There are two leaders in the clubhouse to be the next general manager of the 49ers, according to NFL Network’s Mike Silver.
I believe Packers execs Eliot Wolf and Brian Gutekunst are the leading contenders for 49ers GM job at this time.
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) January 9, 2017
Let’s remind you that Silver has been as plugged in as any reporter to Jed York in recent days. Silver broke the news that Chip Kelly had to call York about his job status the night before Week 17.
Wolf is the bigger name, but Gutekunst is no slouch either. The Packers destroyed the Giants 38-13 Sunday in the NFC Wild Card. In every season since 2009, Green Bay has finished above .500 and they won the Super Bowl in 2010.
Former Packers executive Andrew Brandt had this to say about Wolf last week on KNBR.
“When I got to Green Bay in ’99, he was a kid in high school, pulling off the (draft) board and knowing all about these players,” Brandt said. “He went on to University of Miami — came out started working with us. So he has grown up in this business. He’s lived it with his dad. I can’t say enough good things about his scouting abilities even at a very young age.”
Brandt also said this about the Packers’ football philosophy, and why it’s been so successful.
“It’s a philosophy. It’s draft and develop. It’s bring along young players, it’s trusting coaches to play young players. It’s coaches trusting scouts, working well together,” Brandt said. “Any coach coming in, like a Mike McCarthy, was well aware, this is how we do it. We don’t go for quick fixes, we don’t play in free agency. We draft, we develop, we want our coaches to play players right away — we don’t care they’re not experienced. We develop a pipeline of talent and sign them up long term. That’s always been the approach in Green Bay.”
Silver dropped this nugget on Washington offensive coordinator Sean McVay.
Sean McVay has had two interviews (Rams, 49ers) and crushed them both. And my sources on this are not Sean McVay or his agent…
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) January 9, 2017
Stay tuned.