John Lynch: We’re committed to finding that franchise quarterback
May 30, 2017 at 4:52 PM
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On Tuesday, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch joined "NFL Total Access" on
NFL Network. He touched on a number of topics including the quarterback position and the team drafting three straight defensive players.
Lynch started the conversation by saying how much fun it has been running the organization but that it has been a big challenge with everything that comes across his desk.
David Carr asked Lynch what attributes he is looking for in a quarterback – whether it be for 2017 or for the future. Lynch said that he and head coach Kyle Shanahan discussed the position early on when they were united in San Francisco.
"I think the most important thing is how much we value the position," Lynch said. "I think it's fairly obvious to anyone that watches the league, but when you find a franchise one, you've got a chance each and every year. And so, we set out to find that guy. Right now, we've got Brian Hoyer, Matt Barkley, and [C.J.] Beathard, who we took from Iowa. Do we have that franchise guy? I don't know. We're hoping one of those guys -- right now, it's Brian Hoyer's -- we're hoping he takes it and runs with it. I can tell you this, we're committed to finding that guy but we're very happy with what we have right now."
Lynch: 'Don't know' if franchise QB is on our roster
The 49ers selected three straight defensive players in April's draft. They selected defensive lineman Solomon Thomas and linebacker Reuben Foster in the first round and then cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon in the third. Is there a battle between Lynch and Shanahan when it comes to defense versus offense?
"You'd be surprised," Lynch said. "I think Kyle wants to win here and he wants to win championships. So we set our board and we really didn't go in with the intention but I was smiling and giving him a hard time when we went defense on all three levels starting with Solomon Thomas, then moving on to Reuben Foster, and then Ahkello Witherspoon. We hit the d-line, the linebackers and then the secondary. About that time, he said, 'Alright, now it is time to get some offense for this team.'
"But really what we were both trying to do is just find players that we think fit our criteria both in talent, what they put on film, also in the spirit that they embody. And we're really proud of the guys that we drafted and we feel like they give us a chance to put a nucleus together that can change the fortune of this franchise back to where we want to be and where this franchise belongs -- and that's on top."
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