Credit: www.cbssports.com

According to tweets from CBS Sports reporter Jason La Canfora, the San Francisco 49ers are in talks with TV analyst Eric Mangini for a consultant job with the team. Mangini currently works for ESPN and he is the former head coach of the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns.

Former Jets head coach Eric Mangini, currently a broadcast analyst, has been in talks with the 49ers about a consulting position

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) May 15, 2013

Mangini’s role with the 49ers, if it came together, would be to assist the offense with ideas on how to prepare for certain defenses, etc

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) May 15, 2013

Mangini did not have much success in his years with the Jets (23-25 record) and Browns (10-32 record), but there is no doubt he has tremendous football smarts. I believe he would be a great hire and addition to Jim Harbaugh’s staff.

If hired, Mangini would consult with the offensive line on defensive fronts the team is facing each week. Now you are probably thinking the 49ers have one of the best, if not the best, offensive lines in NFL. So why hire him?

One reason is if you look at each game the 49ers lost/tied last season, San Francisco gave up 3, 6, 4, 2.5 and 1 sack respectively in those games. Also, the offensive line ranked 30^th in sacks per pass play last season, which does not exactly scream the best offensive line in the NFL. Mangini would help limit the sacks the offensive line gives up each game.

Another reason is, why not hire Mangini? He will only make the offensive line better by bringing his extensive defensive and offensive knowledge to San Francisco. He will help the 49ers beat teams like the Seattle Seahawks whose defense held the Niners to only 13 points in each game last season.

What do you think Niner fans? Is it a smart move to hire Mangini?

On Thursday, the Jacksonville Jaguars decided to pass on hiring 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman with the announcement of Gus Bradley as their new head coach. New Jaguars general manager David Caldwell is a close friend of Roman’s and it was widely expected he would hire him to turnaround their 29th ranked offense. Instead, they spared the 49ers Faithful by going with a defensive coach.

The hiring is twofold for Niner fans as not only does San Francisco’s offense retain Roman, for the time being, but also the hiring of Bradley lures him away from the Seattle Seahawks where he was the defensive coordinator. In the last four seasons, he has steadily improved Seattle’s defense and this season they ranked first in the NFL in points allowed and fourth in total yards. Most of Seattle’s defensive players will be on the roster next season, but the philosophy will likely change with a new defensive coordinator. The Seahawks hired University of Florida defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to replace Bradley as the defensive coordinator. It has not been reported whether or not Roman interviewed for the Jaguars head coaching position.

There is the possibility of Roman being hired by another team as the Arizona Cardinals are still in the process of finding a head coach. The Cardinals have seen first-hand what Roman can do with an offensive on the field four times the past two seasons. Also, of the four coaches interviewed or will be interviewed soon by the Cardinals, three of them are offensive coordinators: Darell Bevell (Seattle), Jay Gruden (Cincinnati) and Todd Haley (Pittsburgh). The only defensive minded coach interviewed is current Cardinal’s defensive coordinator Ray Horton.

Roman could also become a candidate for college teams with openings, although nothing has been reported that any teams want to interview him. He has been a candidate the past two years for college coaching jobs.