Baalke: Blame For 49ers Historic Tumble Is On 'My Shoulders'
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – The San Francisco 49ers are on a historic losing streak and General Manager Trent Baalke knows the blame falls squarely on his shoulders.
Teams don't make any moves when it comes to players or coaches without oversight from the general manager. So when times are good and the team is winning, you're a genius. When a team falls well short of the expectations of their fans, you are a bum.
And the once-proud 49ers have fallen into a depth the team has never known. They are 1-10 and have lost a franchise record 10 straight games. A loss this week to the 2-9 Chicago Bears will plunge the team into a deepening downward spiral.
Baalke was a guest on KNBR 680 in San Francisco and was asked about the failures.
"You know, they give us everything we need and I've said that," he told the station. "I've gone public with that. If we don't get it done, put it on me."
"We've got all the resources necessary. Funding has never been an issue at the free agent market, or any other thing that we've needed. So, it falls strictly on my shoulders. I'm disappointed, I'm disappointed with the outcome up until now."
Baalke said he also feels for the fans and for the 49ers ownership.
"(Losing is) a draining experience," he said. "I feel bad for the fans, I feel bad for a lot of people, the ownership in particular."
Baalke also said he was leaving no stone unturned in his quest to make the 49ers better in 2017.
"I've been watching the college games a lot right now," he told the station. "The free agent market, getting that lined up. So we're spending a lot of time doing that. We'll have the scouts come in December. There's a lot of prep work going into the next two, three months after the season ends."
