John Lynch - 49ers GM

After much thought, Lynch may turn out to be the best GM in the league. Smart guy (Stanford), that has played the game, and understands what it takes to win in the NFL. Let's give him a shot and see what happens.

Originally posted by thl408:
So Gamble will be graded on how he gets along with Shanahan/Lynch instead of how well he scouted players? That's kind of stupid.

Yeah, I'm thinking it's more about fit and process.
I think an eye for talent helps, but I'm sure the scouts themselves will generate more than enough scouting reports and opinions. My guess is that Lynch will look at how Gamble acts as a buffer between him and those scouts. Does he keep the scouts focused on the right priorities? Does he provide the right information to help Lynch make decisions?

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/tampa-bay-bucs-debt-to-john-lynch-is-also-to-bill-walsh/907411

Great insight into what might help drive Lynch's desire to build back a dying franchise. Let's hope for the best!

Originally posted by glorydayz:
After much thought, Lynch may turn out to be the best GM in the league. Smart guy (Stanford), that has played the game, and understands what it takes to win in the NFL. Let's give him a shot and see what happens.

Winning as a player and as a executive are completely different. Mike Singletary was a "winner" how did did that work out for SF?

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

For in 1991, John Lynch was not much of an NFL prospect. A quarterback-turned-safety at Stanford, he started three games as a junior. A second-round draft pick of the Florida Marlins as a pitcher, Lynch had pretty much decided to give up football as a senior to concentrate on baseball.

"Then along comes Bill Walsh, and I'm ready to go off to spring training," Lynch said. "He tells me, not only can I help the Stanford team, but I can play in the NFL at Pro Bowl level at safety. I was trying to be as respectful as possible, but I said, 'What makes you think that? I've started three games in college.'

"Not only did he tell me, but he had a tape. I only had about 10 good plays, but he would show me a play of myself and then a play of Ronnie Lott. He was a good salesman because after that day I called the Marlins and said, 'I'm going to come, but I'm also going to play football my senior year.' "

The following spring Lynch had become a mid-level NFL prospect, but there was no real reason for the Bucs to have any particular interest in him. That is, until Walsh called then-Bucs coach Sam Wyche.

Wyche had been a player for Walsh in Cincinnati and an assistant coach for him in San Francisco, and his old boss was calling with a tip that would help change the course of a franchise.

"Bill called me and said, 'Don't let this guy get away. He's the best leader and the best hitter you can hope for,' " Wyche said. "At the time, our competition was baseball. He was a bit of a gamble in the draft, so we had to make sure John wanted to play football. I did a total recruiting pitch for him.

"John and his wife, Linda, are such a great couple, they're the kind of people you want in your life and in your community. They became like real-life angels living among us."

And so it was Lynch who lived through the orange uniforms, the half-empty bleachers and the losing seasons. He was here two years before Brooks and Sapp, and three years before Dungy.

He saw the Glazers buy the team, he saw players arrive, and he eventually saw a new stadium built. He began the John Lynch Foundation and has seen it help more than 50 high school students go on to colleges.

Along the way, he saw a franchise change its identity. With Sapp on the line, Brooks in the middle and Lynch in the secondary, the Bucs became one of the fiercest defenses in NFL history.

It is hard to imagine two more disparate personalities than Sapp and Lynch. They came from different coasts, different cultures, different worlds. Sapp is loud and obnoxious. Lynch is quiet and polite. From the time Sapp arrived, he worked on Lynch's last nerve. Their relationship finally came to a crossroads on a flight home after a loss when Sapp started flipping playing cards at the back of Lynch's head.

"I'd had enough of him, he was always egging me on," Lynch said. "I told him, 'Warren, I don't care how big you are, I will whup your you-know-what if you throw one more card.' And he did, he threw one more card. I got up, and (Trent) Dilfer and Brooks were there to catch my (punch) or I don't know what would have happened.

"But right then, Sapp said, 'Okay, now we can go to war together.' And we've been great ever since."

It would take another half-dozen seasons — and a collection of Pro Bowl appearances among them — but Sapp, Brooks and Lynch eventually took the Bucs to a Super Bowl title.

Wyche was long gone. Dungy had left, too. Hugh Culverhouse had died, and Tampa Stadium had been demolished. But Lynch was here to see a franchise go from nowhere to the top of the world.

"The fact he played a central role in all of it," said his father, John Lynch Sr., "he takes incredible pride in."

So, when it was time to leave pro football behind, John Lynch retired to the place where it began. And he marveled about the journey as much as the destination.

"I think about a lot of things," Lynch said. "If it wasn't for Bill Walsh, I was gone to play baseball. I wonder would I have made it? Or what if I had stayed at quarterback? There are so many things you think about. But this is the way it turned out, and I'm blessed that it did."

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/tampa-bay-bucs-debt-to-john-lynch-is-also-to-bill-walsh/907411

Nice read. Didn't know Lynch was a QB. QB and safety are the two most demanding positions when it comes to football IQ imo.

Originally posted by cortana49:

Originally posted by Mookster:

Originally posted by NinerGM:

Originally posted by Mookster:

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by Mookster:
So who do you think will run the draft?

I think ultimate responsibility will go to Dominik and Gamble with Lynch having the final say.

Exactly. Thank-you for making the point.

So why is this terrible again?

Because you've just put your rebuild on the shoulders of at least one person, Gamble, who has literally been slapped in the face and told he's here to run a draft and be a scapegoat at best. You've also committed to hiring people to do the job your GM is supposed to do and given final roster responsibility to someone who's never been held accountable for evaluating talent at any level of professional football. I'd love to find a silver lining in this but if this was the result of all that change then they could have let Baalke continue to screw things up.

Dynasty to Disaster is just a York away

Good lord, you act as if they'll be working in silos and refuse to be on the same page.

You act like Gamble is happy with the outcome, will continue to believe that he has a future with the team and that he won't be a scapegoat for the upcoming draft..... or that he won't look at this as a professional insult, start flogging his own personal connection wire (which I expect far exceeds Lynch's) and be gone long before the draft

Given the recent issues with this organization I'm not sure which one of us is furthest from the truth.


Dynasty to Disaster is just a York away

Well, those of us who just couldn't look beyond BFF going the easy/dumb route called it. Gamble will be our GM. Lynch appears as if he is leaning more into the President of Football Ops spot.

Because he is evaluating Gamble this year, then that puts Lynch at PFO.

We still do not have a GM.

BFF's hired the coach first with no GM hire.

Originally posted by Mookster:
You act like Gamble is happy with the outcome

You act like you know exactly what Gamble is thinking despite not personally knowing the man.

Originally posted by thl408:

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

For in 1991, John Lynch was not much of an NFL prospect. A quarterback-turned-safety at Stanford, he started three games as a junior. A second-round draft pick of the Florida Marlins as a pitcher, Lynch had pretty much decided to give up football as a senior to concentrate on baseball.

"Then along comes Bill Walsh, and I'm ready to go off to spring training," Lynch said. "He tells me, not only can I help the Stanford team, but I can play in the NFL at Pro Bowl level at safety. I was trying to be as respectful as possible, but I said, 'What makes you think that? I've started three games in college.'

"Not only did he tell me, but he had a tape. I only had about 10 good plays, but he would show me a play of myself and then a play of Ronnie Lott. He was a good salesman because after that day I called the Marlins and said, 'I'm going to come, but I'm also going to play football my senior year.' "

The following spring Lynch had become a mid-level NFL prospect, but there was no real reason for the Bucs to have any particular interest in him. That is, until Walsh called then-Bucs coach Sam Wyche.

Wyche had been a player for Walsh in Cincinnati and an assistant coach for him in San Francisco, and his old boss was calling with a tip that would help change the course of a franchise.

"Bill called me and said, 'Don't let this guy get away. He's the best leader and the best hitter you can hope for,' " Wyche said. "At the time, our competition was baseball. He was a bit of a gamble in the draft, so we had to make sure John wanted to play football. I did a total recruiting pitch for him.

"John and his wife, Linda, are such a great couple, they're the kind of people you want in your life and in your community. They became like real-life angels living among us."

And so it was Lynch who lived through the orange uniforms, the half-empty bleachers and the losing seasons. He was here two years before Brooks and Sapp, and three years before Dungy.

He saw the Glazers buy the team, he saw players arrive, and he eventually saw a new stadium built. He began the John Lynch Foundation and has seen it help more than 50 high school students go on to colleges.

Along the way, he saw a franchise change its identity. With Sapp on the line, Brooks in the middle and Lynch in the secondary, the Bucs became one of the fiercest defenses in NFL history.

It is hard to imagine two more disparate personalities than Sapp and Lynch. They came from different coasts, different cultures, different worlds. Sapp is loud and obnoxious. Lynch is quiet and polite. From the time Sapp arrived, he worked on Lynch's last nerve. Their relationship finally came to a crossroads on a flight home after a loss when Sapp started flipping playing cards at the back of Lynch's head.

"I'd had enough of him, he was always egging me on," Lynch said. "I told him, 'Warren, I don't care how big you are, I will whup your you-know-what if you throw one more card.' And he did, he threw one more card. I got up, and (Trent) Dilfer and Brooks were there to catch my (punch) or I don't know what would have happened.

"But right then, Sapp said, 'Okay, now we can go to war together.' And we've been great ever since."

It would take another half-dozen seasons — and a collection of Pro Bowl appearances among them — but Sapp, Brooks and Lynch eventually took the Bucs to a Super Bowl title.

Wyche was long gone. Dungy had left, too. Hugh Culverhouse had died, and Tampa Stadium had been demolished. But Lynch was here to see a franchise go from nowhere to the top of the world.

"The fact he played a central role in all of it," said his father, John Lynch Sr., "he takes incredible pride in."

So, when it was time to leave pro football behind, John Lynch retired to the place where it began. And he marveled about the journey as much as the destination.

"I think about a lot of things," Lynch said. "If it wasn't for Bill Walsh, I was gone to play baseball. I wonder would I have made it? Or what if I had stayed at quarterback? There are so many things you think about. But this is the way it turned out, and I'm blessed that it did."

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/tampa-bay-bucs-debt-to-john-lynch-is-also-to-bill-walsh/907411

Nice read. Didn't know Lynch was a QB. QB and safety are the two most demanding positions when it comes to football IQ imo.

Yeah interesting. He needs to be on top of this draft while Shanny gets his ring.

Originally posted by dtg_9er:

Originally posted by ronniefreakinlott42:

I don't hate the Lynch hire, but 1 difference between him and Young that would make a difference in my book is his law degree. That would be extremely helpful in drawing contracts.

The were looking purely football for the position and it's easy to hire a lawyer for contracts...they already have one, plus Marathe is the contracts guy. If they are trying to build a deep bench and will be hiring more people this is a really good hire. He's bright, gets along with people but is also very forceful.

Quarles is an interesting guy with experience. Not sure he would want to leave TB, after a decade of experience, to join SF but he was an honor society guy at Vandy. Another bright guy and he has been working in personnel for over a decade.

The 49ers also have a Director position in charge of contracts, Brian Hampton is in that role.

Originally posted by Jcool:

Originally posted by glorydayz:
After much thought, Lynch may turn out to be the best GM in the league. Smart guy (Stanford), that has played the game, and understands what it takes to win in the NFL. Let's give him a shot and see what happens.

Winning as a player and as a executive are completely different. Mike Singletary was a "winner" how did did that work out for SF?

I think that does help in the culture-building department. IMO Sing did help in that regard, but his limited organizational ability overshadowed it.
The current roster has a college vibe to it, so hopefully Lynch can start finding out who the pros are.

pretty funny the colts get ballard and we get lynch. we'll see

Originally posted by Young2Rice:

Originally posted by blizzuntz:

Originally posted by Young2Rice:
What free agents you guys think he will he go after?

Ronde Barber, also a broadcaster

lol

Mike Alstott, We lack a FB.

Originally posted by Mookster:

You act like Gamble is happy with the outcome, will continue to believe that he has a future with the team and that he won't be a scapegoat for the upcoming draft..... or that he won't look at this as a professional insult, start flogging his own personal connection wire (which I expect far exceeds Lynch's) and be gone long before the draft

Given the recent issues with this organization I'm not sure which one of us is furthest from the truth.


Dynasty to Disaster is just a York away

This whole process is Jed swinging the pendulum too far the other way. Now he obsessed with starting the BFF Club, entrance only for those with no experience.

The Colts, with an idiot owner, came in late, found the best talent in Ballard and are joining him with Pagano. Sounds so simple when Jed isn't involved.

Even Peter King made fun of our process and that guy is a p***y.

Originally posted by Big_Daddy:
This whole process is Jed swinging the pendulum too far the other way. Now he obsessed with starting the BFF Club.

The Colts, with an idiot owner, came in late, found the best talent in Ballard and are joining him with Pagano. Sounds so simple when Jed isn't involved.

Even Peter King made fun of our process and that guy is a p***y.

He made fun of the process yet praised the result