What Mike McDaniel's firing means for the San Francisco 49ers

This is intriguing.

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The Miami Dolphins fired Mike McDaniel. While that is obviously disappointing and most San Francisco 49ers fans should wish him well, there are some implications from this move that end up tying back to the team. Some could help, and some could hurt where the 49ers stand. 

No, it does not mean McDaniel will be with the 49ers next season in a similar manner to Robert Saleh. McDaniel has proven he can be a stud offensive coordinator without being under head coach Kyle Shanahan, who has a hold of the playbook anyway. However, while he will not be the next Saleh, he could influence what happens to Saleh.

Does McDaniel's firing make Robert Saleh a better head coach candidate?

One thought that could hurt the 49ers is that Saleh may have just gotten a bit more intriguing as a head coaching candidate. Saleh was always going to be a top candidate; the question was mostly about what kind of offensive coaching staff he would bring. 

He does not assuredly have McDaniel, but it could be the best of both worlds for these two. McDaniel would have sole discretion over the offense, and like Saleh this year, he would rebuild his image. Saleh gets one of the best play-callers on the market, and teams would love to hire this dynamic duo. 

Saleh could shoot to the top of many teams' boards if he gets McDaniel with him.

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The San Francisco 49ers front office may stay intact

The Miami Dolphins interviewed Tariq Ahmad, RJ Gilen, and Josh Williams to be their next General Manager. All three have significant roles in the 49ers front office. The thought was that all three were familiar with how McDaniel wanted to run things, and all three would pair nicely with him. 

Reports were that Williams had the inside edge if McDaniel stayed, due to their relationship in San Francisco. However, with McDaniel out of the picture in Miami, it is hard to understand why the Dolphins would maintain interest. They interviewed five other candidates, who are more likely options now that the connection is gone. 

There are only a few GM jobs available right now, and there are not any with connections to the 49ers like Miami had. So, the odds of the team losing a front office member just went down significantly. Still, the trade-off of potentially losing Saleh may not be worth it.