I was told we don't have the talent to compete with the good teams.
At the end of the day, sure we can criticize certain players and argue some players are overrated, but at the end of the day, one of the biggest anchors tying this franchise down is the fact Jerry really, really, really sucks at hiring coaches.
He's had two coaches who would push back on him - Jimmy and Parcells - and they're both in the HOF. Jerry wasn't happy with either of them. He ran off Jimmy and only hired Parcells to get his stadium referendum passed. Everywhere in between it's a certain type:
1. A guy getting his first ever NFL HC gig. That guy will agree to anything Jerry wants.
2. A former HC who is desperate for another chance and doesn't have other teams interested in him. That guy will agree to anything Jerry wants.
People bring up names like Belichick and Harbaugh, neither of which interest Jerry. One, he wouldn't be the only one interested in them - they're not desperate. Two, they'd want things to run a certain way and wouldn't be afraid to question/challenge Jerry and Stephen's decisions. They don't want coaches like that.
He sucks at hiring head coaches because he wants ones who need him more than he needs them. Belichick and Harbaugh, for example, don't need Jerry.