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Former Jets and Browns coach Eric Mangini, out of the NFL since the conclusion of the 2010 season, could be getting back in.

Mangini is in talks with the 49ers about joining the team as a consultant, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS.

The man who vaulted into the ranks of head coaches after running Bill Belichick’s defense in New England has spent the last two years working for ESPN. Mangini’s name has been mentioned from time to time as a potential defensive coordinator.

In San Francisco, Mangini could be advance insurance against the potential departure of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who surely is moving closer to the head-coaching “A” list after spending the last two seasons orchestrating one of the best defenses in the league on a staff led by Jim Harbaugh, a former NFL quarterback and offensive specialist.