Chip Kelly Got the Tight End Jim Harbaugh Wanted in the 2013 Draft, Probably Because of Trent Baalke

Buried at the bottom of this otherwise uninteresting story about Chip Kelly and Jim Harbaugh is a great nugget ahead of the biggest game on Sunday’s NFL schedule: 3-0 Philadelphia at 1-2 San Francisco. Much has been made already about the 49ers’ early struggles – no 4th quarter touchdowns in over five games! – but it’s a significant game for the Eagles, too: Win this, and they are 4-0 headed into winnable games against the Rams and Giants, which could mean 6-0 at the bye.

At that point, there will be talk of home field advantage in the playoffs.

At any rate, the story talks about Kelly and Harbaugh swapping notes after the latter left Stanford, and tight end Zach Ertz is brought up. Ertz was recruited to Stanford by Harbaugh, and starred for him. Ertz looked like he had the makings of a future star when he entered the 2013 draft, but when San Francisco’s pick came up at 34, instead of drafting him, they traded down.

Before you say the 49ers didn’t need to take a tight end, because they have Vernon Davis, consider this: San Francisco drafted a tight end 21 picks later in the 3rd round (Vance McDonald).

Chip Kelly selected Ertz 35th, and he’s already putting up impressive numbers this season (nine catches, 177 yards, team-high six catches of 20+ yards). This season, McDonald has one catch for nine yards. There was a significant chasm between the two last year – 45-646-5 TDs for Ertz; 9-128-0 for McDonald.

And then, there’s this:

"One of the theories for why the 49ers liked McDonald more than Ertz is that general manager Trent Baalke fell in love with the former’s physique. McDonald is 6-4, 270 pounds and has long, 34 1/2-inch arms. Ertz, meanwhile, has relatively stubby arms – 31 ¾ inches – which was a knock on him before the draft. Was that a concern in Philadelphia? “I was unaware that he had short arms,” Kelly said. “They’re long enough to catch a football because he does a really good job of that.”"

When people talk about Baalke and Harbaugh not getting along, and the latter possibly coaching elsewhere next season, you wonder if it’s small things like this (in addition to the personality clash) that add up over time.

Baalke has completely whiffed on the draft in 2012 and 2013, which obviously is part of the reason this aging team seems unlikely to reach a 4th straight NFC Championship game.

Here’s to Ertz catching a TD or two Sunday and Harbaugh leaving for Michigan or the Jets (Not Miami! Please no!).