Photo courtesy of the San Francisco 49ers
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
John Lynch will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame today. He took time out of his busy schedule this week to speak with Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area and shared his thoughts on the road to football immortality.
While Lynch is being recognized for his 15 combined seasons as an NFL safety, he currently serves as the San Francisco 49ers general manager. He has high expectations for the current roster he has helped build. Unfortunately, the team has failed to find consistent success. While it reached the Super Bowl during the 2019 season, three of the past four seasons have resulted in six-or-fewer wins.
While Lynch is in Canton for this weekend's festivities, he has managed to sneak some glances at the practice footage on his iPad and enjoyed seeing the videos online from Saturday's practice inside Levi's Stadium.
"I like our roster. I like it a lot," Lynch said, "and there's great competition. I think that's the one thing that I really enjoy. I think we're deeper than we've ever been. I think the D-line is a great representation of that. We've really added to that with guys like (Samson) Ebukam, the Raider guys, [Maurice] Hurst and Arden Key. Zach Kerr came in.
"All our top-flight guys, (Arik) Armstead and D.J. Jones, they're all looking really, really good. And Bosa looks great [on] the side. Probably won't see him much through the preseason, but he's tracking well for Week 1.
"So, we couldn't be happier with the way our roster is shaping up. You just try to maintain that."
The general manager shared what the team is doing differently this season to ensure 2021 turns out healthier than 2020.
"[Training camp has been] relatively healthy," Lynch said. "Some nicks are starting to spring up. And I think these days, you're just so careful and probably a little proactive. If someone's tightening up, you give them a couple of days [off] because we've had experiences where you try to push through, and it becomes something bigger."
Of course, no conversation would be complete without discussing the 49ers' quarterback situation. Lynch admitted that everyone is interested in that topic. He was even asked about it over the weekend by his fellow inductees, like Jimmy Johnson, Peyton Manning, and Calvin Johnson. They all want to hear about the 49ers' exciting rookie, Trey Lance.
"I think there's been a lot of buzz about his well Trey's been playing, and that travels," Lynch said. "So a lot of people have asked. ... It's been fun to share that with people."
Lynch commented that the rookie quarterback had a jump in performance from organized team activities to training camp, a testament to his work ethic and study habits.
"He's a pro. He's a pro already," Lynch said. "We thought that. Everyone told us that. You meet his family. That kind of confirms that. And then when you mix a guy, who it's important to and works, and you mix that with the talent, and the skill set that he has, you have a chance for something.
"Now, we all say that he's doing really well. We've had like four padded practices, so we've got a ways to go, but we sure like where he's at."
Lynch didn't ignore his other quarterback—the one slated to start Week 1.
"I'll tell you, we're talking about Trey so much, [Jimmy Garoppolo] has been really good, and he's really responded to the challenge," Lynch shared. "And he's been great to the kid, but he's also a competitor. It's important for him to be the guy lining up there this year for us. His teammates love him. That hasn't changed. And he's playing at a really good level right now."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.
Related News
The decision to trade up in the 2021 NFL Draft and select quarterback Trey Lance could have had significant consequences for general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan. With the team lacking first-round picks in the last two drafts due to this move, and Lance no longer on the roster after being traded to the Dallas Cowboys before last season, it's clear the gamble didn't unfold as expected.
Lynch held his annual pre-draft press conference on Monday, reflecting on the decision to take such a big chance on Lance. While such a bold move might have jeopardized jobs elsewhere, Lynch and Shanahan were blessed with some good fortune in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Acknowledging the support of the team's ownership, Lynch stated, "They believe in Kyle and I, and our
We are less than one week away from the NFL Draft, and the San Francisco 49ers have their first day-one draft pick since 2021. That was the year they selected QB Trey Lance number three overall. The trade-up to get Lance cost the 49ers their first-round picks in 2022 and 2023. And now that they are back in the first round, at pick 31, fans are anxious to see what the team does with the pick. And with former assistant GM, Adam Peters, now in Washington, it will be interesting to see how well the 49ers draft without Peters in the room.
We looked back at the seven drafts GM John Lynch and Head Coach Kyle Shanahan have led to see what information we could pull from those drafts. There were plenty of hits, plenty of misses, and a few surprises along the way. The draft picks are
Rumors have swirled regarding the situation between the San Francisco 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who is entering his fifth NFL season and is slated to earn $14.124 million on a team-executed fifth-year option. Despite the 49ers publicly declaring a desire to sign Aiyuk to a contract extension, keeping him on the roster for the foreseeable future, many rumors have focused on potential trade interest.
On Monday, general manager John Lynch held his annual pre-draft press conference, addressing the Aiyuk situation without revealing any information on the conversations that have taken place behind closed doors. Once again, he emphasized that the 49ers want Aiyuk to remain with the team for the remainder of his career.
When asked if there was a chance Aiyuk
As customary, NFL teams engage in preliminary discussions about potential draft trades during owner meetings. The San Francisco 49ers currently hold the No. 31 spot in the first round but appear receptive to moving either up or down. The 2024 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday night.
General manager John Lynch addressed reporters on Monday and acknowledged the wide range of possibilities. However, he noted that any potential discussions about trading spots with other teams will likely intensify later in the week.
"It's going to be an interesting year," Lynch stated. "I think it's an interesting draft class. I was just looking at my notes and one interesting thing to me, dynamic, and the way of the world right now, we put a grade on players in the fall if we think
