(01-31-2022, 11:10 PM)Bullseye Wrote:

(01-31-2022, 11:04 PM)Cleatwood Wrote: We’ve seen Baalke weasel his way into every situation. He shouldn’t be anywhere near this building.

Now, if you promise me he will be gone in a year or less, sure. Lets ride. But keeping him on staff in any capacity is a bad move. Regardless of having Caldwell (who is phenomenal) and Pederson (who’s a good coach).

My dream? Caldwell EVP, Wilson GM and Byron HC. Now that would be enticing and would be a really great way to change the culture of this franchise.

I think a difference is now is that if Pederson comes on board after initially being lukewarm over working with Baalke, this lets me think that Baalke will have reduced influence.

It's possible Khan now-between the final game of the season and the clown stuff, the coaching interview proicess and the beating he is taken from various local and national observers- has notice or an idea that Baalke is a liability, even if he may not be persuaded enough at this point to dump him.  Maybe he has told Pederson that he may eventually be flexible on Baalke.

Kahn also has a problem in that Balke is the only point of consistency in the org the last few years.  Coaches have all turned over a couple times.  Players in and out.  The organisation has zero self-sustaining momentum.

It's one thing to argue Balke should go but it's another thing to make that happen without the whole place falling to pieces.  Pederson (or whomever else Kahn interviews) has been a month between interviews because there's a lot of work to be done for this next one.  A roster assessment, a drafting strategy, coaching changes, a TL rescue plan.  This next head coach has a lot of things to fix all at once.  Before Kahn hires he may want to see a plan in detail with the candidate's thoughts drawn out and ready to go.  Particularly if UM was a "trust me, I can do this" hire.

It's very possible the first Pederson conversation went something like:

Pederson: "Look, if I'm going to do this job then all these things have to change."

Kahn: "Sure, but it isn't that easy.  You're asking me to change a lot.  Show me your detailed plans on how it could be done and we'll talk."

Pederson: "You're right.  It is a lot and I'm not sure I want this job in Jacksonville.  I'll let you know."

Pederson goes away, works with his confidants and decides he'll give this Jacksonville thing a try after all.  A month later, they are back in a room talking details on how a transition could happen.  Then Kahn just needs to decide whether to take a punt on Pederson and his crew or not.

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