Daily Madden: Harbaugh Report Signals Discord In 49ers Management
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - John Madden said it's hard to sort out the truth behind reports that the Cleveland Browns were offering draft choices to trade for 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh.
"Usually when you find out something like this is going on, there's usually an agent involved," Madden told the KCBS Radio morning. "Someone could have said, 'You know you're not going to get that kind of money, you wouldn't get that anywhere.' 'Oh yeah, well, Cleveland will give it.' You know that type of thing. There's something there, and until you really know, you don't know and you have to guess."
Despite the team's success under Harbaugh - he's taken them to the NFC Championship game in each of his first three years - the 49ers have not yet extended Harbaugh's contract, which expires at the end of the 2015 season. Team executives, including CEO Jed York, have denied the report.
There are reports of conflict between Harbaugh and General Manager Trent Baalke.
"The more success you have, the harder it is for everyone to get along," Madden said. "When you're kind of trying to build together and struggling and things aren't going well, you kind of band together. I'm talking about the suits and coaches. Then when there's success, there's kind of a division as to who gets the credit, the suits or the coaches." (7:05)
(Listen to the John Madden segment live weekday mornings at 8:15 on KCBS All News 740 AM/106.9 FM.)