The San Francisco 49ers sure are dragging this out. They have interviewed several candidates for their vacant general manager job and that list now appears to be down to three men, two of which are Green Bay Packers executives Brian Gutekunst and Eliot Wolf.
Both men, along with Minnesota Vikings executive George Paton, will get second interviews.
#49ers will have GM candidates Eliot Wolf, Brian Gutekunst — both from #Packers — along with #Vikings exec George Paton for 2nd interviews
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 18, 2017
Interestingly, the man we thought would be the leading candidate — Wolf — appears not to be. Michael Silver is reporting that Gutekunst is leading the pack.
Regardless of who gets the GM job, it appears his coach will already be selected for him. Multiple reports have the 49ers signing Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan as soon as his team’s season is over (which will hopefully be this Sunday).
It appears the 49ers are going about this the opposite way that most teams do. They’re giving their coach a say in who the GM will be, rather than allowing the GM to choose the coach.
Regardless, it appears the Packers will be losing another member of their front office this offseason.
The 49ers….Everything going according to Jed Yorks plan. Doing things half assed and ass backwards. No wonder so many people are pulling their names out.
Are they really getting interviews because they are the best candidates or because there have been several candidates who pulled out of consideration for both vacancies in San Fran? Thus baby York feels compelled to keep up appearances and pretend like San Fran is still a desirable organization. If I was interested in a GM position but knew they were going to hire a coach first, I’d withdraw from consideration too. I can’t recall there being an organization that was successful hiring a HC before the GM, unless the GM is only a figurehead/title to make someone feel important.
Lol. San Fran is going to San Fran. This will go swimmingly
As I previously said any up and coming GM who takes this job shows poor judgment and is a good riddance for being the potential next Packer GM (that will need to be filled after this season). With that said this may be a opportunity that Gutekunst may not see again.
I have to think the Shanahan thing has to help the Packers. Any distractions that might disrupt the Falcons offensive preparation and focus has to be a plus for the Packers no matter how small.
Often the worse the takeover situation the more time a GM has to turn it around so it is not necessarily a bad job. It is certainly nice weather and view out there. Also, look at how long Baalke lasted despite all his shenanigans and outrageous failures. A GM will have a long lifespan there and will have an opportunity to make a difference. There is no where to go but same or up.
As a GM I would look at whether an owner has patience, stays out of transactions, spends to the cap (basically, thereabouts — as in, not a cheapskate). Shanahan is one of the best coaching candidates out there so I don’t see many candidates saying “Aw, Hell NO!” to that selection. Also, it provides even more job security. If the coach is successful the new GM supplied him with good players to make that success possible. If he fails as a coach… well, the GM did not choose him did he?
Really, new GMs take over messy situations much as do new coaches. That is why the position was open. HOWARD’S post above is amusing to me. He is setting it up beautifully for his obviously delicate psyche: He does not want to feel like they lost out on someone so, if an executive departs, the fact of departure means they were crap and the Packers are better off without him. He does not say Gutekunst or Wolf are crap. He waits to see if they will leave. If they leave = crap. If they stay = they are the very best. Very twisted self-delusion there all to keep himself from hyperventilating.
But it is more than delusion. It is also stupidity. Really look at it. Gutekunst and Wolf both interviewed for the position. Soooooo… they want it. It is proven. But HOWARD says anyone “…who takes this job shows poor judgment”. So wanting the job is not poor judgment, trying to get it is not poor judgment, interviewing for it multiple times is not poor judgment… no, only actually being offered the job and saying yes to much more money, fame, nicer weather, nicer terrain, being surrounded by more beautiful people, having more creative control and independence, trying to be as successful as possible and to be all you can be… ah, only then is it “poor judgment”.
I do find it interesting that the GM search is down to 2 Packer executives and 1 Vikings executive. Generally a battle between 2 Packers and 1 Viking is a pretty fair fight with a slight edge to the Viking, of course. {chuckles}
Will York want an executive from a team that struck gold with one player and is entirely dependent on that one stroke of good luck? An executive from a team that seems to have little acumen for free agency? An executive from a team full of criminals and cheaters? If the answers to those questions is “Yes” then York will hire Gutekunst or Wolf.
Or will York choose an executive from a team that uses all possible avenues to build the team? With a track record of success from all those avenues? If so, Paton will be the choice.