On Wednesday morning, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch joined KNBR. A former NFL running back and 49ers fan favorite, Frank Gore, was with Lynch in team CEO Jed York's suite this past Sunday during the team's 30-10 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He remains close with the York family and continues to be a big fan of his former organization.
Gore was treated to watching a 79-yard, one-touchdown rushing performance from Deebo Samuel — a wide receiver. That came on just eight attempts, meaning the receiver averaged nearly 10 yards per carry.
Gore believes Samuel is so impressive that the third-year wideout is good enough to be a great running back.
"He loves Deebo as a running back," Lynch said. "He probably feels that if we just stuck with him at running back, he could be one of the best running backs in football. But he also understands that Deebo can do so much. He loves Deebo, just like everybody else does right now. It's hard not to."
Samuel, the team's leading receiver this season, is proving that he can do it all. While Samuel admits that he prefers hauling in passes, if the game plan calls for a significant number of carries, he is willing to do whatever it takes to win football games.
How does the 49ers general manager feel about Samuel the running back?
"Just give him the damn ball," Lynch responded while laughing. "I like that. I don't care where it is. Shoot, earlier this year, when we were trying to get back in a game, we put him back at kick returner because he's just so good with the ball in his hands.
"And I'm so proud of Deebo too, the steps he's taken as a professional. Even, I'm talking about him with the ball in his hands, I think one of the biggest keys to his season: He's improved so much without the ball. That's typically something we talk about in basketball.
"But his blocking, his route-running, all those things, he's really become a pro and gotten himself in tip-top shape. And he's playing as well as anybody in football right now."
Next up for Samuel and the 49ers are the Minnesota Vikings. Both teams enter Week 12 with 5-5 records and will clash on Sunday afternoon at Levi's Stadium.