Jim Harbaugh: Why the 49ers Could Be Nothing More Than Leverage for the Coach

Jim Harbaugh met with the 49ers on Wednesday to discuss his future. The 49ers made it no secret that Harbaugh was at the top of the list of potential candidates for the vacant head coaching job.

Harbaugh is also at the top of the list for many teams around the league. It is fairly safe to say that nearly every team in the league with a vacant coaching job—and as Miami showed, even some with a head coach currently in place—would be highly interested, should Harbaugh show some sort of interest in their franchise.

Think of it as Lebron James' situation when he was in free agency. Like James, Harbaugh is sitting back and listening to presentations, as though he is on a recruiting trip. He will likely weigh his options and come to a decision that is best for his family and his wallet, though he is unlikely to schedule an hour-long special on ESPN to announce his decision.

So what do the 49ers have to offer Harbaugh. He is a Bay Area guy. He would have the luxury of not having to move. He could sleep in his own bed and not have to put his family through becoming acclimated to a new city. The 49ers are an organization that has a storied history, a proud fan base and a roster that is a few solid years away from being built.

Those are likely some of the things the 49ers mentioned to Jim Harbaugh in a reported five-hour long discussion. As anticipated, other teams around the league were feeling the heat. In a move that speaks to just how bad the Miami Dolphins want Jim Harbaugh, owner Steve Ross flew in to the Bay Area to try to lure him to Miami.

He and several other high-ranking officials in the organization, including GM Jeff Ireland, seemingly traveled cross country because they felt a sense of urgency with talks between Harbaugh and the 49ers becoming serious.

The Dolphins are going to be a tough franchise to battle for the 49ers. They have some of the deepest pockets in the league. People can say whatever they want about the character of a man or what they might do. It's a lot different when a team is offering you more money than most see in a lifetime.

Even if the 49ers can compete with the Dolphins' offer, which was something to the tune of $7 million, Jed York can't compete in a bidding war with Ross, who is in the top 70 richest people in the world.

The 49ers could give Harbaugh the keys to the franchise. They can remind him he is a superstar in the Bay Area. They can feed him lines about the new stadium, where the franchise is headed, the talent, how much they need him, but he's likely to go with whoever pays him.

The sense of urgency has already allowed Harbaugh to see a salary he might not have even dreamed would come his way. Why wouldn't he just sit back and watch the price tag go up. His best bargaining chip right now is that he is a hot commodity.

Forcing teams to feel like they have to give more and more to reel him in is making them do just that. Nobody is backing off yet, and until teams stop throwing incentives at Harbaugh, he should make everyone believe he is highly interested in everyone.

Until teams start to pull back the reigns, the ball is 100 percent in Harbaugh's court. This will be a fun week for Harbaugh, and he shouldn't cut it short by prematurely signing any deals. The Dolphins looked past the fact they have yet to fire head coach Tony Sparano and throwing record money at him before he coaches one professional game. Other teams may come knocking, and even if they don't, Harbaugh is going to be living comfortably, as one of the league's wealthiest and most powerful coaches.