These are tough times for many around the world. The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we live and, for many, the way we work. The San Francisco 49ers have been affected, as well. That includes the way general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan are preparing for April's draft.
Of course, it isn't all bad for the duo, the general manager revealed to Peter King of NBC Sports over the weekend. It turns out he, along with Shanahan, is getting a lot more done as the two work remotely from their homes and communicate online. That's thanks to the lack of interruptions.
With the team's facilities, like others around the NFL, closed, Lynch shared a video over the weekend of his home office and make-shift workspace for the foreseeable future. It's where he will scout prospects and help formulate a draft plan.
"People have a lot bigger problems than we do, I can tell you that," Lynch told King. "This year's a lot different than any year scouts and GMs have had, obviously, with all the challenges. But this time of year, what you really need is time. The other day, [coach] Kyle [Shanahan] called and said, 'This is unbelievable! I'm getting so much done.' And he's right.
"He and I, this time of year, would be watching this tape in our offices, and the difference is our doors aren't getting knocked on 50 times a day. I'm really getting a lot done."
The 2020 NFL Draft is still scheduled to kick off on April 23. It won't, however, be held in Las Vegas, as initially planned. It will be aired, as it is every year. What that will look like is not certain yet, though.
King notes that the NFL has a "worst-case scenario" plan in place, which will feature commissioner Roger Goodell in front of a remote-controlled camera at his home in Bronxville, New York.
NFL Network host Rich Eisen doesn't necessarily see the plan as a worst-case scenario, though.
Said Eisen: "What better way to communicate the necessity to stay inside to stop the spread of the coronavirus than the commissioner of the NFL announcing the picks, alone, from his house in New York?"
Click here to read King's entire feature over at NBC Sports.
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