San Francisco 49ers: 2017 Should Be the Last for GM Trent Baalke
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers need to move on from general manager Trent Baalke, who is widely responsible for the seemingly never-ending struggles the team has had dating back to 2014.
San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke should be fired after 2016.
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Black and Teal
We can look back to when Baalke took over GM duties in 2011 and see the line which led to the Niners’ current struggles right now.
Yes, Baalke’s 49ers were good between that year and 2013. But a good chunk of those players Baalke inherited. The dominant contributors on the great San Francisco teams under former head coach Jim Harbaugh were accumulated in the latter portions of the 2000s.
Baalke’s efforts since then? Less than ideal.
True, this is a bit of a dead-horse argument. But the current state of the 49ers franchise makes it an all-too important one.
Remember CEO Jed York’s comments after 2015 about the 49ers? In case you didn’t…
“Trent Baalke will remain the General Manager of the 49ers,” York said in January. “Trent understands that I’m not satisfied with the state of this team. Trent’s role is to find the next head coach and continue to build this roster and get us back to championship form.”
The results?
Well, the Niners went 44-19-1 under Harbaugh. And Baalke won out that power struggle at the end of 2014. Since then, San Francisco owns a paltry 6-15 record. The team has employed two head coaches in as many years, and it’s becoming clear the issues are more roster-based than anything else.
One of the main constants: Baalke.
Trent Baalke’s Gaffes
One of the key jobs any general manager is responsible for is ensuring the never-ending turnover on any given team doesn’t put the franchise in a bind.
NFL teams are a revolving door of talent. It’s the nature of the league. Contracts end, players retire and so on.
Baalke couldn’t have predicted the dreadful 2015 offseason, in which the Niners lost talent like running back Frank Gore (free agency), linebacker Patrick Willis (retirement), defensive end Justin Smith (retirement) and wide receiver Michael Crabtree (free agency).
But he could have anticipated and prepared for it. That’s what good GMs do.
An overwhelming number of players Baalke drafted between 2012 and 2015 were not capable of stepping up to fill the void left by departurees.
Think about some of Baalke’s high-round players in the last few years. Linebacker Corey Lemonier (Round 3), defensive end/edge Tank Carradine (Round 2), offensive guard Brandon Thomas (Round 3), center Marcus Martin (Round 3) and, best of all, wide receiver A.J. Jenkins (Round 1).
These are just a few. Aside from Carradine and Martin, the rest of these players are no longer with the franchise. Carradine and Martin are filling backup roles and might not be a part of the 49ers’ future for long.
And this prompts yet another question.
Failed Draft Strategies
Baalke might be an adequate GM when it comes to looking at talent within the secondary and, perhaps, along the offensive and defensive lines.
After all, Baalke has landed impact defensive backs like Eric Reid, Jimmie Ward and Rashard Robinson. Defensive end Arik Armstead, in spite of his current shoulder injury, is looking like an up-and-coming presence. And this year’s first-overall pick, DE DeForest Buckner, was a no-brainer selection.
Yet Baalke has spent more effort taking gambles on injured players (the “All-ACL” team) instead of addressing skill positions.
Think about some of these choices for a second. Running back Marcus Lattimore, Thomas, Carradine, cornerback Will Redmond, wide receiver DeAndre Smelter, cornerback Keith Reaser and fullback Trey Millard.
Exactly zero of those players have made notable contributions at the NFL level. Meanwhile, the Niners are hurting for skill players. Quarterbacks? The Niners have none in the project works. Wide receivers? Maybe Aaron Burbridge works out. Maybe.
Aside from some finds within the secondary, and we’ll give credit for landing linebacker Aaron Lynch in Round 5, Baalke’s seemingly consistent strength has only been to stockpile draft picks.
But the results on the field have not worked. Just look at the stats and how badly the 49ers have looked over the last two seasons.
When Is Enough Going to Be Enough?
York, you’re our only hope. 49ers fans are never going to convince the York family to sell the team. So let’s drop that argument.
But York does have some power and control here. With head coach Chip Kelly likely safe for the foreseeable future, any sort of major front-office shakeup points in Baalke’s direction.
It won’t happen now. Midseason GM firings are typically little more than a PR stunt. So Baalke is safe, at least until January.
We might see some of the proverbial “writing on the wall” with the promotion of Tom Gamble to assistant GM though. A guess would be, if York decides Baalke isn’t the answer, Gamble gets the promotion.
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Gamble and Kelly are close, so this would seem like a good fit. But Gamble, during his previous stint with the 49ers, was also involved with some of San Francisco’s current problems.
Still, the Niners are in this debacle for a reason. Multiple ones, at that.
When we look at a roster devoid of talent, we have to point at the primary person responsible for it. And that person is Baalke.
Next: NaVorro Bowman Injury Reveals Another Trent Baalke Flaw
All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.