Eddie D "Wholesale changes"

Originally posted by CorvaNinerFan:
I like Baalke as a personnel guy, but there's a lot more to the job than the draft. Nothing against Trent, but the Yorks have gotten by (so to speak) on the cheap...hiring inexperienced and/or over-the-hill (i.e. Erickson) coaches and no true GM's. I think there is something to what Eddie D's saying or he wouldn't say it. He's pretty close to Jed...they talk all the time. If he says Jed's learned a lot in the last two seasons and is prepared to make some bold decisions and not look back, then I take him at his word. The way to do that is hire an experienced, topflight GM. Then, let that new GM hire his coach...it's got to be somebody he can feel sympatico with, not someone Jed hires. It's time to pay the piper...and if Eddie D says Jed can and will do that, it's good enough for me.

I agree with you on the experienced GM. The Front office needs to have more "football people" in the front office. I don't necessarily agree that the Yorks have gotten by on the cheap though. Don't forget that Eddie D also said that the 49ers front office was alot leaner when he was there. So the Yorks are probably paying for more execs right now than Eddie did. We have seen already that they are starting to cut some execs and i'm sure it will continue this offseason. Hopefully with the cuts they are able to have a leaner more effeciant front office that has an experienced football guy as a GM.

The problem with your "experienced" GM Corva and E-49er, is that those who fit that criteria either have jobs, or they're retired/out of football. The best bet is to poach the #2 guy in the personnel department of the successful organizations (Ravens, Pats, Steelers, Giants, Colts, Packers, Falcons, Eagles), someone that has paid their dues and shares the vision of what the owner wants in the football team, and the next HC.

Part of the problem is that the Yorks don't know what they want, that's why they flip-flop so much.

Originally posted by NinerGM:
Jed needs a GM and not Baalke. Sorry but I disagree with Ceaddar - a GM is more than someone who makes great "draft day" decisions. McVay was an excellent GM not just because he helped Walsh in the draft, but he helped Walsh with EVERYTHING except game planning - contracts, using the Plan B free-agency, helping to craft the scouting department, identifying great prospects. McVay had relationships all over the league and could wheel and deal and leveraged those relationships.

Walsh was an anomaly because he not only had an eye for players, but he also had an eye for coaches. That's so rare, it's crazy (all of Belicheck's disciples have failed as HCs). Also you have to give credit to Policy and Clark for running a pretty good ship when Walsh/McVay retired the first time.

The 49ers need a GM, they don't need a coach (yet). They need someone to rudder the organization, not just a Scout-In-Chief (ala Scott McCloughan).

Good comments! McVay was special as a football person because he did not need recognition. He worked between Walsh and Eddie and managed to check his ego. So rare!

Walsh grew up in staff's that were full of talented coaches and he was able to attract both young and old talented coaches to his Stanford and 49er staffs.

The 9ers need a McVay type of overseer to help monitor all aspects of the off field activities and a great OC/HC to guide the offense. Tools are there they just need a coach who knows the nuts, bolts and who sees the big picture...not easy to find.

Originally posted by Wodwo:

Originally posted by Gavintech:
As for the coach part of the GM's duties, I highly doubt that there is even one NFL ownership group that lets their GM hire the head coach without any input. Even the most powerful GMs consult with the owners before hiring a coach.

As well they should... the ownership is the one paying the salary.

The General Manager needs to be a guide for ownership. They need to work together.

My hope is that we bring in someone with a ton of knowledge and experience who can work with Jed and teach him the ropes, then after the GM retires Jed will be a capable team president.

That make sense?

Unfortunately, this makes FAR too much sense. When was the last time the front office showed it was capable of making very good sense? Scary times coming up shortly. The 49ers next, and possibly next 5-6 years, hinge the Jethro s ability to step up and make tough but accurate decisions, then to act on them.

If mom backs the play totally, IF, he does what we are talking about, great strides can be taken, if not it's more of the same.

And I think I can guaranty, they will lose a huge chunk of the fan base, probably permanently. All that will be left will be noobs, event hangers-on, and corporate organizations that will buy large blocks of seats to use as gifts and perks for their business purposes. The same type of season tix holders that now own large blocks of seats between the 30's in Lower East and 16-18 lowers on the Niner side.

I'm here to tell you that kind of fan base is not a fan base, they suck to the max. Any new stadium will become a very bad representation of the Niner fan base,far more lethargic than the one that goes to games now.. Becasue what was once the hard core blue collar base has bailed after 9-11 years on sewage operations. (If things continue as they have been)

This off season, and the process should be starting now, or days ago, is going to be a breaker or maker of the what is left of the 49er legacy, or the final flushing of what's what's left of it..

God, I hope these idiots are on it now...

Originally posted by NinerGM:
Jed, Learn from Denver (and all you Harbaugh supporters)

The lesson learned in the Josh McDaniels fiasco in Denver is not to surrender too much personnel power to a coach -- particularly a young one.

Mike Shanahan lost his job as the Broncos' head coach because of his personnel decisions, but he put together one of his best core groups on offense before owner Pat Bowlen fired him. McDaniels was so headstrong that he got rid of Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler; McDaniels also ripped apart the offensive line and put together a 3-4 defense that has struggled.

Will the lesson change the temptation for an owner to hand over his franchise to one boss with a whistle? Maybe, but to land the bigger names with proven track records, owners will have to make those sacrifices. Bill Cowher won't return to the sidelines without being the major voice in the front office. Pete Carroll got all the power he wanted to go to the Seahawks. Shanahan wasn't going to Washington without control of the Redskins' personnel department.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=5898313


This is why the 49ers need a GM and the GM needs to hire a coach. We need a vet GM - someone who knows the NFL and understands what the 49ers need in football coach. I don't trust any of the retreads that are available unless its maybe Holmgren. But even he was a better coach than GM/Coach. The 49ers don't need one guy, they need an organization to establish stability.

That's where it begins, that's where it ends.

X-mas wish list

Holmgren-GM
Gruden-HC