Jim Harbaugh - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Barkley, Raiders, Wagner

December 24th, 2014 at 9:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s take a look at some assorted notes from around the league as we wrap up this Christmas Eve…

As Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com points out, the Cowboys owe the Ravens a sixth round pick to complete the Rolando McClain trade. Since the linebacker played more than 50 percent of his team’s defensive snaps, the Cowboys will send off their pick and receive a seventh-rounder in return.
Chip Kelly told reports that he believes quarterback Matt Barkley has a future with the Eagles, and Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that this would be a good weekend for the 24-year-old to prove his coach right.
Raiders quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo could be a “strong candidate” to become the next offensive coordinator for the University of Pittsburgh, according to Fox Sports (via ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson).
Cardinals coach Bruce Arians is among those questioning the 49ers for wanting to move on from Jim Harbaugh. “It’s very shocking to me,” Arians said (via Matt Maiocco CSNBayArea.com). “Jimmy’s done an unbelievable job. The fact that one bad season shouldn’t deter from what they’ve built there. And I think they have had pretty much everything you want culture-wise in place there. And the wins and losses speak for themselves.”
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner drew interest from the Rams during the 2012 draft, and the third-year pro revealed that he was expecting to call St. Louis home. “I remember everything was great,” Wagner said (via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner). “I talked to them before I knew they were very interested and I felt like if I wasn’t going to be in Seattle or whoever had the pick before that I was going to end there. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I could definitely tell through the conversations that we were having and just the vibe that they really wanted me to be there. I actually got a text right before I got drafted by the Seahawks from the (Rams) linebackers coach, but I’m happy where I’m at.”

49ers Links: Harbaugh, Gore, Crabtree, Smith

December 24th, 2014 at 5:21pm CST by Ben Levine

Jim Harbaugh isn’t the only member of the 49ers organization whose future is in doubt. The assistant coaches are uncertain about their jobs next season as they wait for an inevitable coaching change. As Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes, Harbaugh will certainly take some of his assistants with him wherever he lands, but some others will have to hope that the next 49ers coach retains them.

“The last game’s always a little different when you know it’s your last game,” said defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. “But you know, when we’re in meetings as coaches, whether it’d just be us as a defensive staff or with the players, it’s normal. It’s just all the stuff around that everybody notices it to some different degrees than others. It’s just part of the deal.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the 49ers…

Daniel Brown of MercuryNews.com explores the potential complications of a Harbaugh trade. The writer suggests that the head coach could decide to play hardball and force the team to fire him if he doesn’t agree to be traded. Furthermore, Brown cites the NFL’s Anti-Tampering Policy, which states that “an employee under contract to a member club… who voluntarily resigns or retires prior to the expiration of his contract, is not free to discuss or accept employment with another NFL club without the consent of the prior-employer club.”
We previously heard that Harbaugh’s family was pushing for the coach’s move to Michigan, but his brother, John Harbaugh, disputes that report. “My dad and I both . . . I will say this: The report that said that his family is encouraging him to go to Michigan by Adam Schefter is absolutely incorrect,” he said (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). “There has been no family that I know of that has given him any advice at all because that’s a personal decision. It’s his to make, and that’s just absolutely false. I don’t know where that came from, but it didn’t come from the Harbaughs.”
While the organization has apparently soured on Harbaugh, the coach’s lead running back has not. “He’s my best coach,” Frank Gore told Can Inman of MercuryNew.com (via Twitter). “I didn’t enjoy it here until we started winning. Since he’s been here, I’ve won.”
Gore also didn’t mince words when he was asked where he wants to play next season. “I want to be here,” the upcoming free agent said (via Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee). “I was raised here, man.”
Meanwhile, wideout Michael Crabtree is looking forward to free agency. “I’ve grown a lot, seen a lot and we’ve done a lot as a team,” Crabtree said (via Inman). “I feel I’ve contributed a lot to the team, and I can’t wait to see what’s the next chapter of my career, and to maximize my talent and my youth.”
49ers defensive end Justin Smith could retire this offseason, writes Maiocco. Of course, that doesn’t mean the organization doesn’t want him back. “We would welcome the opportunity to coach 94 one more season,” general manager Trent Baalke said. “And I think our fans would love to see 94 give it one more go. Whether he’s going to do that or not is really his decision. He’s earned that right to go out on his terms and I’m sure he’ll make the right decision for him and his family.”

Coaching Rumors: Raiders, Harbaugh, Jets

December 24th, 2014 at 9:44am CST by Luke Adams

Teams around the NFL will celebrate Christmas tomorrow, but a more noteworthy “holiday” looms for a number of coaches and club executives, with Black Monday right around the corner. Here’s the latest on a handful of coaches and coaching situations across the league:

Having recently spoken to Raiders owner Mark Davis, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News says the team has yet to conduct any interviews for potential head coaches yet, adding that the process will likely get underway next Monday and Tuesday (Twitter links).
Jim Harbaugh figures to draw interest from the Raiders, and Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report hears from several team officials that there’s still “great interest” in the 49ers’ head coach. However, Freeman cautions that interest has decreased slightly, as teams have done their homework on Harbaugh. While his coaching talent isn’t being questioned, clubs may be wary of Harbaugh’s “tendency to burn out people around him quickly,” writes Freeman. The Bleacher Report scribe adds that sources view Harbaugh’s odds of landing with an NFL team vs. coaching at the University of Michigan as a 50/50 proposition.
Clarifying a report from last night, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets that the Jets haven’t actually reached out to Ron Wolf about a consulting role yet, but Charley Casserly has. Mehta adds that there’s a “growing sense” that general manager John Idzik and head coach Rex Ryan will both be let go at season’s end.
Speaking of Ryan, the current Jets coach may be out of work a week from now, but he still believes he’ll eventually win a Super Bowl as a head coach, as Dan Martin of the New York Post details.

49ers Notes: Gore, Baalke, Harbaugh

December 23rd, 2014 at 6:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Longtime 49ers running back Frank Gore is on the verge of reaching free agency for the first time in his career, meaning this weekend’s game could be his last in San Francisco. However, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke isn’t necessarily expecting that to be the case, as he tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

“We sure hope not,” Baalke said. “He understands what he means to this organization. He would certainly like to be back, and we would certainly like to have him back. Now, whether we can make that a reality or not, time will tell.

“You have to look at the situation,” Baalke continued. “Frank is going to want to discuss his role, and what that role is going to be moving forward. What is the contract itself going to look like? We can both want each other’s company, but to make that happen, there are hurdles that are going to have to be crossed. He knows we are interested. We know he is interested. And we’re going to see if we can come together at some point.”

If Gore doesn’t return to the 49ers for the 2015 season, it seems likely that the club would turn to Carlos Hyde, on whom the Niners used a second-round pick earlier this year. Here’s more on the Niners:

Baalke confirmed that the University of Michigan reached out to him to convey their interest in head coach Jim Harbaugh, as Cam Inman of the Mercury News writes. “I think the University of Michigan, in reaching out, did handle it correctly,” Baalke said on his weekly segment on 95.7 The Game. “As I look at it, guys, it’s very simple: He’s the head football coach of the San Francisco 49ers.”
Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports says the 49ers will regret letting go of Harbaugh. The polarizing coach appears to be done in San Francisco, leaving him with a number of opportunities in the NFL and one notable opportunity at the NCAA level.
Some sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Bill Williamson of ESPN.com) that they believe Harbaugh will either coach at the University of Michigan or with the Raiders in 2015.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Coaching, GM Notes: 49ers, Sparano, Jets, Saints

December 22nd, 2014 at 3:04pm CST by Rob DiRe

Saints‘ defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has been disappointing this season, and with the team eliminated from playoff contention in a historically lackluster division, Ryan’s job could be in jeopardy, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN. The Saints’ players, however, expect their coach back next year, including defensive backs Kenny Vaccaro and Keenan Lewis.

“Rob will be here,” Vaccaro said. “Rob’s my guy. I love Rob. I’ll fight for Rob every game. I’m a Rob guy, so there’s no point even asking me about Rob. He’ll ride with me until the end.”

“I want him back. I’m gonna ride with him 100, no matter what the situation is. A great coordinator,” said Lewis. “You can’t just blame him when things go wrong.”

Here some other organizational notes as we approach the end of this NFL regular season:

The 49ers are already vetting potential head coaches, and could look to a division rival to find their man, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report. In the video clip associated with that Bleacher Report article, Cole puts the spotlight on Seahawks‘ defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as a top option to replace Jim Harbaugh. Cole also believes the team could target Patriots‘ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. The top in-house candidate is defensive line coach Jim Tomsula.
Tony Sparano has gone 3-8 as interim head coach of the Raiders, and while he isn’t expected to be the team’s first choice, he is a legitimate candidate to be the head coach in 2015, writes Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. Harbaugh is thought to be the team’s number one option, but if he decides to take a different job either in the NFL or with the University of Michigan, Williamson believes that Sparano will be among a group of coaches considered for the job.
Williamson also notes that among other coaching candidates to emerge for the Raiders will be Broncos‘ defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. Del Rio has previous head coaching experience with the Jaguars.
After hiring Charlie Casserly as a consultant, Jason La Canfora has made a connection between the potential general manager opening with the Jets and Texans‘ scouting director Mike Maccagnan (via Twitter). He believes Maccagnan has a strong relationship with Casserly. La Canfora also highlights Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles as a coaching candidate due to his relationship with Casserly from their time together in Washington (via Twitter).

Sunday Roundup: Houston, Rivers, Bears

December 21st, 2014 at 12:37pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some assorted links from around the league as Week 16 gets in gear:

Although we already learned that there will be no NFL teams relocating to Los Angeles in 2015, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that Raiders owner Mark Davis is expected to sign a one-year lease with O.Co Coliseum for the team to play there next season. As Tafur writes, Davis “did reiterate he is steadfast in his desire to keep the team in Oakland.”
Adam Teicher of ESPN.com believes Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston is destined for the franchise tag.
ESPN’s Chris Mortensen tweets that Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, who led his team to an improbable comeback win over the 49ers last night, is dealing with a bulging disk in his lower back that may require surgery after the season.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune makes a case for Bears right guard Kyle Long to stay at guard rather than shifting to tackle in the future.
Jay Glazer of Fox Sports writes that the Bears are yet another team that could show interest in 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that there were a number of cornerbacks promoted from the practice squad to the active roster last week, and that the Ravens tried to sign five of them before landing the Vikings‘ Chris Greenwood.
The Packers devote 13.5% of their salary cap to quarterback Aaron Rodgers, writes CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora. Of the six teams who devote more to the quarterback position, only one (the Steelers) currently have a winning record.

Coaching Notes: Trestman, Bowles, Shanahan

December 21st, 2014 at 11:09am CST by Rory Parks

We learned earlier today that Mike Smith was unlikely to return as coach of the Falcons in 2015, but there are plenty of head coaching candidates for whom the future appears much brighter, along with a number of others who are likely to be relieved of their duties or otherwise on the move. Let’s take a look:

As we passed along earlier, Bears head coach Marc Trestman is expected to be fired after the season.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is a top head coaching candidate for the Jets and Bears, and the Dolphins have not ruled out a reunion with Bowles.
Although the University of Michigan apparently has a legitimate chance to land 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh as its next head coach, the Wolverines also have the Ravens‘ John Harbaugh, the Saints‘ Sean Payton, the Bills‘ Doug Marrone, and the Cowboys‘ Jason Garrett on their radar, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Outside of Jim Harbaugh, however, the other named candidates are highly unlikely to appear in maize and blue next year.
In the same piece, La Canfora writes that Jim Harbaugh briefly accepted the Michigan job in 2011 before changing his mind shortly thereafter.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that UCLA’s Jim Mora and Auburn’s Gus Malzahn are two collegiate coaches whom NFL teams may consider for head coaching vacancies in 2015. Rapoport adds (Twitter links) that he would expect the 49ers to have interest in Mora and the Dolphins to have interest in Malzahn.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that Mike Shanahan has not ruled out a return to coaching in 2015, and Florio lists the Falcons and 49ers as possible destinations. However, Shanahan, who was responsible for drafting Jay Cutler, maintains his belief that Cutler is a franchise quarterback, and the Bears (assuming they hang on to Cutler) may want to pursue Shanahan.

Ian Rapoport On Jim Harbaugh’s Future

December 20th, 2014 at 2:38pm CST by Rob DiRe

Earlier today, our own Ben Levine put together a few notes on Jim Harbaugh’s future, whether it be in the NFL or going back to coach in college. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com takes an interesting look at the timeline involved with Harbaugh’s decision in a series of tweets.

Although the University of Michigan would like an answer sooner rather than later, Harbaugh will wait until his season is over before entertaining future options. He will meet with key members of the organization after he meets with the players once the season is over, which will likely be next Monday or Tuesday (via Twitter).

We already know from a number of reports that Harbaugh is conflicted about whether he should pursue another NFL job or go to Michigan. The reports are that his heart is in NFL, but Rapoport writes that he is surprised by how hard his alma mater is pursuing him (via Twitter).

Although the reports are out there on Michigan’s interest in their former quarterback, Rapoport also notes that Harbaugh has yet to speak directly with the university. He has not had any face-to-face meetings with Michigan officials, and all contact so far has come through intermediaries (via Twitter).

When he does meet with the 49ers’ officials on next Monday or Tuesday, as Rapoport predicts, he will likely tell the team what he has decided. At that time, he will let them know whether he has decided to leave for Michigan, or whether they should explore a trade with another NFL team (via Twitter). He believes Harbaugh already has a good idea of which NFL teams would be interested in acquiring his services (via Twitter).

Assuming Harbaugh leaves, Rapoport believes that the 49ers’ top in-house candidate would be defensive line coach Jim Tomsula (via Twitter). He also notes that head coaching candidates outside the organization would include top offensive assistants Adam Gase of the Broncos and Josh McDaniels of the Patriots.

Latest on Jim Harbaugh

December 20th, 2014 at 10:46am CST by Ben Levine

We learned yesterday that 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh was seriously considering Michigan’s job offer, with his family pushing him to take the college gig. However, reports suggest that Harbaugh wants to stay in the NFL, or at least explore the options that will open up following the season.

Of course, the Harbaugh rumblings have continued as everyone awaits the head coach’s decision. Let’s check out some of the notable whispers…

As Harbaugh debates whether he wants to accept the job at Michigan or stay in the NFL, the Wolverines are anxiously awaiting the decision. According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, the head coach is likely waiting to see which NFL opportunities open up. Meanwhile, Michigan would like to fill their head coaching vacancy before the top candidates sign elsewhere.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports opines that Harbaugh will stay in the NFL, and he points to the Raiders as the likeliest landing spot (via Twitter). The writer adds that Harbaugh is “10,000 percent” leaving the 49ers.
ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson writes that Harbaugh will surely be allowed to bring his own general manager if he signs with the Raiders. Williamson suggests Eagles Vice President of Player Personnel Tom Gamble and Patriots coaching assistant Michael Lombardi as a fit.
Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com believes the top candidate from outside the 49ers organization to replace Harbaugh would be Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. The writer notes that McDaniels turned down a chance to interview with San Francisco in 2011 (via Twitter).
ESPN’s Chris Mortensen also suggests McDaniels, and he mentions another candidate to replace Harbaugh: Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase (via Florio).

Breer’s Latest: Coaches, Bears, Whaley

December 19th, 2014 at 6:44pm CST by Luke Adams

As usual, Albert Breer of the NFL Network touches upon several notable topics in his weekly notes piece for NFL.com, leading off with a look at the Falcons and head coach Mike Smith. Unapologetic about the fact that his team could sneak into the playoffs with a 7-9 record, Smith was also adamant that he doesn’t feel as if he’s coaching for his job as the season winds down. Still, one has to imagine, given how available the NFC South crown has been for the taking this season, that if the Falcons lose one of their final two games and miss out on a playoff berth, the team will have to think long and hard about making changes.

Here’s more from Breer:

Suggesting that perhaps the adversarial relationship between Robert Griffin III and Jay Gruden in Washington has been overblown, Breer writes that the head coach simply wants the former second overall pick to earn his playing time, just like everyone else on the roster.
One veteran NFL executive predicted to Breer earlier this year that Bears head coach Marc Trestman would have trouble navigating off-field frustrations in Chicago, since he “doesn’t have the ability to control the locker room.” Considering all that’s happened since then – from the blowout losses to the Aaron Kromer incident to Jay Cutler‘s benching – it’ll be hard for the Bears to bring back Trestman next season, and general manager Phil Emery‘s job isn’t safe either, writes Breer.
A source told Breer earlier this week that the University of Michigan is “very much in the game” for Jim Harbaugh.
GM Doug Whaley may be on the hot seat if the Bills fail to make the playoffs after giving up their 2015 first-round pick to win now, but Whaley can point to his construction of an elite defensive unit if and when he makes a case to keep his job, says Breer.
Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly will likely consider making the leap to the NFL in January, or at least weigh the idea more seriously than he has in the last two years, according to Breer, who indicates that Kelly is frustrated with the school’s administration. The 49ers could be connected to Kelly since owner Jed York is a Notre Dame alum, but defensive line coach Jim Tomsula still appears to be the favorite to take over for Harbaugh.