Eh, I don't think Harbaugh's the big chip here, nor do I think there's any big chip.
Let's look at it: The only teams that are in on Harbaugh are San Francisco, Carolina and maybe Miami. (The Dolphins contacted Harbaugh even after Sparano was retained; Cowher was offered the job, but he declined because Jeff Ireland would remain as GM and have ultimate personnel authority.) There's still a better than even chance that Harbaugh stays at Stanford or goes to Michigan, too, since Michigan desperately wants either him or Les Miles, and Harbaugh has been somewhat contemplative of late regarding the lack of success that NCAA coaches have in the NFL.
Dallas will hire Garrett, Lewis has been retained in Cincinnati (and unless Al Davis goes on a scotch bender, Oakland will keep Tom Cable). That leaves Denver, Cleveland, San Francisco and Carolina with vacancies. Denver's got its own sack of worms going on; I heard on the radio that Xanders might get sacked yet. In any event, they're making a run at Mike Mularkey. Holmgren, reportedly, wants one of his West Coast Offense disciples to run the Browns, which leaves Gruden, Mornhinweg and Mariucci as candidates. Jerry Richardson, major-league asshole, will hire an easily malleable NFL assistant (Perry Fewell, maybe). San Francisco ... well, who knows what the hell is going on over there.
So, no, I don't see Harbaugh as a major player in all this.
