The San Francisco 49ers and head coach Jim Harbaugh could be heading for a split after this season if the Niners don't make the playoffs and reports have the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets as potential options for a trade if the team opts to make a change at the top for 2015.
Harbaugh and the Niners have had their issues in the past and there have been reports that there is some discord in the organization with Harbaugh and his tough style. According to ESPN.com and reporter Adam Schefter, Harbaugh could be a target for a number of teams this offseason, with the Raiders and Jets the most likely candidates to check in. The Raiders fired head coach Dennis Allen this season and they would like to make a big hire next, while Harbaugh easily could relocate in the Bay Area.
This is not the first time Harbaugh's name has come up in connection with another team, as the Cleveland Browns reportedly also looked into trading for the coach last year. Harbaugh said to reporters this week that he is focused on his team this season and that he is not speculating on the future. Michigan is another job that likely will be open and Harbaugh has already been mentioned in connection with that in the past as well.
The 49ers were handled by the Seahawks on Thanksgiving and if the team misses the playoffs there is a chance the team will want to move on from Harbaugh anyway. The fact that he has one more year left on his deal leaves the question of whether he can come to an extension with the 49ers or if they want to trade him for compensation. The Browns have liked what Mike Pettine has done, but everyone knows he was not their first choice last year and now they could also look at the trade again.
If the Browns opt to allow Brian Hoyer to leave and stick with Johnny Manziel, the team could look at bringing in Harbaugh to nurture his career along. Harbaugh has experience with young mobile quarterbacks, as he shepherded the move from Alex Smith to Colin Kaepernick and rode that all the way to the Super Bowl. The 49ers would look a little crazy making a move after Harbaugh has had so much success in San Francisco, but stranger things have happened with head coaches.
The team may look at getting compensation if someone like the Raiders or Jets looks hard enough at Harbaugh, or they could work out an extension with the coach. The Raiders need some top to bottom changes and Harbaugh could be interested in basically building a team in his image. The Raiders likely would have no problem giving Harbaugh control, as Reggie McKenzie has not done anything all that great, including the failed trades of Matt Schaub and Matt Flynn.
The Raiders are 1-11 this season and just had a 52-0 loss to the Rams and they are ranked last in the league in rushing. The team is 27th in passing yards allowed per game and while they have some solid young talent, they need much more to turn things around.
