Jaguars GM search: 49ers Tom Gamble linked to Jacksonville

Even though Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Gene Smith is still employed with the team, those in the know believe that he will be fired from the job when the season ends if not sooner. An early candidate for a possible GM replacement is the director of player personnel for the San Francisco 49ers, Tom Gamble, according to an article on Big Cat Country.

The blog reported on a post by CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora that said owner Shahid Khan could end up making a front office full of new thinking but with some traditional player scouts such as Gamble:

I would expect the beefed-up front office to include some new-school execs, steeped in statistical analytics and Moneyball thinking -- owner Shahid Khan's son, Tony, is a big proponent of that movement in this sport. But they're going to need some old-school evaluators as well, and sources said San Francisco's director of player personnel has been recommended highly to them.

Gamble has been with the 49ers for seven seasons and has held his current position since 2011. Prior to that, he also worked with the Indianapolis Colts. Right now the thought of bringing Gamble to the Jaguars is speculation. The GM position in Jacksonville is not officially open yet and 49ers CEO Jed York and GM Trent Baalke are likely to work hard to match offers for Gamble to keep him in San Francisco.