Again, you know why we can't rush the ball? Because teams just load the box against us, commit extra guys to stopping it and we haven't had the ability to beat that in the passing game. In the 2020 NFL draft we had four lineman get drafted. That doesn't happen if your line sucks dolt.
Also, while I didn't necessarily want Harbaugh to stick around I have heard some decent arguments as to why this is OK. For one, this is an unusual move that either hasn't ever been done, or is so rare that it's hard to find an example -- that being a coach who did have some success, didn't reach the point where we want to be, but instead of firing them outright and starting over, was given another chance with a downgraded contract. We'll have to see how it plays out but I don't hate the move entirely. As I've said, there is an argument for waiting this out patience and consistency. Harbaugh basically has one shot now to get the right coaches around him to fix things. And unless you can be confident there's a coach you can hire who will do better, I think this is actually the right move. We've had some bad seasons but I think our ultimate problem is being compared to Ohio State.
I don't think that really hurts anything. By taking a 50% paycut Harbaugh is admitting some sort of failure here. I can't proclaim to know what happened behind closed doors or if Harbaugh really did seek out the NFL and fail. But it seems reasonable that the conversation basically went something like, here's your offer, I know it's less, if you want to see what's in the NFL we can wait to sign anything until Jan. And that's what they did. Exploring options doesn't necessarily mean there's a Plan A or Plan B. I also think if Harbaugh really wanted to go to the NFL, he could get another job there.
