San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke made his regular pre-game appearance on KNBR, but this one was just a little more awkward. After multiple reports that he had been fired, Baalke confirmed the news.
“It was the right thing to do. This is a class organization,” Baalke said. “You know, I’ve been here since 2005 and I have a lot of respect for the organization as a whole, and the ownership, the fan base. It’s difficult, but it’s the right thing to do.”
Baalke said he thinks some kind of re-set is needed, but he does think there is some good young talent. He said, “With a good offseason, the right re-set, I think good things are ahead for them.”
The 49ers do have some young talent that can contribute to a good football team, but they have too many holes to be competitive right now. Trent Baalke can eye talent at times, but he was getting too inconsistent in recent years. His inability to eye wide receivers and quarterbacks was a big problem, and his repeated reliance on medical redshirt-type picks did not help build the kind of depth this team could have used. Yes, they lost a lot of players to injury, retirement, and free agency. But, the draft and free agency are where you build up depth to replace departures. The 49ers did not have that, and it cost Baalke his job.
As for Baalke’s future? Matt Maiocco reported last month that there was a good chance he could end up with the Denver Broncos. He and John Elway have a solid working relationship. While Baalke did not pan out these last few years, he has shown an ability to eye talent at times. It wasn’t consistent enough to keep his GM job, but I don’t doubt someone hires him soon.