Earlier today, Jim Trotter of ESPN indicated to our own Aaron Erickson that new San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch would have final say over the team's personnel, including the 53-man roster. Trotter has since clarified what he meant.
"I misspoke earlier," Trotter admitted via Twitter. "Lynch will have final say over the draft, free agency and 90-man roster. Shanahan will have final say on 53-man roster."
I misspoke earlier. Lynch will have final say over the draft, free agency and 90-man roster. Shanahan will have final say on 53-man roster.
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) January 30, 2017
So that means that Lynch will have control of the roster leading up to final cuts prior to the opening of the regular season. From there, it will be new head coach Kyle Shanahan, who is currently the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons. Shanahan is currently preparing his team to play the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI.
The original statement by Trotter was a curious one given that Lynch, a former NFL safety turned FOX analyst, has no front office experience. It had always been widely assumed that Shanahan would have the bigger role when it came to the 49ers roster. The clarification makes more sense. Of course, 49ers CEO Jed York is banking on the hope that Lynch and Shanahan will create a symbiotic relationship and that final say will not be an issue. The goal has always been to find a general manager and head coach pairing that thought alike and communicated well with each other.
York hopes that the pair will be together for a long time, giving Lynch a six-year deal and reportedly ready to give Shanahan a deal similar in length.
The new 49ers general manager will take part in a conference call with Bay Area media at 4:15 p.m. PT.
Welp. Nevermind. This seems to be a fair arrangement. GM buys the groceries, HC prepares the meal. #49ers #49wz https://t.co/7vtjeLd3u6
— Aaron Erickson (@EricksonAaron44) January 30, 2017
Lynch, who wanted his candidacy to remain a secret, met with York at his home on Thursday. He was actually the one who contacted Shanahan about the possibility of working together and the pair met with each other on Friday when Lynch flew to Atlanta with York and chief strategy officer Paraag Marathe.
Lynch is the 11th general manager in franchise history. He enjoyed a 15-year NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Denver Broncos and was a four-time All-Pro and nine-time Pro Bowl selection. Lynch was part of the Buccaneers team that won Super Bowl XXXVII.
