Q&A With All49ers On New Jaguars GM Trent Baalke, His San Francisco Legacy and More
When the Jacksonville Jaguars removed the interim tag and made Trent Baalke the club's permanent general manager, the question quickly arose: "What about what happened in San Francisco."
Baalke, knowing the question was hanging in the air, addressed it to the best of his ability without going into details when he was introduced as the Jags GM. Baalke spent six years as the 49ers GM before being fired. The high points of his resume include three straight years in the NFC Championship game, including a Super Bowl appearance.
The glaring points of his resume show a significant downturn in production following Head Coach Jim Harbaugh moving back to college and the Michigan Wolverines. Harbaugh claiming he was essentially pushed out didn't help matters.
Baalke knows the Jaguars are his second chance, and one he freely admits he thought would never come.
To better understand what led to the decline with Baalke's 49ers tenure—and therefore the need for a second chance—we asked Jose Sanchez III of our sister site All49ers, which covers the San Francisco 49ers, about Baalke's time in the Bay Area, what went right...and what went wrong.
Q: When Baalke was promoted to GM with the 49ers, was it an expected ascension or a surprising promotion?
A: It was quite surprising. He was the Vice President of Player Personnel prior to succeeding Scott McCloughan. You would have thought that perhaps the 49ers would have let Harbaugh come in and bring in his own guy. That’s generally how it works, if not the reverse. But the thinking was that the 49ers didn’t want a total franchise reboot. Unfortunately for them, that likely would’ve seen them last longer than three seasons being successful.
Q: When Baalke was fired as GM, was it expected after the past few seasons or surprising?
A: It was definitely expected. In fact, it was too little too late. His tenure coming to end with the 49ers felt long overdue. Rather than firing Jim Harbaugh, the real scapegoat should have been Baalke. As soon as Harbaugh arrived he was the knight and shining armor to the team. All of a sudden he was able to utilize the talent on the team that lead them to three straight NFC title appearances and a Super Bowl appearance. And I know that Baalke was named Executive of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America following the 2011 season, but he didn’t build that team.
Scot McCloughan is the real mastermind behind the pieces that allowed Harbaugh to propel the team. Unfortunately, there was always the constant tug-of-war on personnel decisions, which is pretty standard with teams. However, with Baalke there seemed to be more animosity and ego into it. His firing could not have come soon enough.
Q: How open was Baalke with the media during his time as GM?
A: Vague. You couldn't count on transparency with him. He beats around the bush, but it is not like you needed it, especially at the end of his tenure. The players he would draft were obvious. If they had an injury history, he would draft you so long as the talent was there. He completely neglected risks with players and only saw upside, which as a general manager you are supposed to weigh both sides heavily. Now, of course, he could have grown since then, but I am willing to bet he is still the same ol' Trent Baalke.
Q: What is the general consensus about what happened between Baalke and Harbaugh?
A: That both guys had strong views on how they wanted to build and operate the team. Basically, they both have enormous egos. Almost everyone does in the NFL whether it is a player or a coach. But these two were the epitome of it at the time. The constant back and forth that would be reported was an indication, especially the rumor that the 49ers were going to trade Harbaugh to the Cleveland Browns. The fact that the two of these guys were able to work along each other for four years is actually impressive. Ultimately, owner and CEO Jed York stepped in and took Baalke's side. Harbaugh is a blunt character, which is what the 49ers desperately needed in 2011 after being bottom feeders for 10 years prior. Baalke couldn't handle that, especially with questionable decision making. I expect him to be one-and-done in Jacksonville since he isn't Urban Meyer's guy.
Q: Was the roster control seen as more Baalke’s purview or the head coach’s?
A: It was Baalke's. Harbaugh was really the only coach who could get a couple of players of his choosing, but in the end it was all Baalke. Like I said earlier, he struggled to work with the head coaches during his tenure with the 49ers and it hurt the team in the long run. It is no mystery why the 49ers started to run like a functional franchise once he was fired and Jed York took a step back in 2017.
Q: What is Trent Baalke’s legacy with the 49ers?
A: His legacy, generally viewed, will be his infatuation with injury prone players. You cannot bring him up without any fan or pundit mentioning his drafts. It doesn't even have to stop there. His whiffs in the draft are well noted like when he selected wide receiver A.J. Jenkins with the 30th overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft. His 2013 draft class wasn't any better. Only Eric Reid is a player worth mentioning from it and even he didn't stay that long with the 49ers. Baalke is someone that fans of the 49ers are happy that he is buried in their past.
