49ers GM Lynch discusses ‘huge emphasis’ on QBs

Former 49ers general manager Trent Baalke, who didn't use a top-200 pick on a quarterback in his final five drafts, didn't seem to have a full appreciation for the most important position in the NFL. John Lynch, an ex-safety who began his career at Stanford as a quarterback, said he recognized during his decorated, 15-year NFL career how an elite signal-caller can dominate games. Fourteen of the past 16 AFC champions have counted Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or Ben Roethlisberger as their quarterback. The fact is, even if Lynch didn't value quarterbacks highly, he'd be forced to grab several this offseason given the 49ers' depth chart. On Tuesday, Lynch spent part of his day discussing draft prospects, including quarterbacks, with his staff. "We've already discussed it, but we're going to get together and find out exactly what he's looking for in a quarterback," Lynch said. [...] we're going to evaluate the guys we have, we're going to evaluate the draft, and we're going to look hard at free agency, trades, whatever we need to do to get a guy.