Jim Harbaugh a Bullet Dodged for Browns?

The San Francisco 49ers have been a model franchise over the last few seasons. Jim Harbaugh has provided the team with a consistency and vision that is necessary to build long ter success.

It is obvious why teams like the Miami Dolphins tried to get him before the Niners made the hire. It also makes sense that the Cleveland Browns made overtures to try to trade for Harbaugh this past off-season.

A trade for such a big profile coach would likely cost a great deal. Jon Gruden fetched two first round picks for the Oakland Raiders from Tampa Bay. The Browns would have likely at least surrendered one of last year’s firsts. Getting a coach for the long-term would have made that cost worth it.

Yet is Harbaugh a long-term kind of coach?

Concerns about him long-term is one of the reasons that San Fran was willing to even talk to the Browns about a possible deal. According to reports from Deion Sanders and analysis of on the sideline body language and behaviors from Trent Dilfer, things might be coming to a head for Harbaugh soon.

Harbaugh’s coaching style is a grinding, demanding one. Obviously one that leads to winning as seen with his time in Stanford and in the NFL. Yet now after a few years it seems that both the front office and players would like to move on from a highly successful coach.

There is a saying in the NFL that winning covers a multitude of problems. The Niners have had a ton of winning and if that hasn’t been enough how many problems that could mean related to Harbaugh.

Instead of trading for Harbaugh the Browns seemed to have found a coach that could lock down the position for years to come in Mike Pettine. While Pettine was far from the Browns first choice he may have been the right choice.

Harbaugh presents Pettine an example not to follow. While he is tough nosed learning not to rub his players or co-workers the wrong way is key. So far Pettine seems to have gotten his players buy in. There are plenty of tough coaches that have player support and stick around for years.

It just doesn’t seem that Harbaugh will be one of them. The Browns may have dodged a bullet with that one. Instead they brought in Pettine and didn’t have to trade away assets.

Do you think the Browns dodged a bullet or missed out on a star coach?