The Peter Principle

[pbmax]

49ers coach Mike Singletary is now on the road with the new/interim GM Trent Baalke and will miss part of his team's OTAs, this info via PFT (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/03/27/singletary-hits-the-road/). That would make it seem like Coach Linebacker has a little more pull in the organization, and I look forward to him making a mess out of their draft.

Not right away, as he will start cautious. But initial success will cause him to overvalue his own scouting prowess and ability as a coach to pull a team together. Basically, they will be sowing the seeds of their own destruction. I predict somewhere around March 2112 (EDIT: Please read 2012, as I am not claiming Singletary is the Highlander).

Some coaches can do this (Parcells, Johnson) but most cannot (Shanahan, Holmgren, Sherman).

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/03/27/singletary-hits-the-road/

[Fred's Slacks]

49ers coach Mike Singletary is now on the road with the new/interim GM Trent Baalke and will miss part of his team's OTAs, this info via PFT (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/03/27/singletary-hits-the-road/). That would make it seem like Coach Linebacker has a little more pull in the organization, and I look forward to him making a mess out of their draft.

Not right away, as he will start cautious. But initial success will cause him to overvalue his own scouting prowess and ability as a coach to pull a team together. Basically, they will be sowing the seeds of their own destruction. I predict somewhere around March 2112.

Some coaches can do this (Parcells, Johnson) but most cannot (Shanahan, Holmgren, Sherman).

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/03/27/singletary-hits-the-road/

Interesting. The 49ers seem like a team that is very close to contending. Finding a competent QB alone would raise them up another level. Hopefully they're screwing it up now.

[Fritz]

49ers coach Mike Singletary is now on the road with the new/interim GM Trent Baalke and will miss part of his team's OTAs, this info via PFT (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/03/27/singletary-hits-the-road/). That would make it seem like Coach Linebacker has a little more pull in the organization, and I look forward to him making a mess out of their draft.

Not right away, as he will start cautious. But initial success will cause him to overvalue his own scouting prowess and ability as a coach to pull a team together. Basically, they will be sowing the seeds of their own destruction. I predict somewhere around March 2112.

Some coaches can do this (Parcells, Johnson) but most cannot (Shanahan, Holmgren, Sherman).

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/03/27/singletary-hits-the-road/

Wow...if Singletary is still coaching/GM'ing in 2112 he'll be older than George Halas was when he finally gave it up!

But in seriousness, I agree with you, PB. It doesn't work most of the time. It just doesn't.

[pbmax]

I knew that number seemed TOO palindromic.

[Guiness]

49ers coach Mike Singletary is now on the road with the new/interim GM Trent Baalke and will miss part of his team's OTAs, this info via PFT (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/03/27/singletary-hits-the-road/). That would make it seem like Coach Linebacker has a little more pull in the organization, and I look forward to him making a mess out of their draft.

Not right away, as he will start cautious. But initial success will cause him to overvalue his own scouting prowess and ability as a coach to pull a team together. Basically, they will be sowing the seeds of their own destruction. I predict somewhere around March 2112 (EDIT: Please read 2012, as I am not claiming Singletary is the Highlander).

Some coaches can do this (Parcells, Johnson) but most cannot (Shanahan, Holmgren, Sherman).

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/03/27/singletary-hits-the-road/

Millen...that was a list of good coaches who couldn't draft. Millen was bad at the former too!

I wonder how much say Bellicheck has in the draft?

[pbmax]

49ers coach Mike Singletary is now on the road with the new/interim GM Trent Baalke and will miss part of his team's OTAs, this info via PFT (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/03/27/singletary-hits-the-road/). That would make it seem like Coach Linebacker has a little more pull in the organization, and I look forward to him making a mess out of their draft.

Not right away, as he will start cautious. But initial success will cause him to overvalue his own scouting prowess and ability as a coach to pull a team together. Basically, they will be sowing the seeds of their own destruction. I predict somewhere around March 2112 (EDIT: Please read 2012, as I am not claiming Singletary is the Highlander).

Some coaches can do this (Parcells, Johnson) but most cannot (Shanahan, Holmgren, Sherman).

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/03/27/singletary-hits-the-road/

Millen...that was a list of good coaches who couldn't draft. Millen was bad at the former too!

I wonder how much say Bellicheck has in the draft?
Belicheck should go into the first list with Parcells. He is clearly the GM. But the rose has come off Bill's bloom a little. Its clear he is not quite "smarter by a mile" in the personnel department now. Finding Brady in the sixth makes every other move at the time look like genius.

Of course, three Super Bowl wins makes arguing about him moot. Outside of Brady, his best move were the mid-level free agent signings he engineered early that bolstered the defense to Super Bowl level for his first title.

[swede]

Of course, three Super Bowl wins makes arguing about him moot. Outside of Brady, his best move were the mid-level free agent signings he engineered early that bolstered the defense to Super Bowl level for his first title.



You hit on a very important point here, I think. During their Super Bowl runs that team really had a deft touch for working key free agents into their team. Getting the right talent for your team, and getting that talent to buy into a team concept was and perhaps is a strength of the Patriots. Well, that and cheating.

The Redskins of the same era are an illustrative non-example.

[pbmax]

Of course, three Super Bowl wins makes arguing about him moot. Outside of Brady, his best move were the mid-level free agent signings he engineered early that bolstered the defense to Super Bowl level for his first title.



You hit on a very important point here, I think. During their Super Bowl runs that team really had a deft touch for working key free agents into their team. Getting the right talent for your team, and getting that talent to buy into a team concept was and perhaps is a strength of the Patriots. Well, that and cheating.

The Redskins of the same era are an illustrative non-example.
I have wondered whether they got away from this because they felt they had drafted well enough to supply good starters and reasonable depth (about where the Packers are) or if they thought the FA market had changed. They have spent big money on Moss, Welker, Adalius Thomas and a few others and have had big hits and some misses.

[Zool]

I initially thought you were making a Rush reference.

http://intensities.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/rush-2112.jpg

[Fritz]

Actually, it's that Rush knew that Mike Singletary would be coaching and GMing the Niners long ago. They did so many trippy drugs that they got some weird glimpse into the next time dimension, and that's what they saw.

But again, the bigger point is that most of the time the GM/Coach thing doesn't work. I didn't like it when the Pack did it, and I was glad when they ditched it.

[Bretsky]

I've heard rumors of two things regarding the front office guy who recently parted ways with the 49ers

1. He had differences with Singletary
2. Possible issues with marriage

Both came from Sirius network and no idea how accurate

But it is odd hearing a coach with limited experience is going to these things

[Joemailman]

The fact that they got rid of McCloughan before the draft suggests to me they weren't happy with what happened last year. My guess is that Singletary didn't like the Crabtree pick, and was concerned about what would happen this year. I was surprised when they took Crabtree last year. Just didn't seem like a Singletary-type guy to me.

[pbmax]

The fact that they got rid of McCloughan before the draft suggests to me they weren't happy with what happened last year. My guess is that Singletary didn't like the Crabtree pick, and was concerned about what would happen this year. I was surprised when they took Crabtree last year. Just didn't seem like a Singletary-type guy to me.
It does suggest its serious, but the timing is odd. If the GM and coach were incompatible, you would think that would be hashed out early in the offseason, when hires could be made and there would be time to adjust. Why let him help set your draft board if you don't like the people he drafts? The fact that Singletary is away during an OTA suggests that this wasn't planned.

Coaches can help identify good pro prospects. The Browns sent everyone out to scout receivers for Kosar's 2nd year, including anyone that ever caught a pass for the team. The 1986 draft I think. Jim Brown, Paul Warfield, Reggie Rucker, everyone was asked their opinion. They made a good pick, Webster Slaughter, who, despite the public having no idea who he was (San Diego State I think) he proved to be a good pro. I remember it because of the howling laughter of my friends when they spent a first round pick on someone not even listed in USAToday's top 10 prospects at each posiiton. I think he was in the Sporting News.

But he was no value at pick number 8. They could have traded down to get him. And that is where being a coach hurts you.

[Fritz]

I just don't like one guy having both jobs. How often do you see stories about the coaches who sleep in their offices, that their work day goes from about 6:00 a.m. to midnight? And the vast majority do that.

So how you gonna GM on top of that? It's too much.

[RashanGary]

I just don't like one guy having both jobs. How often do you see stories about the coaches who sleep in their offices, that their work day goes from about 6:00 a.m. to midnight? And the vast majority do that.

So how you gonna GM on top of that? It's too much.

This is it in a nut-sack. Sherman was a full time coach, then he tried to play GM and it just seemed like he was always stressed out and in over his head with just about every decision as GM.

[cheesner]

I just don't like one guy having both jobs. How often do you see stories about the coaches who sleep in their offices, that their work day goes from about 6:00 a.m. to midnight? And the vast majority do that.

So how you gonna GM on top of that? It's too much.

This is it in a nut-sack. Sherman was a full time coach, then he tried to play GM and it just seemed like he was always stressed out and in over his head with just about every decision as GM.
The problem, in my opinion, with having both jobs by one guy, is that decisions will conflict between the two jobs. How do you get into a long contract squabble with a guy, he signs, and then you have to work closely together the next day. You have to separate the two positions so that players don't take things personally.