NFL 2016: Playoffs: Divisional

garion333 wrote:

One more Packers guy left! It can still happen!

And it sounds like it just might be.

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

It would explain why the "removed from consideration" bit has begun with GM candidates now.

I am ready for Shanahan/Gutekunst. I just need to figure out how to pronounce the latter.

Ego Man wrote:
*Legion* wrote:
garion333 wrote:

The word that jumps out at me was "again". When exactly was the first time?

The day he was born and he regretted it ever since.

I think he believes he was a good person when Aggie Nation enabled his douchey persona. I don't think he has a clue.

It warms my heart that the next 49ers head coach will be the guy that said "f*ck you, I quit" instead of playing Manziel like ownership/front office was trying to force him into.

Going back to the Kirk Cousins discussion, it should be noted his ANY/A has increased the past three seasons to reflect the progression of his skills/comfort.

Sure, having Trent Williams on your OL will help with that, as does being the QB for the Cowboys, but I think the results bear out that Cousins is playing pretty well right now. Sort by ANY/A and you see Matt Ryan way out ahead and he was getting sacked left and right. Top 16 shakes our as:

Ryan, Brady, Prescott, Cousins, Brees, Rodgers, Carr, Mariota, Roethlisberger, Luck, Stafford, Wilson, Dalton, Bradford, Smith and Rivers.

Those are all franchise QBs and Bradford (the enigma). (We can talk about Dalton some other time, but the Bengals seem happy with him.) Cousins fits there, even if his ranking is probably propped up a tad by his WRs and stud, but oft injured, TE.

The names below are as expected:

Tannehill, Taylor, Siemian, Palmer, Winston, Manning, Kaepernick, Newton, Flacco, Bortles, Wentz, Keenum, Fitzpatrick, Osweiler, Goff.

Newton, fwiw, was #6 last year. He's such a unicorn though. Winston still turns the ball over too much. Palmer, obv, had a huge down year. Outside of the youngins and those having down years/end of career I don't think Cousins fits in this group.

Consider this. Counsins was the 5th least sacked QB in the league. Eli Manning was 4th, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Joe Flacco went 7-8. Hell, Osweiler was 10th. There's little to no correlation between that number and where they ranked in ANY/A.

Cousins going to the 49ers might be a terrible thing for him, as it would for any QB going from a good OL and good skill position players to ... significantly less than that. Maybe he's being propped up by those around him, but if that's true then I see no reason for Washington to let him go. His stats bear out that he can be very productive in their system. Fix that defense, stabilize your run game, and expect him to be top 10 or so, statistically, for you. Seems a no brainer for Washington. Assuming he has any interest in playing for them.

It's probably moot anyway, as I doubt Washington is actually going to let Cousins skip town. They still have the franchise tag available to them, and while the tag number will increase from last year's, I don't see it being nearly enough to dissuade Washington from using it.

For San Francisco, I think the most likely avenue for acquiring their next QB will be pick #2. And possibly a cheaper veteran* with starting experience as a temporary fill in.

Spoiler:

* just please, no more Gabs

Damn, Zachary Orr is retiring at the young age of 24. He was a liability in coverage this year, but a tackling machine otherwise and someone who worked his way up from UDFA to a starting position.

Turns out it's a neck issue causing him to retire. I guess not playing is better than being paralyzed.

The tag is almost 24 mil this upcoming year. If they have to do the tag in 2018 it would be 34mil. They need to decide now what they want to do - tag him, sign and trade him, sign and keep him or let him go.

The funny thing is that if the Skins had offered him around 90-100 mil with 45-50 guaranteed last year, they might have had him. Now, if they tag him again, he gets the equivalent of 44 mil for the last two years and he is almost guaranteed to walk and get a big long term contract next year - which is probably way more than he deserves- and Washington is left to rebuild.

Edit

Oh and having Trent on the offensive line is great until he gets another pot suspension. And outside of Sherif, the rest of the line needs improvement.

*Legion* wrote:
garion333 wrote:

One more Packers guy left! It can still happen!

And it sounds like it just might be.

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

It would explain why the "removed from consideration" bit has begun with GM candidates now.

I am ready for Shanahan/Gutekunst. I just need to figure out how to pronounce the latter.

Sorry.

Spoiler:

Not sorry.

Sounds like they both used the Niners as leverage.

Bad roster, terrible owner. Not exactly surprised the GM slot is proving hard to fill.

Phishposer wrote:

Sorry.

(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

F**k it, I'll GM. Prepare all of our draft picks for the Carr trade.

*Legion* wrote:
Phishposer wrote:

Sorry.

(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

I don't implicitly trust PFT, but this article is an interesting take on the GM situation in SF.

I could see not wanting to take the next step in a career when faced with a situation like that.

Phishposer wrote:
*Legion* wrote:
Phishposer wrote:

Sorry.

(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

I don't implicitly trust PFT, but this article is an interesting take on the GM situation in SF.

I could see not wanting to take the next step in a career when faced with a situation like that.

This is a good example of why the franchise desperately needs a (real) executive of football ops. The executive level is a mess, referenced perfectly by that link's comment on the "perception/reality" of Marathe doing things football ops related, which as Garion pointed out, is technically part of his title. (My perception has been that Marathe only does the bean counting, and any "football ops" he does is just Jed by proxy.)

Marathe should be retitled to Executive Vice President of Football Administration / Player Finance (and he can keep the "Chief Strategy Officer" bullsh*t title), and a legitimate VP of Football Operations should be installed (like, perhaps, Kyle Shanahan's dad) who acts as the firewall between ownership and actual football ops.

It's just so strange to see the 49ers having so many issues in the organization. While I was no way knowledgeable of how the inner workings operated back in the day, I seem to remember the team looking like a picture of operational efficiency during their heyday (Walsh, DeBartolo, etc)

It's amazing that a team can fall so far into the depths.

(And this coming from a Cowboys fan who has endured Jerruh for 20 years)

I think if your plan for future success sounds like it entirely relies on Jed York suddenly ceasing to be a meddling asshat, and that's not likely to be a short-term thing. One of the reasons I've assumed Washington has improved as a franchise is that the team was repeatedly embarrassed and humiliated for years as Snyder constantly butted in and forced terrible personnel moves, and he eventually was clubbed into submission over time. I'm going to guess the same kind of thing is going to have to happen to Jed York as well.

Abu5217 wrote:

It's just so strange to see the 49ers having so many issues in the organization. While I was no way knowledgeable of how the inner workings operated back in the day, I seem to remember the team looking like a picture of operational efficiency during their heyday (Walsh, DeBartolo, etc)

Back in those days, they had John McVay and Neal Dahlen as the football ops guys (McVay simultaneously holding the GM title).

*Legion* wrote:
Abu5217 wrote:

It's just so strange to see the 49ers having so many issues in the organization. While I was no way knowledgeable of how the inner workings operated back in the day, I seem to remember the team looking like a picture of operational efficiency during their heyday (Walsh, DeBartolo, etc)

Back in those days, they had John McVay and Neal Dahlen as the football ops guys (McVay simultaneously holding the GM title).

That just goes to show you how important the front office is in an NFL franchise, I suppose.

Abu5217 wrote:

That just goes to show you how important the front office is in an NFL franchise, I suppose.

I don't think it's an accident that the Cowboys have built back up to a contender with Stephen Jones moved into a position of responsibility, putting someone in the room that is able to say "no" to Jerruh.

*Legion* wrote:
Abu5217 wrote:

That just goes to show you how important the front office is in an NFL franchise, I suppose.

I don't think it's an accident that the Cowboys have built back up to a contender with Stephen Jones moved into a position of responsibility, putting someone in the room that is able to say "no" to Jerruh.

Raiders also.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

I think if your plan for future success sounds like it entirely relies on Jed York suddenly ceasing to be a meddling asshat, and that's not likely to be a short-term thing. One of the reasons I've assumed Washington has improved as a franchise is that the team was repeatedly embarrassed and humiliated for years as Snyder constantly butted in and forced terrible personnel moves, and he eventually was clubbed into submission over time. I'm going to guess the same kind of thing is going to have to happen to Jed York as well.

Jed got his feelings hurt by having all the criticism of the Harbaugh fallout turned to him. I don't think he saw that coming. And then after how bad his hand-picked successor went, it only amplified. He really kept his head down this past season, which may not have helped the team on the field, but he didn't add as much to its woes, outside of the broken power structure still existing.

Jed's not Snyder or Jerruh, he doesn't impose that kind of direct, naked influence on football ops. There's never been any suggestion that he's tried to strong-arm the team into drafting a particular player, starting a particular player, or any of that. He's not one of the fantasy football type owners.

Jed's issue is the handling of things upstairs. It's his involvement in things like coaching choice, trying to impose Tomsula on potential head coaches and then, failing that, picking Tomsula himself. I guarantee you he saw Tomsula as his Bill Walsh. He had less to do with the Chip Kelly hiring, but now that Baalke is gone too, he's on his own and he's bumbling in picking a head coach and making the HC the one to put a GM in place, rather than correcting their broken power structure, putting a football person in charge, and letting that person fill out the rest of the football staff. Even though he's honed in on a good coaching choice in Shanahan (please don't back out Shanny), he's doing it in a bad, ass-backwards way.

I really hope Shanahan gets the elder Shanahan installed at least in an advisor role, if football ops isn't on the table. There needs to be an adult in the room.

garion333 wrote:
*Legion* wrote:
Abu5217 wrote:

That just goes to show you how important the front office is in an NFL franchise, I suppose.

I don't think it's an accident that the Cowboys have built back up to a contender with Stephen Jones moved into a position of responsibility, putting someone in the room that is able to say "no" to Jerruh.

Raiders also.

Yup, Mark Davis installed Reggie McKenzie, yet another Packers personnel department guy from the Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson staffs.

Maybe if Jed had offered Wolf and/or Gutekunst the GM position straight up, instead of this, "hey call our choice for head coach, he'll eventually be the one to pick a GM" nonsense, the 49ers would have a Thompson disciple of their own.

*Legion* wrote:

I really hope Shanahan gets the elder Shanahan installed at least in an advisor role, if football ops isn't on the table. There needs to be an adult in the room.

I'd be curious if Shanny Jr. wants Sr. above him, even as an adviser, with Jr's first head coaching gig.

*Legion* wrote:
Abu5217 wrote:

That just goes to show you how important the front office is in an NFL franchise, I suppose.

I don't think it's an accident that the Cowboys have built back up to a contender with Stephen Jones moved into a position of responsibility, putting someone in the room that is able to say "no" to Jerruh.

That's a really good point, and one that I hadn't fully considered.

garion333 wrote:

Raiders also.

Yup, makes sense as well.

garion333 wrote:
*Legion* wrote:

I really hope Shanahan gets the elder Shanahan installed at least in an advisor role, if football ops isn't on the table. There needs to be an adult in the room.

I'd be curious if Shanny Jr. wants Sr. above him, even as an adviser, with Jr's first head coaching gig.

Fair question, but I don't imagine Mike would have made those public statements directed at LA without Kyle signing off on the idea.

Especially in an environment like SF's, I'd have to think he'd like having someone upstairs that is 100% his ally. (Even if he's already the one picking the GM, though who the hell knows which candidate will be left to pick)

Seeing all the front office problems in San Francisco makes me really grateful the Titans grabbed Jon Robinison last year. They could have easily picked the wrong guy (again) and been in the same boat as SF.

I remember Chris Ballard (Chiefs VP of player personnel) being a hot name last year for a GM position. If I were SF I would back the Brinks truck up to his front door. Eric Decosta in Baltimore is another one but he's too far glued to Ozzie Newsom's ass waiting on him to retire.

Ryan Grigson fired. Irsay must have sobered up for five minutes.

Gumbie wrote:

Eric Decosta in Baltimore is another one but he's too far glued to Ozzie Newsom's ass waiting on him to retire.

Yeah, same situation as in GB. When you work in a good organization you generally don't want to leave when they've promised you the head gig.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Ryan Grigson fired. Irsay must have sobered up for five minutes.

Finally. He was one of the worst. Hopefully Luck hasn't been banged on the head too much already.

The last thing I need is another team dipping into the GM candidate pool. Damn it Irsay.