During the last offseason, the 49ers held a "State of the Franchise" rally in San Mateo at which owner/president Jed York trumpeted the team's organizational structure. On stage with York were coach Mike Singletary, CEO Andy Dolich and general manager Scot McCloughan. York was effusive about all of them. In regard to McCloughan, York recalled the 49ers' war room during the 2007 draft in which McCloughan argued passionately for Patrick Willis. Some in the organization thought Willis was too small; others were worried about an injury he suffered at Ole Miss. York said McCloughan won him over "When Scot stands up on the table and fights against the defensive-oriented head coach and says, 'This is going to be our draft pick.'"
A little more than a year later, Dolich is gone and McCloughan is on his way out. He has neither been fired nor has he resigned. Instead he is in a state of limbo, but the next step is parting ways with the organization. With that in mind, here's an educated guess as to how the franchise will run in the short term.
Tom Gamble. The director of pro personnel, Gamble has the most experience in the front office - 22 years. Gamble's job is to scout the talent on the other 31 teams, and he takes on a large role in free agency. Gamble, for instance, will meet with guard Chester Pitts today. Gamble has an excellent resume having worked for the Eagles and Colts, two teams with the best scouting reputations in the league. The Raiders for years have been eying Gamble as years as someone who could strengthen the personnel side of the organization.
Trent Baalke. Although Gamble has more experience, Baalke's expertise as director of player personnel is at the college level, which means he likely will take control of all draft preparations. Baalke spent four years in the Redskins scouting department and three years with the Jets before joining the 49ers in 2005. He has been McCloughan's right hand man since joining the team. In talking to agents and league observers, it's clear that both Gamble and Baalke have strong reputations. Said one scout of Baalke: "He has a reputation as someone with a good eye for talent."
Mike Singletary. Singletary has stated that he wants to take a more active role in the draft this year, and he has followed through. Singletary has been sighted at several college pro-day sessions around the country, more so than any other coach in the league. However, that should not be viewed as a signal that Singletary will become the de-facto GM like Mike Nolan from 2005-2007 or that he will have final say in the draft. Singletary has been forthright in saying that talent evaluation is not his strong suit. In fact, he was one of the coaches McCloughan had to win over when it came to drafting Willis. Singletary certainly will have a stronger voice this April when it comes to the draft, but he likely will continue to lean heavily on the 49ers' personnel officials.
Paraag Marathe. If Baalke was McCloughan's top lieutenant, Marathe is York's. He has been steadily gaining power since joining the team as Special Projects Manager in 2001. Last year he was promoted to executive vice president of football operations, a position that gave Marathe a powerful voice in the business, marketing and football side of the organization. Marathe is the team's main contract negotiator and he has gained the Yorks' trust by managing the team's once out-of-control salary cap. Those inside the organization say that Marathe is very smart and extremely ambitious. Some believe that York and Marathe aspire to become latter-day versions of former owner Eddie DeBartolo, Jr. and his top deal maker, Carmen Policy.
Newcomer. It's hard to see the 49ers bringing in a powerful, new general manager with the draft only five weeks away, although it is possible. Another option would be to bring in someone temporarily - in the role of consultant, perhaps - to add stability while the team is in a state of flux. The 49ers, for instance, flirted with hiring Dan Reeves a year ago. Reeves is a confidant of Singletary's.
-- Matt Barrows
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