John Lynch expresses belief in 49ers’ core after ‘embarrassing’ 2024 NFL season

PALM BEACH, Fla. — The 2025 NFL season isn't necessarily a rebuilding year for the 49ers, according to John Lynch.The general manager spoke to local Bay Area media on Monday while attending the NFL Annual Meeting and expressed disappointment over the 49ers' 2024 performance. "We need to get better as a football team," Lynch said. "We were 6-11. No matter how we got there — injuries to key players, we were 6-11. That's embarrassing. [We] don't ever want to be 6-11 again."With the 49ers intent on signing quarterback Brock Purdy to a lucrative contract extension, San Francisco had to make the difficult decisions to release several players, including defensive linemen Javon Hargrave, Leonard Floyd and Maliek Collins, while also letting safety Talanoa Hufanga, cornerback Charvarius Ward and linebacker Dre Greenlaw leave in free agency.The departure of so many players puts more pressure on Lynch and his staff to draft a class of rookies that can immediately impact the game."Pressure is a privilege and I like that," Lynch said. "I like the opportunity to add players and, obviously, it's not just defense, it's offense. The draft is a really important part of fixing that and we're...