightfully so.”
Baalke has made enough questionable decisions that there was speculation he could be fired with head coach Jim Tomsula, who was relieved of his duties Sunday night. In fact, CEO Jed York addressed Baalke’s job status — and implied Baalke needed to raise his performance — in his opening comments Monday morning.
“Trent Baalke will remain the general manager of the 49ers,” York said. “Trent understands that I’m not satisfied with the current state of this team.”
Baalke acknowledged his role in the 49ers’ season, noting, “When you’re 5-11, it’s not all coaching.” Baalke specifically mentioned his seven-man 2012 draft class (no players remain on the roster) and this past season’s no-impact free-agent class. There have been other missteps. Since 2011, Baalke has had 50 draft picks, including 17 in the first three rounds, and outside linebacker Aldon Smith is the only selection to make a Pro Bowl.
“There are things that we need to do better,” Baalke said. “Anytime you’re sitting answering these types of questions, it’s obvious you need to do better.”
Baalke’s first step: Hire a head coach.
As expected, the tight-lipped GM didn’t disclose many details regarding the search, but he did say the 49ers would be seeking someone with more experience after hiring Tomsula, who had not been an NFL coordinator. (“I think ‘experience’ is a good word,” Baalke said.)
In addition, Baalke said the 49ers did not have any in-house candidates for the opening after Tomsula and then-defensive coordinator Vic Fangio were interviewed last year. That is notable in that defensive coordinator Eric Mangini, the former head coach of the Jets and Browns, was viewed as a possible candidate.
It’s quite possible the 49ers are seeking an offensive-minded coach to repair an offense which scored 238 points, the fewest in the NFL since 2012. In fact, NFL Network reported Monday that the 49ers had requested permission to interview Cincinnati offensive coordinator Hue Jackson. The Dolphins also have requested an interview with the former Oakland head coach, who won’t be available until after the Bengals’ wild-card game against the Steelers on Saturday.
“We hired Jim Harbaugh, and we hired Jim Tomsula,” Baalke said. “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. … We’ve got to get this one right.”
My point is the tipping point has been reached.
I would agree, Baalke needs to deliver or else.
Per Jed’s presser, at least the scribes finally asked some tough questions.
Yeah they let him have it more than usual and he deserved it. What I liked about it was he took it. I can’t think of another owner that put themsef through something like that. By definition they are huge egomaniacs.
I think they have to get a “name” coach at this point and likely not from college, can’t afford another “risk”.
I concur. Stay away from college coaches. Very risky.
Should be interesting at least. Everything is gonna depend on who our HC is and more than likely who our HC wants as coaches
Yeah, Jed is definitely in a position of weakness based on the recent events.
As is Baalke. Trent and Harbbauh couldn’t get along to the detriment of everyone in the front office. Jim played his part in the mess, but but Jed and Trent are above him in the hierarchy, and should be the ones trying to fix things but neither took the time to figure shit out.
These last 2 seasons have basically been a waste of time. Neither draft was very good, and here we sit looking for a coach again.
I wholeheartedly agree that they need to get a name coach though.
I see we are interviewing Mike Shanahan. Bullshit on that.
Niners are setting up an interview with former Niner Anthony Lynn, Bufallo’s RB coach.
Hmmmmm. Not as earthshaking as Aean Payton to say the least.
Lets face it, we’re always going to be underwhelmed by Jed’s feeble moves. He’s a weak Ceo. Baalke has him by the nuts.
Remember that when the next mea culpa is expressed.
Nipper throwing down . . .
Ian Rapoport is reporting its between NO and SF for Payton.
http://www.ninersnation.com/2016/1/5/10717030/sean-payton-deciding-between-49ers-saints-per-ian-rapoport
Rooney Rule if they intend to sign Payton quickly?
With Trent in the building, we are not in any way shape or form better. Hire Sean Payton and I’ll feel a sense of hope. If we hrie Shanahan, either father or son, we are joke city.
Funny how Buwwitt and Bakkentom feel the same way about Jed’s mea culpa. Shocking.
Peyton or shanahan please
Things are going to turn around quickly guys.
We have the 7th pick and tons of cap room and a boatload of picks
York said he has been leaning heavily on his uncle Eddie DeBartolo, the Niners’ former owner who ran the team when it won five Super Bowl titles but had to give the franchise
York says the call included many expletives from Debartolo
Snarkk, let’s not forget the defenses the team had during those salad years. The did not just do it with elite QB’s. During their best years they had powerful defenses as well, and for proof of that you can ask any of their SB opponents. They were always underrated on D and always better than they were given credit for, usually top 5 or better statistically.
The 49ers always had world-class pass rushers, O lineman, D lineman, linebackers and secondary personnel. Some of the best to play those positions during that era. The idea that they were strictly an offensive “finesse” (I always hated that term) team is BS. The truth was their best teams were physical and aggressive, on D and on O and ST.
Football teams are built from the inside out. Without strong line play on both sides of the ball, no team will ever get to the promised land. That is where Baalke needs to focus, clearly more on the offensive side than the defensive side. While still young, there is some talent on the D-line. More depth there and pure pass rushers are needed as much as anything, IMO. Probably more depth at ILB and in the secondary as well.
Assuming AD comes back at right tackle, Baalke needs to get some young, top-flight talent on the OL, be it through the draft or free agency.
I think the above comments are correct, this is it for Baalke and I also agree that Jed has made that clear to him. All the moves he makes this offseason, from head coach through the draft and free agency had better contribute to getting this franchise back where it belongs.
Forget Kelly, Shanahan (he’s too damn old) or any position coach. Been there, done that. Payton would be the golden goose for me, local boy returning home to raise the phoenix from the ashes. I’m very tepid on Hue Jackson, but I admit to not knowing all that much about him and from what I’ve been reading, he’s very well-regarded around the league. He’s also an offensive-minded guy.
I like to think that as bad as things have been around the franchise the past couple of years, even they would not seriously consider hiring Chip Kelly. I think he’s a one-trick pony myself and would hate to see him hired. You get Payton and let him bring in his own coaches (that’s directed at you, Baalke) and things are starting to look up almost immediately. He knows how to run a football team. He’s smart offensively and he knows how to delegate to his coaches. He’s a champion. What’s not to like? Just gotta pry him away from the Ain’ts.
12th, I have to give it to you, you may be the only guy I’ve come across in the past year to give York any kind of positive commentary. Kudos for that, because I think he deserves it for coming clean. Coming out like he did, albeit maybe a day late, and coming clean is exactly what needed to happen. I agree with a lot of what you said and it does give me hope for him developing into a better executive.
He can start by keeping his fingers out of the football side of the pie and letting the football guys handle it, like Paul Allen does. I live in Seattle and hardly ever hear about the guy and that ain’t no joke. He put his guys in place and he’s smart enough to let them do their thing. Seems to be working.
Baalke has his orders. Fuck this one up, Trent, and you’re going to get your pink slip.
I don’t think chip kelley is the answer either guys
I agree…..NO to Chip.