The NFL's True MVP - Jim Harbaugh

[HolyRoller10]

"When Bill Belichick "quit" his job as head coach of the Jets and announced that he was joining the Patriots instead, New England ended up giving the Jets a first-round pick for Belichick's services. And remember, that was Belichick when he was popularly known as Bill Parcells's top assistant who had put together a disappointing run in Cleveland, not the Bill Belichick we know today. A top coach is worth even more.

When the Buccaneers decided that they wanted to take Jon Gruden away from the Raiders, the cost was astronomical. Tampa Bay gave Oakland two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and an $8 million transfer fee to get their man.Of course, the Buccaneers didn't regret it: They went to the Super Bowl the following season, where they beat those very same Raiders, 48-21.

If a team really wanted to acquire Harbaugh today, the price would probably be roughly similar to the figure the Raiders quoted for Gruden, who had taken over a 4-12 team and gone 38-26 in four seasons without advancing past the AFC Championship Game. How many players in the league would extract a similar bounty in trade talks? When the Redskins acquired the second overall pick in this year's draft from the Rams to grab Robert Griffin III, they gave up a somewhat similar package: the sixth overall pick and a second-rounder in the 2012 draft, plus first-round picks in 2013 and 2014.

What makes that fact even more bizarre is that coaching salaries are uncapped. If you're a deranged billionaire hell-bent on winning a dozen Super Bowls, you can't be Manchester City and buy the biggest stars from each NFL team. You can't whisper "$50 million per year" into Aaron Rodgers's agent's ear and wait for him to hit the market; he'll be franchised, and even if you gave him that much, you wouldn't be able to build a team around him.

What you can do, though, is spend as much money as you want in places where the league doesn't have a salary cap. - And, yes, you can whisper "$20 million per year" into Jim Harbaugh's agent's ear, and if Harbaugh doesn't want to re-sign with the Niners, they can't franchise him and you don't have any money come off of your cap space. It's a place where a team with deep pockets can gain a competitive advantage in a way that they simply can't by spending on players."

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/...rgain-football

[niner35]

I'm just glad he and Baalke just click, that partnership should stick for many years to come. If I could start a franchise from the ground up right now, only Tomlin and Harbaugh are the guys I'd hope for

[HolyRoller10]

I don't think people saw this coming because he was a former player and they usually just don't make great coaches.

But most importantly - he was the son of a coach. Jim's dad was an assistant coach at Michigan and defensive coordinator at Stanford.

Bill Belichick's dad was an assistant coach at Vanderbilt, UNC and Annapolis for 33 years. In 1963, Steve Belichick wrote a book, ''Football Scouting Methods,'' which Houston Texans General Manager Charley Casserly called the best book on scouting he had ever read. ''He was a genius,'' Joe Bellino, Navy's Heisman Trophy winner in 1960, told The New York Times in August 2004. ''On Monday nights, he would give us his scouting reports, and even though we were playing powerhouses, I always felt we were prepared because he found a way for us to win.''

[Jenni Kohoutova]

Reading this, I'm reminded of Danny Green's outburst about the Bears, but if you want to crown Jim Harbaugh, then go ahead and crown his ass, but I'll wait 'til he's won a Superbowl at least. If he wins the Superbowl this season, with a rookie qb who only got the starting job in week 11, I think we'll all be suitably impressed.

[Dawkins#20]

Pfftttt he's no Dboz!!

[Manning2Wayne]

If only he decided to leave Stanford a year later! surely he wouldn't be able to resist continuing to coach Luck and coming back to indy....

Seriously though this guy is the real deal. Perfect combination of X and O brilliance and ability to lead men. Crazy as hell to

[niner35]

Offensive mind with defensive attitude. Isn't that being said of Brian Kelly right now? That's the mindset you need

[boomer07uk]

Originally Posted by Jenni Kohoutova

Reading this, I'm reminded of Danny Green's outburst about the Bears, but if you want to crown Jim Harbaugh, then go ahead and crown his ass, but I'll wait 'til he's won a Superbowl at least. If he wins the Superbowl this season, with a rookie qb who only got the starting job in week 11, I think we'll all be suitably impressed.

Agree 100%.

Let's see how he unravels the mess he's making with the QB's and actually wins something.

I also think that the other 5 teams with better records might have an issue with him being crowned.

Not sure which will come first, the possible Superbowl or the definite heart attack.

[GiantMackem]

He's the most valuable player?

Which position is he playing

[boknows34]

He's definitely got the strongest back slap in the NFL.