schreibee

December 21st, 2014 at 10:49 PM ^

Tampa traded for Chuckie, giving up numerous draft picks, and did not look very weakened when they kicked the Raidaz ASS in the very next SB.

Nor did it particularly help Oakland as they have never returned to the playoffs since that SB. Depends on the circumstances, I'd think.

Think of some teams that JUST missed the playoffs, solid personnel but missing an ingredient... could Harbaugh help them take the next step? Worth a risk?

Ironically, the 1st team I'd think of is the 49ers!!!

 

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charblue.

December 22nd, 2014 at 11:07 AM ^

player development, not draft choice ranking or selection, determines how good teams are from year to year. I think in Harbaugh's case, or perhaps any case involving a team disgruntled with its coach and unwilling to release him with compensation, would see if there might be a market for his services so they get some return on their investment in him.

In this case, Harbaugh is highly sought-after and would yield some compensation that a sitting coach on another team might not. I mean the Jets, for instnce, actually interviewed him for their last coaching job they gave to Rex Ryan who now seems on his way out. And the Raiders clearly would have an interest since Harbaugh was a onetime assistant on their staff. The Bears clearly might have an interest given Harbaugh's connection to their team as a former qb.

 

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Blue Mike

December 21st, 2014 at 10:47 PM ^

Not necessarily.  Most likely, SF asked around about return in a trade, and found out how weak the return would be, all things considered.  They then took into consideration the low draft pick, and the 3-4 weeks of dealing with this and not being able to move on with their own coaching search until he was traded, and decided it wasn't worth the headache.

I think it moves up our timeframe for having him be available, but doesn't necessarily mean that the 49ers expect him to go to Michigan.

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turd ferguson

December 21st, 2014 at 11:04 PM ^

I doubt that.  Holding the rights to Harbaugh isn't just valuable to the 49ers because there's trade value (and I'd imagine that value is still there).  It also gives them veto power over where he goes.  When you're firing one of the best coaches in football over personality conflicts, preserving that veto power is important, because you know there's a good chance that his next team succeeds and makes you look bad.

If this is true - and it'd be nice to have more than an unsourced tweet - then I think it strongly suggests that Harbaugh told the 49ers he's leaving the NFL.

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schreibee

December 21st, 2014 at 11:37 PM ^

The only way the 49ers have ANY leverage is if Harbaugh is set that he wants to remain in the NFL. The 49ers don't have to allow him to coach another team...they can force him to honor his contract, then when he causes some sort of problem or distraction, suspend him and promote the guy they supposedly want anyway, the D Line coach.

That is literally the only scenario where the team has any leverage though. If he wants to come to UM, he's gone and they get nothing or nearly nothing. If he wants to stay in the NFL and they want him gone without going thru that unlikely scenario I just proposed, he's gone for whatever it is they can scrounge from another team that realizes they have no leverage.

They were hoping for a bidding war between teams, but as the Raiders start to play better (including beating SF with ease); the Falcons play for a playoff spot next week; the Dolphins say they're keeping their coach (which stand lasts only until they are convinced Harbaugh wants to stay in the NFL, then they go after him); the Bears have no history of going after high-profile, high-price coaches, the players in the bidding war are dropping or at least balking at the package Michigan has already offered.

Now the 49ers look at the landscape and see a very different outcome than they were hoping for.

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Bodogblog

December 21st, 2014 at 11:22 PM ^

in this case, couldn't he just lie? Like Vulcans, Harbaughs never lie, but if he did, wouldn't he easily attain his release by doing so? "I'm going to college." "OK Jim, you're fired. We're going to move on." /waits "Oh snap I signed with one of the five NFL teams that were allowed to come after me once you fired me, SF." "no fair, you said. we hire you backsies." "lol." Now if SF had proof that JH was going pro...

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Ray

December 22nd, 2014 at 12:03 AM ^

You've cracked the code. A trade has dubious value since JH can veto anyway, and the Niners have a lot of incentive to get him out of the NFL and away from competitive franchises. Enter Hackett who takes him off the Niners hands and into a non-competitive situation. Then, like at the bottom of a pile after a fumble, is all the stuff we don't know about and may never really know. Bottom line, this opens the door to executing something before the end of the season.

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schreibee

December 21st, 2014 at 11:20 PM ^

Don't mean to question your police work there Norm, but... if the 49ers thought they could get ANYTHING for Harbaugh they'd gladly stall his departure/escape. There are scenarios that could cause them to terminate him but do not mean he's definitely coming to Michigan - these include his agent telling the SF brass that Jim won't agree to a trade to the teams they want to trade him to, or other such pissing contest outcomes.

I personally believe he's coming home to A2, have been one of the earliest proponents of this viewpoint, but I remain cautious and aware that there are circumstances totally beyond the control of the Administration and followers of Michigan football. Namely, Harbaugh just might decide that he wants to stay in the NFL all things considered. It is still possible, but... I believe the firing scenario is our most positive possible guide to what's likely to occur. That is, the 49ers not believing they can get anything for him.

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Indonacious

December 21st, 2014 at 10:37 PM ^

I think this is bad news. It gives harbaugh access to any nfl job without being depending on a trade. If I was his agent this is what I would want to give him maximal freedom and to collect the buyout as well. Can't believe how bad the 49ers want to get rid of him. One of my best friends is as die hard of a 49ers fan as there is and he doesn't really get the firing off harbaugh and questions who would be a better hire.

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Indonacious

December 21st, 2014 at 11:08 PM ^

I guess bad news was a little bit harsh. Ultimately what it's going to come down to (as has been the case the entire time) is whether harbaugh wants to coach at u of m or not. Him being fired lowers the odds of that slightly in my opinion because it lowers the threshold for nfl teams getting involved because he could be hired without them having to give up assets in a trade. It also allows him to go to team, if he chooses, that maybe the 49ers wouldn't have wanted to trade him too. Regardless, another week of the waiting game and we will all know!

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clarkiefromcanada

December 21st, 2014 at 11:14 PM ^

Niners could have held onto his rights to prevent him going to Oakland or Atlanta or a team in the NFC, for example. They could have given him a front office job, paid him his $5 mil and moved on. Why wouldn't they come to an agreement with Harbaugh about his termination? Last thing they want is for him to go somewhere in the NFL and be successful. Michigan is not threatening to them; it would make sense for them to agree to "part ways" with JH as long as JH coaches at the NCAA level. 

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GBOD79

December 21st, 2014 at 10:38 PM ^

This could also mean that a nfl team can fire it's GM and coach and make a lucrative offer to harbaugh without having to mortgage its future to get him. Seems like this could be bad news.



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LSAClassOf2000

December 21st, 2014 at 10:38 PM ^

If this is indeed the case, then insofar as we might be concerned for purposes of getting Jim to Ann Arbor (even though you do hate to see people unceremoniously canned as he might be, I admit to being a bit selfish here).....

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uminks

December 21st, 2014 at 10:39 PM ^

1.) No team was willing to give a high enough draft pick for a trade. And Harbaugh's agent will be free to talk to NFL GMs.

2.) A deal was struck and Harbaugh has told the 49ers he's going to Michigan and is not interested in any trades.

If number 2.) Harbaugh may get canned Monday or Tuesday and show up in Ann Arbor on Christmas Eve!

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michgoblue

December 21st, 2014 at 10:41 PM ^

If this is the case, why would the 49ers not do it now? Everyone knows that h is gone, so what is the reason for even having him finish the season?

Also, this could be a positive, but it could also be a negative as Harbaugh would be free to go to any nfl team without restriction.

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uminks

December 21st, 2014 at 10:49 PM ^

not to waste their time with trades, since he plans to coach at Michigan. Or may be it is a head fake to say he's going to Michigan, the 49ers fire him, then his agent seeks out other NFL teams for a big deal? If the latter is true I would be disappointed!

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Njia

December 21st, 2014 at 11:10 PM ^

I think it's safe to assume we'd all be disappointed, and most of all because it would appear that Michigan was being played for a sucker all along. Even if that wasn't the case - i.e., that Harbaugh had verbally said yes to Michigan but then a NFL white knight came in and spirited him away, or had only told Michigan he would consider it and give a final decision after the season - the optics would be awful all the way around.

Harbaugh would look like the ultimate sports Benedict Arnold, Jim Hackett would look like a rube, and we'd all feel like we'd been betrayed. I frankly don't see how Harbaugh's friendships - going back to his days playing at Michigan - wouldn't be impacted by (or even survive) an outcome like that. There would be few winners.

I don't know him personally so I can't say one way or other what he'll decide. But from everything written on the subject so far, his dad would seem to be the type of person who would counsel him accordingly. I can't imagine Jack Harbaugh would want to see his son trash relationships that have lasted decades and it would surprise me if the coach would, either.

In the end, I'm no more optimistic than I was at the end of the week. Which is possibly why Balas is back to "50/50".

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Njia

December 21st, 2014 at 11:15 PM ^

With nothing to lose in terms of draft picks, the wild card could be a NFL team that just missed the playoffs that fires its coach and puts a king's ranson on the table. Both sides might agree that a new coach provides the missing ingredient.

The only thing that would work in Michigan's favor - other than the memory of a dead head coach - is if Michigan worked out a deal to buy out Harbaugh's contract directly in exchange for his release from the Niners.

I'm guessing that the latter could only happen if the Niners didn't get much of a nibble from NFL teams that Harbaugh said he would consider. And what incentive would he have to sign with a tire fire like Oakland or NY Jets? He wants to win, not just be rich.

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