Sources: Browns nearly traded with 49ers for Jim Harbaugh

[49er4life1979]

And if anybody still needs a known, credible name that knows the rules, Greg Aiello (NFL spokesman) just confirmed that teams can trade head coaches.

That is incorrect. The NFL has outlawed swapping picks for coaches in 2003, a year after the Raiders sent Gruden to Tampa. The biggest reason was that it undermines the daft....And Mike Florio is an idiot anyway. He is no credible source.

 

[MHSL82]

I did have to laugh at PFT basically calling Rapoport a liar when it's not like they are even naming where there "multiple sources" are coming from.

At least Rapoport is saying it's coming from 2 high ranking 9ers sources.

It's still nameless. I could make things up and if I did so, I'd cite the highest up that I thought was credible. I'd say not one but two or more high not low Niners sources, too. Again, I do think the trade attempt is bogus and we'd never get confirmation. Definitely not from the Niners and what do the Browns officially have to gain from it (I know unofficially it could be a sign of due diligence)?

It would actually serve the Niners better to say that Cleveland proposed it and it was rejected. Let the part about Harbaugh rejecting it be speculated, not who initiated it. One in the hand is worth two in the bush. (That's what she said.)

 

[ChrisPozz]

That is incorrect. The NFL has outlawed swapping picks for coaches in 2003, a year after the Raiders sent Gruden to Tampa. The biggest reason was that it undermines the daft....And Mike Florio is an idiot anyway. He is no credible source.

Matt Maiocco:

According to NFL’s Anti-Tampering Policy, clubs ARE permitted to trade draft picks or cash for "head coaches and high-level club employees."

 

[49er4life1979]

NFL nixes draft picks for coaches

Teams no longer can give up picks for compensation, like the Bucs did for Gruden.

​

By RICK STROUD, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 17, 2003
TAMPA -- Jon Gruden led the Bucs to a franchise-record 12 victories, a division title and a berth in Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Eagles. You would have to agree the trade Tampa Bay made with the Raiders for the rights to Gruden is an unqualified success.
Now such a deal is against league rules.
The league Thursday banned the type of trade that enabled the Bucs to sign Gruden. The new policy was announced in a memo to all 32 teams by commissioner Paul Tagliabue, league spokesman Greg Aiello said.
Tagliabue acted after the competition committee concluded that such coach-for-picks trades might be undermining the purpose of the draft.
The co-chairman of the competition committee is Bucs general manager Rich McKay, whose team has reaped the benefits of such a trade.
The Bucs ended a 36-day coaching search by trading two first-round picks, two second-round picks and $8-million to the Raiders for the rights to Gruden, who had a year left on his contract.
Three weeks ago, the Bucs attempted to receive compensation from the Cowboys for the rights to hire Bill Parcells, revealing the two-time Super Bowl-winning coach had signed a four-year contract to coach Tampa Bay a year ago.
But the contract never was submitted to the league office for approval and Tagliabue ruled no compensation was owed.
McKay declined comment Thursday.
The league's owners can decide whether to restore the right to trade draft picks for coaches at their annual meeting March 22-26 in Phoenix.
The league's new policy is not restricted to head coaches. It prevents draft picks from being used to sign anyone under contract with another team, including assistants, front-office personnel or scouts.
Gruden is the latest success story for teams that have been bold enough to package draft picks to hire coaches under contract with other teams.
In 1997, the Jets sent draft picks to New England to acquire the rights to Parcells. Two years later, Parcells led the Jets to the AFC Championship Game.
In 2000, the Patriots sent draft picks to the Jets to hire coach Bill Belichick, who was under contract. Last season, Belichick led New England to the Super Bowl XXXVI title.
This is not the first time the competition committee recommended the league reconsider its policy of swapping picks for coaches. Three years ago it presented its concerns to ownership about teams attempting to receive compensation for assistants.
After firing Tony Dungy and having Parcells renege on a deal to coach Tampa Bay and remain retired, Bucs owners targeted coaches under contract.
First, they offered the 49ers a package of undisclosed draft picks for the rights to Steve Mariucci, who ultimately walked away from an offer to become coach and general manager.
That prompted Bucs vice presidents Joel and Bryan Glazer to call Raiders general partner Al Davis and offer a king's ransom of top picks for the rights to Gruden. Both teams benefited. The Raiders host Tennessee in the AFC Championship Game while the Bucs travel to Philadelphia for the NFC title game.

 

[ChrisPozz]

NFL nixes draft picks for coaches

Teams no longer can give up picks for compensation, like the Bucs did for Gruden.

​

By RICK STROUD, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 17, 2003
TAMPA -- Jon Gruden led the Bucs to a franchise-record 12 victories, a division title and a berth in Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Eagles. You would have to agree the trade Tampa Bay made with the Raiders for the rights to Gruden is an unqualified success.
Now such a deal is against league rules.
The league Thursday banned the type of trade that enabled the Bucs to sign Gruden. The new policy was announced in a memo to all 32 teams by commissioner Paul Tagliabue, league spokesman Greg Aiello said.
Tagliabue acted after the competition committee concluded that such coach-for-picks trades might be undermining the purpose of the draft.
The co-chairman of the competition committee is Bucs general manager Rich McKay, whose team has reaped the benefits of such a trade.
The Bucs ended a 36-day coaching search by trading two first-round picks, two second-round picks and $8-million to the Raiders for the rights to Gruden, who had a year left on his contract.
Three weeks ago, the Bucs attempted to receive compensation from the Cowboys for the rights to hire Bill Parcells, revealing the two-time Super Bowl-winning coach had signed a four-year contract to coach Tampa Bay a year ago.
But the contract never was submitted to the league office for approval and Tagliabue ruled no compensation was owed.
McKay declined comment Thursday.
The league's owners can decide whether to restore the right to trade draft picks for coaches at their annual meeting March 22-26 in Phoenix.
The league's new policy is not restricted to head coaches. It prevents draft picks from being used to sign anyone under contract with another team, including assistants, front-office personnel or scouts.
Gruden is the latest success story for teams that have been bold enough to package draft picks to hire coaches under contract with other teams.
In 1997, the Jets sent draft picks to New England to acquire the rights to Parcells. Two years later, Parcells led the Jets to the AFC Championship Game.
In 2000, the Patriots sent draft picks to the Jets to hire coach Bill Belichick, who was under contract. Last season, Belichick led New England to the Super Bowl XXXVI title.
This is not the first time the competition committee recommended the league reconsider its policy of swapping picks for coaches. Three years ago it presented its concerns to ownership about teams attempting to receive compensation for assistants.
After firing Tony Dungy and having Parcells renege on a deal to coach Tampa Bay and remain retired, Bucs owners targeted coaches under contract.
First, they offered the 49ers a package of undisclosed draft picks for the rights to Steve Mariucci, who ultimately walked away from an offer to become coach and general manager.
That prompted Bucs vice presidents Joel and Bryan Glazer to call Raiders general partner Al Davis and offer a king's ransom of top picks for the rights to Gruden. Both teams benefited. The Raiders host Tennessee in the AFC Championship Game while the Bucs travel to Philadelphia for the NFC title game.

That's outdated. It's in the new CBA.

 

[Jikkle]

It's still nameless. I could make things up and if I did so, I'd cite the highest up that I thought was credible. I'd say not one but two or more high not low Niners sources, too. Again, I do think the trade attempt is bogus and we'd never get confirmation. Definitely not from the Niners and what do the Browns officially have to gain from it (I know unofficially it could be a sign of due diligence)?

It would actually serve the Niners better to say that Cleveland proposed it and it was rejected. Let the part about Harbaugh rejecting it be speculated, not who initiated it. One in the hand is worth two in the bush. (That's what she said.)

I'm not suggesting Rapoport is correct but at least saying high ranking 9ers sources narrows it down a bit.

"Multiple sources" that PFT is claiming could come from the Browns, 9ers, or other teams.

 

[ChrisPozz]

Mike Freeman:

Two sources said the PFT report is essentially accurate. There were "extensive discussions" about Harbaugh to Browns, one said.

 

[Jikkle]

Unnamed 49ers source denies report of near Harbaugh trade to NFL Media | ProFootballTalk

If it’s false, why not say so on the record? That’s because, frankly, it’s not false.

We’ll continue to wait for the 49ers to respond to our request for comment. Or for the 49ers to issue an actual press release denying the story. Without using someone from the league-owned media network to perpetrate a version of reality that isn’t accurate.

We can’t blame the 49ers for trying to call the story false. But their desire for the story to be false will never make it false.

Also, if you're new to football, the Browns not really saying anything about this is not surprising. 49ers sources speaking to and denying this to people connected to the NFL is not surprising. And PFT, who had the scoop first, saying what they're saying right there is not surprising either.

The story hasn't even broken for an hour and he's complaining that they haven't gone on the record yet with a response?

And if Florio is so confident in his "sources" let's hear where they are coming from. Are they from the 9ers? Browns?

It just feels odd if something this huge was about to go down there wouldn't have been some rumblings of it while it was happening.

 

[MHSL82]

I'm not suggesting Rapoport is correct but at least saying high ranking 9ers sources narrows it down a bit.

"Multiple sources" that PFT is claiming could come from the Browns, 9ers, or other teams.

True, it does give more information and is more valuable. It just has no link to truth or credibility.

It reminds me of the whole Obama birthing issue. Someone who is from here will say he was born here and may produce a document. Someone who is a fake would say he was born here and produce a document. That document would be fake, but there's no reason to think submitting a document in itself is proof. It's authenticity is the proof, not the submittal.

It's also like how some cited Vilma's denials in the BountyGate. I can't tell you how often I read someone say that Vilma himself denied it and said that the league was making stuff up and had no evidence. That may all be true, but the accused denying something has no evidentiary value - the evidence that can be verified has the value, not the statement! Credibility of the parties can be used but that's not proof, just a tool we use.

 

[shouldakepowens]

True, it does give more information and is more valuable. It just has no link to truth or credibility.

It reminds me of the whole Obama birthing issue. Someone who is from here will say he was born here and may produce a document. Someone who is a fake would say he was born here and produce a document. That document would be fake, but there's no reason to think submitting a document in itself is proof. It's authenticity is the proof, not the submittal.

It's also like how some cited Vilma's denials in the BountyGate. I can't tell you how often I read someone say that Vilma himself denied it and said that the league was making stuff up and had no evidence. That may all be true, but the accused denying something has no evidentiary value - the evidence that can be verified has the value, not the statement! Credibility of the parties can be used but that's not proof, just a tool we use.

Jed York heard enough
@ProFootballTalk @RapSheet is this on the record? Report isn't true

 

[shouldakepowens]

This, in response to 'Why don't (49ers) deny it on the record?' @JedYork is this on the record? Report isn't true.

 

[Jikkle]

 

[Jikkle]

Of course like Pozz said the 9ers are going to completely deny it even if it was true but unless PFT comes up with something more solid than "multiple sources" it's impossible to tell if what they are reporting is accurate.

And I'm not saying PFT is making up the story but their "sources" could be. "Sources" throw out misinformation all the time if it's something that benefits them. I mean the entire draft process is made up of "sources" throwing out false information.

The main thing that makes me skeptical of this story is I just don't see Harbaugh going to Cleveland and being in the same division as his brother. That basically would mean they would be actively competing to screw each other out of the playoffs every year and I don't think he would willingly walk into that situation.

This just reminds me of 2011 when Harbaugh was on the plane to Miami and it was looking like it was a done deal with the Dolphins.

 

[badazzk9]

Is this on the record or is it off the record?... One can't assume.

 

[PaythePiper]

I disrespect harbaugh a little less if he wanted to leave SF for Cleveland.

 

[ChrisPozz]

Report: Browns nearly acquired Harbaugh from 49ers via trade | CSN Bay Area

 

[tomikcon1971]

Before anybody replies, yes I saw the part about Tomsula. Now, I really hope Mangini isn't the contingency. We haven't been able to figure out why he's been hanging around Santa Clara. I hope he's not plan B.

 

[Ray_Dogg]

I don't believe York. Of Course he must come out and say what he did because you can't have a lame duck coach in the public eye. There have been several reports dating back to last season about contract demands and tension between Baalke and Harbaugh. So I believe the trade possibility 100%.

 

[Jikkle]

https://twitter.com/LullOnSports

Well this is why the I don't like "multiple sources"

This guy is claiming Harbaugh initiated the talks and draft pick compensation was the killing point.

PFT is claiming Harbaugh nixed the deal.

 

[Jikkle]

Before anybody replies, yes I saw the part about Tomsula. Now, I really hope Mangini isn't the contingency. We haven't been able to figure out why he's been hanging around Santa Clara. I hope he's not plan B.

Harbaugh is the one with power over the staff so Mangini is all on Harbaugh and it wouldn't be because York is telling Harbaugh to keep him around just in case we dump him and need a replacement.