Baalke - authority/courage to trade?

Originally posted by jimbagg:
Is anyone else concerned that the Niners front office is not competitively organized and staffed to make the proper trade-offs to acquire player talent, especially under time pressure and when more than knowledge of potential draftees is called for?

Is anyone else concerned that Trent Baalke may not have the authority or guts to both INITIATE and RESPOND to certain kinds of player acquisition transactions (player-for pick, pick-for-player) under the pressure of the clock?

Example: At what point in time, might it be the best value to negotiate a draft pick with Baltimore for OT Jared Gaither, rather than draft the 4th or 5th-rated OT on the draft board?

Baalke is in charge of the draft. Gamble is in charge of existing pro player personel. Doesn't it seem likely that there are/will be value opportunities which cross back and forth between these two domains? With no GM, aren't the fragmented Niners at a competitive disadvantage? Who does a GM from another team call, Baalke or Gamble, when making or responding to a player-for-pick or pick-for player trade offer?

Will Baalke have the guts to pull the trigger on value-producing trades? Will he have the authority and guts to initiate them or just respond to offers from others?

This club has acquired NO ONE since McCloughan was fired. Paymah was done under McCloughan's watch. Front office personalities aside, I am very concerned that this club, so close now to being a playoff-caliber team, is poised to stall, due to a myopic and disfunctional front office structure, that confuses other teams.

The April Fools joke involving Millen was very effective, because many people apparently see the need for this club to have a veteran front office HOFO. There needs to be a single focus point for player acquisition through all channels, not just a guy who can slot and rate potential draftees.

Wish it weren't so, but I smell Trouble and Lost Opportunity until the June stadium vote passes, when the Yorks might loosen the purse strings for a real front office.

well the ginn deal closes this discussion

finally read through this thread, and I see a lot of people with a lot of egg on their faces. Props to though who came back and took it, lol at those who didn't. Its what separates the reals fans from the haters.

I like how Baalke stated that they would get everybody they targeted. Sounds like a plan to move up or down depending on what's needed.

The ginn deal doesn't close the discussion, it just makes it that more exciting. Filling a huge need(many actually posted we would consider a return man early on---which we wouldn't), was great HOFOing, or GMing, or...how about team building. It was a bit akin to taking Norris as a blocker for frank, 3 yrs ago. Back then, he was essential for frank's running. Now, not so much, but it did improve our running game. Ginn will do the same thing, BUT...he was really high pick 3 drafts ago, and there is a lot more upside with him than with norris. Still, a pressing need was filled, and that is what was special about the move. Also it got done with lightning speed. That doesn't say baalke is a wizard yet, because the draft has yet to play out. It is a great start, and reminds us that "draft" really includes everything including pickups prior to draft.

I'm hyped up because it means our "picking team" isn't moribund, asleep at the switch, etc. They be alive. Now, can they do similarly at the draft...on the clock? If we got a starting OT prior to the draft, then i would have to say these guys ARE good. There's a lot of time between now and Thurs. How many great QBs are there in this league? Indy, Pats, saints, maybe ATL, AZ is about done, Pitts(if the pickup artist can keep it in his pants---prediction 6-8 games out), ravens(not great yet), romo(not great yet), and then what? That leaves 24 teams that may very well want our pick for a QB, but, who knows?