Baalke: Ownership not to blame for 49ers’ start

A fan holds up a sign of San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke during the first half of an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016. less A fan holds up a sign of San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke during the first half of an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Santa Clara, Calif., ... more Photo: Ben Margot, Associated Press Photo: Ben Margot, Associated Press Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close Baalke: Ownership not to blame for 49ers’ start 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Plenty of people are being blamed for the 49ers’ 1-7 start, but general manager Trent Baalke said today fingers shouldn’t be pointed at CEO Jed York.

Baalke addressed the 49ers’ inactivity in the free-agent market prior to their nightmarish season and said he was given no directive to take a fiscally conservative approach. The 49ers signed only one starter - left guard Zane Beadles - during free agency and their $40-plus million in salary cap space ranks second behind the Browns.

“The bottom line is the ownership gives us everything we need to be successful, everything we need,” Baalke said. “There's nothing financial holding us back from being successful.”

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Of course, it’s no surprise Baalke would support York, who has the authority to fire him. Baalke is perhaps taking the most heat for the 49ers losing 22 of their last 29 games dating to 2014. He’s selected just one player who has been voted to a Pro Bowl in his five drafts from 2011-15.

(Ownership is) “extremely supportive, they let us make football decisions, they support us wholeheartedly and they give us resource necessary to do it,” Baalke said. “That's what’s frustrating. If people want to put blame, find it, look right here. Because I'm given everything I need to be successful in the job that I'm doing. Period.”

Twitter: @Eric_Branch