Niners Weighing Multitude of Options and Candidates

In concurrent searches for GM and head coach, Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan stands out as someone who would add spark to 49ers' dull, ineffective offense

It’s hard to keep up with everything that’s going on with the 49ers franchise this week. With CEO Jed York and Paraag Marathe, executive vice president of football operations, conducting interviews with candidates for the vacant general manager and head-coaching positions, the franchise can go any number of directions.

And, reports are that the 49ers are seeking a great combination of a GM and head coach that will have rapport, strong communication and chemistry to help lift the franchise out of its doldrums.

On Thursday, the 49ers duo interviewed Green Bay Packers director of football operations Eliot Wolf and director of player personnel Brian Gutekunst, according to Chris Biderman of USA Today. Other candidates reportedly on their list to interview are personnel directors and assistant GMs such as Nick Caserio of the Patriots, Jimmy Raye III of the Colts, George Paton of the Vikings, Louis Riddick of ESPN (a former NFL administrator) and Trent Kirchner and Scott Fitterer of the Seahawks.

York and Marathe also are reported to be set to interview coaching candidates, one of whom is expected to be Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. According to Nick Wagoner, who covers the 49ers for ESPN.com, Shanahan will be interviewed Friday.

Whether Shanahan fits in nicely with any of the GM candidates to create the chemistry York says he’s hoping to create is still to be determined. But one thing Shanahan could offer to the 49ers franchise is the potential for an exciting offense.

The 49ers not only have gone from mediocre to awful over the past three seasons, the team’s offense has become boring – a huge negative for a franchise with an expensive new stadium and a need to fill seats. The ugly offenses of Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly – that included inadequate quarterback play, a shaky offensive line and a lack of playmaking receivers – needs to be taken to much higher levels both to compete in the NFC West and to stoke interest from fans who had gotten used to the scintillating offenses of the Super Bowl years under Bill Walsh and George Seifert or the successful schemes of the more recent Jim Harbaugh era.

Kyle Shanahan – son of longtime successful NFL coach Mike Shanahan – is the offensive coordinator for the high-powered Falcons, who led the NFL this season in points per game (33.8) and yards per play (6.7). As Wagoner noted, too, Kyle Shanahan’s Falcons offense isn’t just quarterback Matt Ryan. He’s built an exciting running game behind a zone-blocking scheme his father used. At 37, Shanahan would be a young head coach – younger than 49ers veteran kicker Phil Dawson – but an experienced one, with 12 years in the NFL as an offensive coordinator, quarterbacks, wide receivers and offensive quality control coach. As an offensive coordinator, his teams in Atlanta, Washington and Houston have ranked in the NFL’s top five.

Shanahan, however, is a hot name in football right now. He also has interviews set with the Rams, Jaguars and Broncos.

If the 49ers want to generate some excitement on offense, Shanahan is an attractive candidate. With a young quarterback from the draft and some other new talent via the draft or free agency, the 49ers offense could show much more life in 2017. Shanahan certainly believes he’s ready to be a head coach.

“I definitely do,” he said this week. “I think I have been. I think a lot of guys are. It’s about (being) given that opportunity and hoping it’s the right fit.”

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