With The First Pick
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Kyle Shanahan Only Hope For San Francisco 49ers

By Carl Cockerham

Aug 11, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan before a game against the Washington Redskins at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 11, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan before a game against the Washington Redskins at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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If Kyle Shanahan doesn’t take the San Francisco 49ers head coaching job, who will?

I said yesterday that it had come down to Kyle Shanahan to become the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels just turned the job down. But I didn’t realize Tom Cable’s name was in the hat.

Cable is now the offensive line and assistant head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. Cable and McDaniels didn’t get the memo that there are only 32 of these jobs in the the world. Assistants usually jump at the chance to become a head coach anywhere.

Actually, at the end of owner Al Davis life, the Oakland Raiders were the team no one wanted to coach. Many were leary of Davis’ mettling and the disfunction of the franchise at the time. The biggest part of disfunction was Davis firing coaches before they could fully implement their programs.

The 49ers seem to have taken the place of the Raiders as they now struggle to find a head coach. I originally thought once Shanahan’s season was over in Atlanta, he was sure to take the job. But according to NFL Network’s Michael Silver, it’s not guaranteed that he takes the job.

If Shanahan takes it, the 49ers are expected to arrange meetings with the top GM candidates. Green Bay Packers director of player personnel Brian Gutekunst and Minnesota Vikings assistant GM George Paton are the favorites.

The 49ers also have Packers director of football operations Eliot Wolf’s name in the hat. Whenever the Falcons are done in the playoffs or after the Super Bowl, we’ll know Shanahan’s decision. If he decides not to become the 49ers head coach, that will be a bad situation for the team.

They’ll be left wondering if anyone besides Chip Kelly want to be the head coach there.