NFL Trade Machine: Could Jim Harbaugh Actually Be Dealt?
By Erik Lambert
Nov 27, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh reacts against the Seattle Seahawks in the Thanksgiving game at Levi
The irony of it all is the last time a head coach in the NFL was actually traded occurred across the bay when Oakland shipped Jon Gruden out. Suddenly the San Francisco 49ers are falling off the Jim Harbaugh bandwagon. His sometimes abrasive style has begun to wear his players out despite three-straight years of playing in an at least the NFC championship game.
Adding fuel to the fire is the latest defeat at home to the Seattle Seahawks, which has infuriated owner Jed York. The rumors have heated up that the team could remove Harbaugh, possibly through trade and replace him with Jim Tomsula, who is quite popular with the players. If that is the case then it begs the question would any team jump at that chance?
Harbaugh is under contract with the 49ers through 2015, so any team that makes a move would pay him $10 million over the next two years. The other part is compensation. When the Raiders sent Gruden to Tampa Bay, it cost the Buccaneers two 1st and two 2nd round picks along with $8 million. The move was a huge gamble but resulted in the team winning the Super Bowl that year in 2002. Another team may feel a similar opportunity is worth the risk.
Here are some possibilities.
Oakland Raiders
Though only rumors, there are strong undercurrents that suggest Harbaugh’s family has no desire to leave the Bay Area. That would make a move over the bridge to the Oakland Raiders make a ton sense. Tony Sparano is only an interim coach for that team and unlikely to become their official head man. They have a promising young quarterback in Derek Carr as some pieces falling in place on defense. What they need is some leadership at the top.
Chicago Bears
Support for second-year coach Marc Trestman has erroded almost complete among Chicago Bears fans. They feel he’s done nothing to make the team better and in fact only hastened their descent into irrelevance with his lack of motivational ability or respect from his players. The team has the talent on paper but they lack the discipline or the direction. Harbaugh, who was quarterback for the Bears as a player would be the ideal choice to turn things around.
Atlanta Falcons
Mike Smith is on borrowed time with Atlanta Falcons. All signs point to ownership growing impatient with his inability to get the team back to competitive levels they were two years ago. If they fails to reach the playoffs, in all likelihood Smith will be fired. Jim Harbaugh has no connections to the Falcons but he might enjoy getting a hold of that offense with Matt Ryan and Julio Jones and would just need to fix the defensive issues. After all, it’s not like the NFC South is a powerhouse.