Holy Crap: Browns nearly traded with 49ers for Jim Harbaugh

[Marvin49]

I'm about 90% certain Harbaugh is about to become the highest paid coach in the NFL...in SF.

Not without him getting a lot more power on personnel decisions.

I doubt its about that. If anything I think this is about $$$$.

Just a guess though.

 

[theENGLISHseahawk]

#CEOsNeverLie

#neitherdounnamedsources

Here he is look.

'The Defender' is back.

Cape billowing in the wind to defend the 49ers on Seahawks.net.

Tell me Marvin, do they have one of those lights they use to signal batman? Is it a 49ers logo, shining into the night sky. When you see it, you know it's the signal to rush into an internet cafe, log onto here and defend the honour of the 49ers franchise?

 

[Marvin49]

#CEOsNeverLie

#neitherdounnamedsources

Here he is look.

'The Defender' is back.

Cape billowing in the wind to defend the 49ers on Seahawks.net.

Tell me Marvin, do they have one of those lights they use to signal batman? Is it a 49ers logo, shining into the night sky. When you see it, you know it's the signal to rush into an internet cafe, log onto here and defend the honour of the 49ers franchise?

No, I have a handheld bullsh*t detector that goes crazy whenever you guys talk Niners.

Sorry....too easy....

For the record...I'm kinda riding this story out the same way you guys are. It could be 100% true...just doesn't make any sense to me.

 

[DavidSeven]

I think at least one thing is abundantly true and clear:

If the 49ers don't ink Harbaugh to an extension soon, then 2014 will be a lame-duck season for him, and he'll essentially enter next off-season as an unrestricted free agent. My guess is that Jerry Jones would be willing to make him the highest paid NFL coach.

 

[Marvin49]

I think at least one thing is abundantly true and clear:

If the 49ers don't ink Harbaugh to an extension soon, then 2014 will be a lame-duck season for him, and he'll essentially enter next off-season as an unrestricted free agent. My guess is that Jerry Jones would be willing to make him the highest paid NFL coach.

Now THAT I think is true.

Here's the deal though and another thing that makes me wonder.

The 49ers are moving into their new building this year and the intitial estimates are that the 49ers are about to start raking it in big...to the tune of about $100 Mil more than they made last year. Could be that Harbs is looking to get his hands on some of that new cash.

Oh...BTW...he has TWO years left on his deal, not one.

 

[MikeHoncho7]

My brothers still a member on the 9ers message board and he says there all
furious at florio. Basically calling it a flat out lie. Because of the implications of it if it were true.
Namely Kap.

 

[Chapow]

I don't doubt that there were conversations on some level...wouldn't you have to consider it if the Browns asked the Seahawks about Carroll for 3 1st round picks?

No, not even for a second and I don't think the Seahawks front office would either. This team is what it is now because of Pete Carroll and John Schneider.

I think the call would go something like this:

Browns: "Hi, were calling to offer you 3 1st round picks in exchange for your Head Coach Pete Ca...Hello? HellOOooo?"

I just doubt that this ever "almost happened".

Me too.

 

[Marvin49]

My brothers still a member on the 9ers message board and he says there all
furious at florio. Basically calling it a flat out lie. Because of the implications of it if it were true.
Namely Kap.

I don't think its a lie...I think its a dramatic overexageration of the truth.

 

[Marvin49]

I don't doubt that there were conversations on some level...wouldn't you have to consider it if the Browns asked the Seahawks about Carroll for 3 1st round picks?

No, not even for a second and I don't think the Seahawks front office would either. This team is what it is now because of Pete Carroll and John Schneider.

I think the call would go something like this:

Browns: "Hi, were calling to offer you 3 1st round picks in exchange for your Head Coach Pete Ca...Hello? HellOOooo?"

I just doubt that this ever "almost happened".

Me too.

Disagree on your first one. You HAVE to take the call. you may hang up the phone and laugh your a$$ off, but if someone is willing to give up the farm then you have to at least entertain the notion.

 

[Chapow]

I don't doubt that there were conversations on some level...wouldn't you have to consider it if the Browns asked the Seahawks about Carroll for 3 1st round picks?

No, not even for a second and I don't think the Seahawks front office would either. This team is what it is now because of Pete Carroll and John Schneider.

I think the call would go something like this:

Browns: "Hi, were calling to offer you 3 1st round picks in exchange for your Head Coach Pete Ca...Hello? HellOOooo?"

I just doubt that this ever "almost happened".

Me too.

Disagree on your first one. You HAVE to take the call. you may hang up the phone and laugh your a$$ off, but if someone is willing to give up the farm then you have to at least entertain the notion.

We'll just have to agree to disagree. I mean sure, I'm sure they would take the call, I just don't think that they would entertain the notion at all. 3 1st round draft picks would be no where near as important to this organization as Pete Carroll is.

I don't think you really understand this team, this is Pete Carrolls team.

 

[Happy]

If the Niners melt down next year, the gloating on this board will be intolerable.

For 49er fans. Because I will never let them forget that the Seahawks pretty much made Harbaugh rage-quit.

Beautiful.

 

[Smelly McUgly]

LOL, Jed York trashing Florio. I dislike almost everyone involved in this, so watching Rapoport, York, and Florio talk smack to one another directly over Twitter is great. This is why Twitter is awesome.

Anyway, I am guessing that Harbaugh wants more control over personnel. This is putting together some pieces, but Harbaugh doing things like pleading for Baalke to keep Phil Dawson in the media and the whole "Two men don't have to like one another to work well together" quote from Baalke, and just knowing that Harbaugh seems like a dude that wants more control over who they draft and sign...but why go to CLE unless they made him GM, too?

My guess is that Harbaugh showed a bit of interest, but only if he could be GM/Coach, and since the Browns wanted Ray Farmer in that position, Harbaugh told 'em to take a walk. That's a guess, just speculation, but it makes sense to me.

I don't think Harbaugh will ever go back to college unless he has to. I think he wants more control over personnel at the NFL level, though, and would leave SF if he got it. I think Harbaugh has one more year on his contract; if there is a team or two with both a GM and coach in trouble, at worst we'll hear them linked with Harbaugh as Harbaugh negotiates a new contract and tries to gain executive power, I bet.

 

[Marvin49]

I don't doubt that there were conversations on some level...wouldn't you have to consider it if the Browns asked the Seahawks about Carroll for 3 1st round picks?

No, not even for a second and I don't think the Seahawks front office would either. This team is what it is now because of Pete Carroll and John Schneider.

I think the call would go something like this:

Browns: "Hi, were calling to offer you 3 1st round picks in exchange for your Head Coach Pete Ca...Hello? HellOOooo?"

I just doubt that this ever "almost happened".

Me too.

Disagree on your first one. You HAVE to take the call. you may hang up the phone and laugh your a$$ off, but if someone is willing to give up the farm then you have to at least entertain the notion.

We'll just have to agree to disagree. I mean sure, I'm sure they would take the call, I just don't think that they would entertain the notion at all. 3 1st round draft picks would be no where near as important to this organization as Pete Carroll is.

I don't think you really understand this team, this is Pete Carrolls team.

I get what you are saying....and BTW I have no idea what the compensation would be...

...just saying you always have to do your due diligence.

 

[theENGLISHseahawk]

I think it's pretty obvious what happened here.

Jim Harbaugh baked everyone a delicious cake and the 49ers front office just ate the whole thing up. Scrummy scrum scrum scrum.

Florio didn't get any so made a story up to get them back.

#49erFanLogic

 

[Scottemojo]

Reports are that Harbaugh reached out Cleveland tho

That was ONE tweet from someone I've never heard of. I remember Harbaugh was supposedly in an airport in Miami three years ago as well.

Just looked the guy up...he's from Cleveland.

I'm sure he's the guy to be trusted.

Pretty sure since all of this stuff is rumors and crap, no one is to be trusted.

Kinda my point...but a guy in Cleveland trying to make the Cleveland people feel better by using this as an example of how Coaches actually DO want to coach in Cleveland and work for that disfunction makes me really doubt the validity of the source.

Isn't Matt Maiaco, or however you spell it, a bay area Niner guy? He is reporting it as fact as well.

 

[kearly]

Harbaugh's history of never staying in one place very long, his abrasive nature, his difficult relationship with his GM, the fact that the best team in the NFL is a threat in the division, the fact that there is some friction in contract negotiations... it makes a lot of sense to me that he'd want to leave. Jim Harbaugh reminds me a lot of Lou Pinella. No doubt brilliant at what he did and famous for his outbursts of emotion, but he never stayed anywhere too long and when the Mariners sensed a rising tide from the rest of their division, Pinella wanted out. Strained relations with his FO expedited his exit. Seeing a lot of the same things here.

As much as I enjoy having Seattle beat the 49ers and seeing Harbaugh's GIFable face twist and scowl, even an RG3 trade type draft haul would probably not counterbalance the loss of Harbaugh for SF. Every facet of that team works because of what he does as coach. In particular, I could see QB becoming a big problem for SF if Harbaugh leaves. If Harbaugh left, it would be the single best thing to happen to Seahawks fans since PC/JS were hired.

He didn't get traded, but here were some of the positives I took from this:

-If story is true, then the Browns nearly succeeded. That might embolden teams looking for coaches next offseason to make another run at Harbaugh. If story is true, then Harbaugh wants a fresh start. I actually can't say I blame him.

-Pretty much impossible to deny tension between Harbaugh and Baalke now. We've seen firsthand how that worked in Seattle with Ruskell and Holmgren. Seattle cut promising future stars like Michael Bennett and Jason Babin because of HC/FO disputes. Wouldn't be surprised if we see the same in SF. (Baalke is not the greatest GM anyway, but Harbaugh truly is a stud of a coach. Baalke really needs to know his place.)

-Could SF be dumb enough to let Harbaugh hit FA in a couple years? Why play hardball? Harbaugh truly is the best coach in the NFL, or at least in the discussion. He deserves to be paid like it, without hesitation. It's not like his salary counts against the cap. It's mind-numbingly stupid that he wasn't given the NFL's top contract instantly without blinking. Why insult your coach to save pennies on the dollar? This makes no sense at all, unless the powers that be are just plain incompetent, OR, they are concerned about Harbaugh reciprocating the long term commitment to the 49ers.

-My biggest fear about Harbaugh was his youth. I was afraid of him being in SF for 20+ years and dominating the division after Pete Carroll retires. That scenario where Harbaugh becomes the longest tenured HC in modern NFL history is starting to look a lot less likely.

 

[Blitzer88]

Either way, this is sure interesting.

 

[-The Glove-]

Reports are that Harbaugh reached out Cleveland tho

That was ONE tweet from someone I've never heard of. I remember Harbaugh was supposedly in an airport in Miami three years ago as well.

Just looked the guy up...he's from Cleveland.

I'm sure he's the guy to be trusted.

Pretty sure since all of this stuff is rumors and crap, no one is to be trusted.

Kinda my point...but a guy in Cleveland trying to make the Cleveland people feel better by using this as an example of how Coaches actually DO want to coach in Cleveland and work for that disfunction makes me really doubt the validity of the source.

Isn't Matt Maiaco, or however you spell it, a bay area Niner guy? He is reporting it as fact as well.

Also Tim Kawakami (so?) San Jose Mercury writer

 

[-The Glove-]

LOL, Jed York trashing Florio. I dislike almost everyone involved in this, so watching Rapoport, York, and Florio talk smack to one another directly over Twitter is great. This is why Twitter is awesome.

Anyway, I am guessing that Harbaugh wants more control over personnel. This is putting together some pieces, but Harbaugh doing things like pleading for Baalke to keep Phil Dawson in the media and the whole "Two men don't have to like one another to work well together" quote from Baalke, and just knowing that Harbaugh seems like a dude that wants more control over who they draft and sign...but why go to CLE unless they made him GM, too?

My guess is that Harbaugh showed a bit of interest, but only if he could be GM/Coach, and since the Browns wanted Ray Farmer in that position, Harbaugh told 'em to take a walk. That's a guess, just speculation, but it makes sense to me.

I don't think Harbaugh will ever go back to college unless he has to. I think he wants more control over personnel at the NFL level, though, and would leave SF if he got it. I think Harbaugh has one more year on his contract; if there is a team or two with both a GM and coach in trouble, at worst we'll hear them linked with Harbaugh as Harbaugh negotiates a new contract and tries to gain executive power, I bet.

Well apparently he has a very close relationship with Lombardi. He was still the GM when all of these talks supposedly took place.

 

[Hasselbeck]

I wonder why Harbs and Baalke don't get along.. I mean in Baalke's defense I don't know how any person could actually like Jim Harbaugh.. but still.