For all the FO critics who DEMAND a football czar: Tom Gamble?

[Gas2No99]

49ers assistant general manager Tom Gamble leaves the organization

 

Nunzio Ingrassia   @Nunzioforwork  
Feb 22, 2017 at 8:49p ET 

Less than a month before the start of free agency, the San Francisco 49ers are undergoing further front-office changes. The 49ers announced that assistant general manager Tom Gamble has left the team, which already has had an organizational overhaul this offseason.

General manager John Lynch, who was hired to replace Trent Baalke last month, announced Wednesday that he and Gamble agreed it would be in their best interests to part ways.

“The 49ers organization has tremendous respect and appreciation for Tom Gamble and his many years of service,” Lynch said, via the team’s website. “He is a class act who has helped a great deal in this transition, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him.”

Gamble, who has spent 29 years in the league and the previous 10 with the 49ers, held a variety of positions during his time in San Francisco, including assistant general manager last season. Lynch, who has no front-office experience, hired as his top personnel executives former Lions GM Martin Mayhew (senior personnel executive) and Adam Peters (vice president of player personnel).

Gamble has TONS of experience:

(Back in 2013) Philly Media Guide:

A successful talent evaluator with a plethora of NFL experience, Tom Gamble returned to the Eagles as the team’s vice president of player personnel during the 2013 offseason after spending the previous eight seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, most re- cently as the team’s director of player personnel. Gamble began his NFL career in the Eagles front office, where he worked in sev- eral different capacities during his seven-year stint with the team from 1988-94.

Gamble’s extensive NFL resume includes work in both college and pro scouting, contract negotiations and a stint in the coaching ranks. During his time in the league, Gamble has helped produce 11 playoff teams, including five with Indianapolis, four with Philadelphia and two with San Francisco.

In 2012, Gamble oversaw both the college and pro personnel efforts of the 49ers while working closely with general manager Trent Baalke. With assistance from Gamble, the 49ers tied for the NFL-lead with nine Pro Bowl selections and advanced to Super Bowl XLVII.

Prior to being named director of player personnel, Gamble served as the director of pro personnel for the previous seven sea- sons in San Francisco. In that role, Gamble monitored every NFL roster with an emphasis on scouting talent of upcoming free agents, while also maintaining continuous depth of personnel of the 49ers roster. In 2010, he was assigned additional responsibil- ities in collegiate scouting in order to maximize the use of his tal- ent evaluation expertise.

Before arriving in San Francisco, Gamble served as a college scout for the Colts from 1998-04 under veteran NFL executive Bill Polian.

From 1995-96, Gamble held a stint in the coaching ranks as a defensive assistant/quality control coach with the New York Jets. He then returned to player evaluation as a part-time college scout for the Carolina Panthers before serving as a pro scout for the Bal- timore Ravens during the 1997 season.

Gamble originally entered the NFL in 1988 as an assistant in the Eagles player personnel department. He stayed with the Ea- gles through 1994, serving as a college scouting administrator, area scout, contract negotiator and the team’s director of pro scouting during his tenure. 

 

Gamble has about a LOADED a CV as one can have with successful teams under his belt when he was part of the administration. Now that he's a FA, should Woody consider him if Mac does not impress and decides to clean house again, OR should Gamble be brought in to be PART of the FO and be that "voice of football" that so many have begged for regarding the Team Structure  and Woody as the FINAL say? Note that he DID crash and burn with Chip Kelly in Philly for those 3 years  and lasted all but 1 season w/Chip Kelly as the assistant GM to Baalke (fired by 49ers) for 2016

Is Tom WORTH the Gamble?

 

[TuscanyTile2]

Sign this nerd!

[RutgersJetFan]

8 minutes ago, Gas2No99 said:

Is Tom WORTH the Gamble?

[Sperm Edwards]

I'm fine with any football FO professional being in this position over anybody from the Johnson family. Obviously Gamble was interested in getting the GM job himself, but nobody really broke his door down. Also I'm unaware of any such GM openings now, so head of football operations would be a higher FO level than he's likely to get anywhere else. 

It would be a doubly good move since, if the Jets have another bad season and want to clean house again, it will look a lot less like they're being flaky; that this was a decision made by a seasoned NFL FO professional and not the fickle whims of a silver spoon billionaire who just likes the Jets. 

The conflict is that Gamble would have to take the position with the understanding he will never be the GM himself, to erase that clear conflict of interest. He may not want that himself.

[detectivekimble]

45 minutes ago, Sperm Edwards said:

I'm fine with any football FO professional being in this position over anybody from the Johnson family. Obviously Gamble was interested in getting the GM job himself, but nobody really broke his door down. Also I'm unaware of any such GM openings now, so head of football operations would be a higher FO level than he's likely to get anywhere else. 

It would be a doubly good move since, if the Jets have another bad season and want to clean house again, it will look a lot less like they're being flaky; that this was a decision made by a seasoned NFL FO professional and not the fickle whims of a silver spoon billionaire who just likes the Jets. 

The conflict is that Gamble would have to take the position with the understanding he will never be the GM himself, to erase that clear conflict of interest. He may not want that himself.

So Gamble wanted this GM job a few years ago, but Woody hated him and hired Idzik instead.

[Sperm Edwards]

3 minutes ago, detectivekimble said:

So Gamble wanted this GM job a few years ago, but Woody hated him and hired Idzik instead.

Yes.

In fairness, though, no other teams/owners wanted Gamble to be their GM either. Not then and not since then. But I'd still hand him the football operations job in a heartbeat over Woody or now his freaking brother. I mean, really. Like Woody wasn't bad enough at this, the solution to the job opening up is to limit his search to close relatives that like watching football? "Hey, Chris. Here's my NFL franchise. Do me a solid and watch this for me for a few years, would ya?"

What a terrible joke, lol.

[detectivekimble]

1 minute ago, Sperm Edwards said:

Yes.

In fairness, though, no other teams/owners wanted Gamble to be their GM either. Not then and not since then. But I'd still hand him the football operations job in a heartbeat over Woody or now his freaking brother. I mean, really. Like Woody wasn't bad enough at this, the solution to the job opening up is to limit his search to close relatives that like watching football? "Hey, Chris. Here's my NFL franchise. Do me a solid and watch this for me for a few years, would ya?"

What a terrible joke, lol.

What do you expect?  That's the way the guy was brought up.  He even makes bad decisions when he hires people to help him make good decisions (Casserly and Wolf were way past it).

[rangerous]

5 hours ago, Sperm Edwards said:

Yes.

In fairness, though, no other teams/owners wanted Gamble to be their GM either. Not then and not since then. But I'd still hand him the football operations job in a heartbeat over Woody or now his freaking brother. I mean, really. Like Woody wasn't bad enough at this, the solution to the job opening up is to limit his search to close relatives that like watching football? "Hey, Chris. Here's my NFL franchise. Do me a solid and watch this for me for a few years, would ya?"

What a terrible joke, lol.

totally agree on woody's management system needs to be changed.  can't say i know anything about gamble but if he's similar to george young then woody really needs to take a look.  of course it could be a hard sell to mac or bowles since both of those guys report directly to woody.  they may not like an intermediary between them and woody.

[20andOut]

So you want to take an assistant GM just fired by a total clusterf--k of an organization, that couldn't get a GM job and put him in a position above the current GM? That should work well. WTF?

[BurnleyJet]

Just hire someone who can find a freaking QB! - The rest sorts it's self out.

[Jet Blast]

I could be wrong, but I seem to remember that the Jets wanted to interview Gamble during the search that ultimately landed Idzik as our GM. If I'm not mistaken, he turned down the chance for an interview. Does anyone else remember this or am I insane?

[Larz]

with free agency in 4 weeks, it's safe to say there will be no czar

we got woody's brother

lol

[T0mShane]

If it goes bad next year, the only path the Jets have moving forward is to hire a Football Ops guy because the job is going to be even more toxic than it already was. At least the new czar might be able to get a few people to call him back.

[varjet]

Gamble exudes Old Boy Bureaucrat.   

I like what the Jaguars did better with Coughlin.

For the Jets, a Cowher could be a good Czar.   Maybe Shanahan.

[BRONX DUDE]

I  vote for SPERM to be football CZAR of the Jets heading into the NEXT decade.

YES

[CanadienJetsFan]

Pass....we don't need a czar, we need a Qb. preferably a young one.

[detectivekimble]

4 hours ago, Jet Blast said:

I could be wrong, but I seem to remember that the Jets wanted to interview Gamble during the search that ultimately landed Idzik as our GM. If I'm not mistaken, he turned down the chance for an interview. Does anyone else remember this or am I insane?

No, he interviewed and wanted the job, but Woody hated him.

[JetFaninMI]

Well if this season goes the way it looks like it will the Jets are going to have openings at Gm and most likely the whole coaching staff. No one of quality will take a job with those guys on the hot seat. Unless Woody makes a firm commitment to Mac and/or Bowles it will be hard to get a qualified guy with experience to run this team. Even rats know when to leave a sinking ship.

[FTL Jet Fan]

Wanted him as the GM. I wouldn't mind him working in the FO at all. Doubt it happens. 

[#27TheDominator]

As I remember it, Gamble supposedly turned down a second interview with the Jags to focus on the Jets.  Interviewed very poorly with the Jets.  There were a bunch of teams that interviewed him or had  him scheduled, but they were quickly turned off and he ended up on the outs.  He got a nepotism job in Philly after the combine and hitched his wagon to Chip Kelly (or vice versa).  That is probably how he ended up back in San Francisco. There is a guy around here who swears he was shafted, but optically he seems like a horror show. 

We heard from Pro Football Talk that Gamble didn’t interview well with the Jets and from an independent source that Gamble has no grasp on the salary cap.

Eagles had to escort Tom Gamble out of their facility

Do not want. 

[Sperm Edwards]

20 hours ago, 20andOut said:

So you want to take an assistant GM just fired by a total clusterf--k of an organization, that couldn't get a GM job and put him in a position above the current GM? That should work well. WTF?

This is hardly hero worship at the altar of the great Tom Gamble. It's more that - like others - I'm considering who it is that presently fills this position: Chris Johnson.

If Woody had such confidence in his brother to hand over full control to him, it's not a far stretch to figure brother Chris has been - at least at times, or when his counsel was sought - whispering into Woody's ear.  

Our GMs have been Terry Bradway, Mike Tannenbaum, John Idzik, and Mike Maccagnan. Clearly someone outside the Johnson family needs to be ultimately selecting and overseeing GMs.

[UnitedWhofans]

An owner who wants to stay out of operations and cedes to a person with football experience to run the organization.

Sounds great on paper but it does sound like what Dolan did with Phil Jackson

[UnitedWhofans]

19 minutes ago, Sperm Edwards said:

This is hardly hero worship at the altar of the great Tom Gamble. It's more that - like others - I'm considering who it is that presently fills this position: Chris Johnson.

If Woody had such confidence in his brother to hand over full control to him, it's not a far stretch to figure brother Chris has been - at least at times, or when his counsel was sought - whispering in Woody's ear.  

Our GMs have been Terry Bradway, Mike Tannenbaum, John Idzik, and Mike Maccagnan. Clearly someone outside the Johnson family needs to be ultimately selecting and overseeing GMs.

I agree. Which is why Woody brought in Casserly and Wolf to choose Maccagnan

[20andOut]

3 hours ago, UnitedWhofans said:

I agree. Which is why Woody brought in Casserly and Wolf to choose Maccagnan

These are the types you would bring in for that type of roll. Veteran, semi retired GMs with decades of experience. Not a guy that has never even been a GM.