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San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch appears to have moved beyond the trade speculations that dominated headlines before and during the 2024 NFL Draft. He's now focused on the upcoming 2024 season and preparing his roster for a Super Bowl run. This roster is expected to include wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel unless there are significant developments.
After coming close to winning the Super Bowl last season but falling short in an overtime battle with the Kansas City Chiefs, Lynch recognizes the opportunity his team has to make another run with its core group.
"I'm doing everything in my power to keep our roster together and that's my goal," Lynch said Thursday on ESPN's "Pat McAfee Show." "And I don't question that. I've got so much belief, when you talk about guys like Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo. They're guys we drafted. They're guys we take a lot of pride in what they've become, who they've become, and we couldn't be more proud of those guys."
Multiple reports before and during the draft indicated that the 49ers were fielding calls from teams interested in their two star receivers. Nothing materialized from those talks.
"And so, during the course of drafts and offseasons, do conversations happen? Absolutely they do," Lynch continued. "We're past that now and we're thrilled to add to that group—Jauan Jennings, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Chris Conley, Ronnie Bell, Danny Gray. And now you add Ricky Pearsall, Jake Cowing; I think we made an already strong group even stronger."
Aiyuk was the subject of trade discussions leading up to the draft. However, after the 49ers selected wide receiver Pearsall with the No. 31 overall pick and Aiyuk remained on the roster past Day 1 of the draft, the focus shifted toward Samuel.
For now, Lynch is only concerned with how well his new offensive weapons integrate into the 49ers roster.
"We have a vision for both those guys (Pearsall and Cowing), how they can contribute and be a part [of this team]," Lynch commented. "And they represent a lot of the qualities that we like in our players. And they were the best players there for us at the time. So we're thrilled to add those guys to an already strong room and we're ready to roll forward."
With the draft now behind them and both players still on the roster, San Francisco's wide receiver corps appears to be settled, at least for one more season.
Lynch emphasized, "We think we really helped our roster throughout this offseason—free agency, into the draft—and we're fired up about our team."
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However, none of these speculations came to fruition. Both Aiyuk and Samuel remain on the roster, at least for another season, though their future beyond that remains uncertain.
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