Success comes at a price, and for the Niners, that means the risk of losing key players. Assistant GM Adam Peters is scheduled to interview with Washington tonight, and the LA Chargers have requested permission to speak with defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.
If Peters or Wilkes leave, the Niners have proven adept at finding quality replacements in recent years.Will Adam Peters go to Washington? New Washington owner Josh Harris showed some outside-the-box thinking when he hired former Warriors general manager Bob Myers. Myers was instrumental in hiring the coaches who built the Warriors’ dynasty, and Harris sees value in Myers’ decision-making and culture-building.
The Washington franchise can experience tremendous growth. A proven fan base with bad locations and bad command lines gave it a complete reboot and brought it back to popularity. It’s a great move for Peters to help build the NFL’s next powerhouse.Washington is starting over, picking a new team name, a new general manager and head coach, a new quarterback with the second pick in the draft and starting work on a new stadium.
All of this represents a new direction. Washington is also rumored to be looking to hire Baltimore athletic director Joe Hortis for the general manager job. He has been with the Crows for 25 years. Baltimore defensive coordinator Mike McDonald is rumored to be in the running for the head coaching job.
The Raiders and Chargers are also interested in Peters, but staying with the Niners or going to Washington are better options. I think what goes on in Washington is underestimated by the fans and the media. There has been a change of ownership and DC’s future looks bright. Staying with the Niners is appealing, but even if Peters is named GM, Kyle Shanahan will have the final say on personnel. This may play a role.
Will Steve Wilkes leave? So who will the Niners bring in? Unfortunately, the Chargers’ focus appears to be on testing the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview a small number of head coaching candidates. After the Brandon Staley fiasco, I expect Chargers owner Dean Spanos to hire a celebrity to tell him not to blame me. This added to the buzz about Jim Harbaugh and Bill Belichick.
How worried should the Niners be about Jake Moody? They should be worried. I think investing in a third round pick will keep Moody going this year. They hope that Moody will lose years and that the cap will be a cheat code. Introducing a potential replacement can present difficulties in this respect.
The fans are mean enough, but Shanahan is fighting back. He said not yet. We won’t let anyone in. Got tips for Rams games? Multiple. Isaiah Oliver had his best game of the year, even against a backup, and Logan Ryan did a great job running the game. If J’Iyer Brown doesn’t play or falters in his first playoff game, he’ll have to try both.
Darrell Luther also had a solid game and could be a much-needed rotation player in the playoffs as he has the speed to keep up with speedy receivers and the size to help support the run.Other players have demonstrated why they are not playing.
