Kyle Shanahan called shots on 49ers’ hiring of John Lynch

Jed York is experiencing growing pains which may develop into severe stomach cramps. But first, let’s talk about John Lynch, the 49ers’ new general manager.

For all we know, Lynch may turn out to be a fantastic GM but, please, this is a stunning hire. And not in the good sense.

Click here to read the rest of my column.

This article has 263 Comments

  1. Nice. The only thing I see to make this work right away, if it is going to work at all, is to have Mike Shanahan advising Lynch from the background. If thats what’s going to happen, I’m excited.

    1. I see Full Shanny in a film room designing a new offense, utilizing Walsh and new era Shanny concepts!

  2. According to Marcus Allen, Lynch has been a coach and evaluator his entire career, and believes he’s more than capable. Elway would have blocked all those GM’s from taking Peters. Great first get by Lynch. They will continue to add competent people to the front office. What York ended up with was the NFL Offensive Assistant of the year as his Head Coach. Not too shabby, and to think the Colts had visions of swooping in like a thief in the night to take the mighty Shanny away from the 49ers….

    1. Not only is it not shabby, but now all the haters are on record as being jump-to-conclusion jerks…

      This was, in effect, Kyle Shanahan’s hire. The guy who is at 88% on the poll on the side bar… He brought Lynch into the process, he endorsed Lynch and he’s happy to have Lynch. And now all the haters who were ****ing on York as being an idiot have to eat their words.

      Of course, if Lynch succeeds they’ll all pretend they were all-in on the hire. Because fans never, ever, ever make mistakes and they’d all be ‘the best coach/GM ever’ if they only were given a chance.. :eyeroll:

      1. I’ve read that he prefers being paid as a consultant. I certainly hope they do that. This might range from from being on retainer for advice to analyzing player needs to overseeing a draft. I’m not speculating about what he’s going to do, if he does anything. I’m still on record that Kyle will stay in Atlanta.

        1. Wait George, do you mean you still believe Kyle will be coaching Atlanta next season? What the …….if that’s the case, I say: You can’t be serious!

  3. If Tom Gamble wasn’t still around I would be worried about this years draft, it will give Lynch a year to get settled into the job. Grant I will tell you what Lynch’s biggest contribution will be his first year, he will completely change the culture in the building in a way that none of the other candidates could have. Who the 9ers ended up with at GM are not nearly as important as the staff KS hires over the next few weeks. With a young team your position coaches and coordinators are more important than your HC.

    1. You’ve got that right, OldCoach. My, what a contrast in culture it must be going from Baalke to Lynch….

    2. Gamble is more on the professional than college side so that’s not really a big deal. His best skill is evaluating NFL FAs and club personnel for retention/upgrade.

      BUT they brought in Denver’s head of College Scouting (Peters) as the new VP of Player Personnel.

  4. Ok now that you’ve established that York has failed at the process of sausage making, let’s see how this mess of meat parts and spices actually tastes.

  5. This is a bold move by Jed York. I’m sure he might have consulted with his uncle and the inner circle. But with this out of the box thinking, if works, will earn him creditability and respect from the football world. After all, he has let emotional tie to Baalke ruined his franchise for a number of years.

    1. Oh, please. It was him and Marthe at the suggestion of Shanahan. Eddie’s so far out of the loop he’d be a joke. Besides, he was terrible at it anyway. He wasn’t the one who found Walsh.

  6. Yep, summed it up nicely Grant. This could all work out splendidly. But Jed backed himself into a corner and basically had to roll over for Shanahan. That isn’t a good way of running your business.

    1. I’m ok with Jed not having many choices, it keeps him from screwing things up too badly. K.Shan was smart

    2. Par for this FO lot, however! After bungling Jim Harbaugh’s situation, York said he wanted a teacher and hired Tomsula after several good candidates fled for the hills. Next they hire a guy who looks like he can’t get a job elsewhere and was run out of the last job he had. They sold it on innovation and restoring winning ways. Remember York stated that Chip Kelly would be around for many years…err, never mind that. Now, they are trying a whole new strategy and trying to sell it as a bold move. I am not optimistic.

      I certainly want both KS and John Lynch to succeed, but I’m not confident in what these bozos in the front office are doing. They clearly gave away the store to a novice.

    1. #6 will help to guide our mock drafts, and Kirk Cousins is a great example of that type of player. #8 is for all the doubters….

  7. When I was 12 years old I was already almost 6′ tall. I can tell you what growing pains feel like. What the 49ers are about to go through will be more like stomach cancer.

      1. I don’t have a problem with York’s “growing pain” statement. At least there is honesty in it. Unlike his statement that Tomsula would do as good as Harbaugh.

  8. Kyle’s on record as saying his Dad won’t be on the Niners staff. Hard to say if Jed’s going to bring in anyone to oversee football operations, but based on giving Lynch & reportedly Shanahan final say on the 90 & 53-man rosters, he might not. Lynch wants to bring in Denver’s chief of scouting, Pete Adams as Director of Player Personnel. That’s a smart move because Gamble’s got less than 90 days to prove his worth. Adams can learn a lot from him, though. I really don’t care who called who…all I care about is getting two smart guys who want to build something special…and I think Jed’s going to have that right after the SB.

  9. We have to remember Walsh went through that first 2-14 season.

    That was extremely painful, too.

    Hopefully, it will be a quick fix.

  10. Grant…I respectfully disagree with your take that Jed/Paraag turned people off. This morning, Pat Kirwan, who happens to be very dialed in, said he knew several good, experienced folks who wanted the Niner job. I believe the notion nobody wanted this job is blown way out of proportion.

        1. It’s possible Grant, but I think the GM’s aren’t interested in the numbers negotiating as much as the ability to sign who they want. That’s why teams have cap guys.

        2. Paraag has a degree in accounting and a track record of drawing some of the best team-friendly contracts in the league. He also has a record of getting along with players’ agents, especially the difficult agents. He comes prepared in contract negotiations with persuasive data on market value of the players.

          Any GM with half a brain would jump to work with such a guy. If that GM that dumb to not take advantage of Paraag’s skills, he should not be the Niners’ GM in the first place. Every national NFL writer who has quoted league executives about Paraag has quoted them praising Paraag for his contract negotiation skills. Only a few local writers have developed on this unsubstantiated canard on how executives are shying away from the Niners because of Paraag.

          1. I guess Chris Ballard, Nick Caserio, Eliot Wolf, Brian Gutekunst and Trent Kirchner didn’t have half a brain.

            1. Show me proof that this list of GM candidates were turned off by Marathe. I’ll be waiting. Not hearsay from “sources”. Actual proof from the hoarse’s mouth. And if it were true, what’s to keep these guys from telling the media that this was in fact the case?

              Pure, unadulterated hocum Grant! Your eagerness to connect these dots in a way that fits your narrative, despite no tangible links, is disappointing. By the way, when Kyle inks his contract next week, I look forward to your column in regards to how your opinions on Kyle Shanahan pre-hire line-up with your opinions post-hire.

              I’m expecting quite a spirited game of how one ties himself up into a human knot. http://www.wikihow.com/Play-the-Human-Knot-Game Should be an entertaining read.

            2. Ballard didn’t want to move from the mid-west to the left coast. Simple as that. People don’t just turn down promotions for good reason. Grant…if the Northwest Arkansas Hazette offered you the head of the sports section, would you take it? As a person in my 40’s with a family…the job is not my first consideration. Indy is A LOT different from Santa Clara!

          2. Nope. Paraag only wrote one FA contract last year. Of course, Baalke had a lot to do with it, but Paraag was essentially useless. Oh wait, he did write up another one, to DEVEY.

            Niners should not write team friendly contracts, or decent free agents will continue to avoid the Niners like the plague. Niners should draw up fair contracts, that are balanced and both sides will be happy with.

            Paraag drew up the team friendly Kaep contract, but last year, everyone was saying how bad it was, and Kaep could not play until it was rewritten.

            I would rather have Joan in accounting write the contracts.

            1. Imagine how brutal it could have been if Colin had received a typical QB contract. The 49ers would be in far worse shape, IMO.

              1. That was brilliant on the 49ers part. They knew Kaepernick was not an invested player and could possibly be that type of player to have hit his full potential and be nothing more. The series of one year deals allows no big commitment to him and they can walk away.
                Now Kap has to go to another team and earn his way back as a starter. This time it wont be that easy, there wont be a pylon like Gabbert in his way, which by the way, he could not beat out in camp anyways.
                Good riddance!

    1. It’s part of the Hater Brigade Rosary. Say ‘Three Hate Yorks’ and light a candle to blessed Walsh.

  11. Trades: 49ers trade Staley to Broncos for 50th pick and 2018 conditional third round pick
    49ers trade 2nd pick to Titans for 5th, 18th, 69th and 2018 first round pick
    49ers trade 5th pick to Colts for 14th, 47th, 78th, and 2018 second round picks

    ROUND ONE

    PICK 14: OLB/DE Solomon Thomas
    PICK 18: WR Corey Davis

    ROUND TWO

    PICK 34: RB/WR Christian McCaffrey
    PICK 47: WR Zay Jones
    PICK 50: QB Deshaun Watson

    ROUND THREE

    PICK 66: CB Damontae Kazee
    PICK 69: TE Gerald Everett
    PICK 78: OT Julie’n Davenport

    ROUND FOUR

    OLB Jordan Willis
    COMP PICK: C/OG Jon Toth

    ROUND FIVE

    QB Nathan Peterman

    ROUND SIX

    RB Joe Mixon
    DT Eddie Vanderdoes

    ROUND SEVEN

    DE Tanoh Kpassagnon
    DB Demetrious Cox

    FREE AGENTS

    CB A.J. Bouye
    DT Sylvester Williams
    ILB Zach Brown
    FB Kyle Juszczyk
    QB Matt Schaub

    *This mock is contingent on a 3-4 defense, Indianapolis winning the coin toss for the draft, and a complete overhaul of the roster.

    1. I will pray the Titans are that foolish. Love your first two selections. McCaffrey is a reach for mine there. You can get a guy like Travin Dural in the later rounds instead, and I think you’ll need to spend a 4th on Mixon, who’s my 2nd favorite back in this draft. Instead of McCaffrey at the top of the second, how about Dan Feeney OT/G/C?

      1. Thanks for the feedback Razor. Right now I think Feeney gets drafted in the 20-30 range. Mixon has probably been taken off many draft boards due to his character red flags, so I think Mixon will fall into late draft rounds. McCaffrey has the skill set which could work in Shanahan’s offense, and I am not a fan of Dural.
        I am beginning to lean towards the Titans moving up to draft WR Williams if the Bears lose Alshon Jeffrey in free agency.

          1. I think they trade back into the second round and focus on a replacement for Collins.

        1. Please, if the Niners want to win with class, Mixon is radioactive.

          Bold mock to get both McCaffrey and Watson.

          I like your Zach Brown FA pickup, and think Shaub is a viable candidate since KS is coaching him and coached him before.

      1. I think it will be WR Williams, but that will depend on whether the Bears lose Alshon Jeffrey in free agency.

        1. “49ers trade 2nd pick to Titans for 5th, 18th, 69th and 2018 first round pick”

          That’s a big price to pay. The 2nd pick to Titans for 5th, 18th is already exact chart. Good chance Williams would be at pick 5 anyway. A 2018 first + 69th is alot for an insurance trade.

          If the Niners got the Titans 5+18 for pick 2 I’d be thrilled.

          1. The draft charts we use are probably different than the one used by each team though, and teams tend to overspend for high draft picks. It is also a possibility that Williams could be drafted before the fifth pick.

    2. Converting 3 picks in the first three rounds into eight picks, including two in the top 18 and five in the top 50, plus a first, second and third round pick in 2018, would make Lynch a contender for GM of the year right off the bat. Even if it did come at the cost of Staley.

      I like the idea, but without meaning to sound condescending, does that really sound realistic to you? And if it does, why wouldn’t the Browns or the Bears try and do exactly the same thing?

      1. In regards to your first question, it is hard to say. Crazy things have happened around the draft, so I do not think it can’t be ruled out that the 49ers will trade down for more draft capital, especially if they do go into a full rebuild.
        I think the Browns and Bears will stand pat this time because of the available draft prospects. I do concede the 49ers could as well if Shanahan wants to implement a 4-3 defense.

  12. I stated that KS made Lynch’s hiring a must in order for him to come here the second it was announced. Completely obvious by the sudden signing. So what! I don’t blame KS for demanding that considering what other options were out there. He wanted someone he could work with confortably. Why not? He had the leverage. I respect him for that. I think John will be pulling knowledge from both Big Shanny and his best friend Elway and others! They are going to be great, just watch and above all have friggin patience. I think that is what Jed is referring to. There will be growing pains. Good.

  13. This hire is about overcoming obstacles:
    1. No reputable hire can happen with this front office and hasn’t for 2 years.
    2. No reputable talent is signing in SF for the above reason and the reason below.
    3. This team hasn’t fielded NFL talent any week.
    4. No assistants or Free agents have signed in 2 years with any credibility.

    The Lynch hiring is a numbers solution:
    1. Lynch has relationships in the business SF can cash in on.
    2. Lynch has credibility amongst NFL players which can be leveraged into contracts.
    3. The relationships from 1. can be leveraged into reputable coaching hires.

    You see the hire of Shanahan alone did not make SF attractive to any coach or player. The hire of Lynch though allows Shanahan to exploit Lynch. People owe Lynch, want to see him succeed, and respect him. He will get an ear where SF had none before.

    This hire opens some doors that were barricaded before. Some phones will ring, Lynch will be played like a puppet to give SF the players Parag wants. The real question is will Lynch’s personal relationships survive the SF hiring?

    1. You got trust issues bro, lynch is not a dumb man. He knows what he signed up for, so be happy for good news

      1. Regardless of your feelimgs about Lynch his connections will be tapped. Whether you comsider that manipulation or Lynch mortgaging his relationships to further his career is an argument about semantics.
        The hires have already started. The names joining sf would not join without Lynch. Now 5 years down the road we can measure who benefited more and see who was right.

    2. ‘Lynch will be played like a puppet to give SF the players Paraag wants’.

      Wrong. Lynch will flex his muscles and Paraag will retreat to his cubicle to work on contracts. Paraag will be excluded from any football decisions now that a football person is in charge.

      The ACL draft strategy was all anal lytics. That is the first thing they will dump. Football instincts and intuition will overrule any anal lytics.

      When KS chose Lynch, Paraag just lost all his power. He will be given the opportunity to write contracts, but any ethical person can write a standard NFL contract, so both sides benefit. Niners should avoid writing team friendly contracts because that is why decent Free Agents are avoiding the Niners like the plague.

      Every new contract should fair and balanced. Joan in accounting could draw them up. Paraag should go to Sacto to run that soccer team.

      1. ” Lynch will flex his muscles and Paraag will retreat to his cubicle and work on contracts”

        laughed out loud so hard for so long I just woke my wife up whos next to me in bed!!

        I love it Seb!

        1. One thing I know is certain. JOHN LYNCH will not be played by anyone. He’s an alpha male, and he’s a bit like Harbaugh when it comes to competitive drive. John Lynch bows to nobody, although the owner will always have the most power.

          It took Lynch all of one day to make a very smart hire. Broncos Scouting Director, personnel man Adam Peters as their vice president of player personnel. These kinds of hires are usually based on connections and respect. John Lynch has many connections, and a ton of respect around NFL circles.

          While there is certainly reason to wonder how quickly a guy with no real front office experience can commend all aspects of being a GM, John already has some of the most important qualities essential to success. He’s a leader, an honest, straight forward person who has a burning desire to be the best at everything he does. He’s got strong connections around the league, and the type of reputation people gravitate towards. I think it’s going to become obvious rather quickly that the 49ers no longer seem a dysfunctional franchise and, in fact, appear to be moving in a direction that attracts both players, and coaches.

          Kyle Shanahan was, without doubt, the #1 HC prospect of this hiring cycle. And he seems to also be a very good fit for the 49ers. Jed allowed him to bring in a guy he loves, respects, and most importantly trusts, to be his front office wingman. Good for Jed!

          Like former 49ers TE Brent Jones said yesterday ….. If I were a betting man, which I am, “I am betting the house on John Lynch”. This offseason has been a complete 180 degree turn from recent offseasons, and I think it’s an incredibly positive start to what is obviously going to be an entirely new era in 49ers history. I am over the moon!

          1. Well said, 49. Saved me a lot of typing.
            As an aside, Grant, if you think growing pains = suffering, torment, torture, misery, agony, you need to check your thesaurus. They’re more like temporary feelings of discomfort. The hyperbole doesn’t prove the point. It highlights your bias.

    3. You’re full of Myth. The Jaguars picked the #2 FA last year and they’ve been bad for a long time. The Raiders, who hadn’t won for 14 straight years (and most of them were brutally bad) signed 3 of the Top-10.

      Meanwhile the Seahawks managed to sign just two bad offensive lineman and a nobody defensive lineman. And they were just, what?, two years off the Superbowl against the Pats and considered of the NFC elites…

      All this ‘players won’t go to bad clubs’ is a myth. One that fans use as ammunition, despite the fact it’s patently false, to bash their team when they’re losing.

      The players, with rare exception, go where the money is…

      1. Ware is a great player who went to a contender. Great players go to contenders. Deon Sanders came to SF because it was a contender. Peyton Manning went to Denver because it was a contender.
        The true probowl talent goes to contenders. Alex Mack went to Atlanta. Sean Smith avoided a larger contract in sf to play in Oakland as well as Osemele.
        You see the true talent doesn’t sign for money, they sign for championships.

  14. Yes Grant, growing pains. You know, that period in which a team is overhauled to fit the schemes the head coach wants to see on both sides of the ball?
    I get that this is a shocking hire, but those declaring doomsday for the team seriously need to take a sedative and go lie down. This is far from the worst hire Jed York could have done. Give John Lynch a chance, and be thankful the trio from the Seahawks are not coming here.

  15. The Colts new GM is heralded the best in the 21st Century, but didn’t he want Cable? Ballard didn’t exactly give Pagano a ringing endorsement by saying there weren’t any other options…;>)

    1. Balled wasn’t for us anyway-obviously wanted a set situation having Luck.

      What about Raheem Morris as DC or Lovie Smith–both have Lynch ties…

      Morris is with Atlanta as Asst coach -would DC be allowed by the league as a promotion hire?

      1. DC is going to be a very interesting hire. Jeff Ulbrich is a guy I’m keeping my eye on. He’s done a fantastic job with Dion Jones this year….

          1. Isn’t Lacanfora the guy that said Jed was leaving
            Now he’s having sleepovers with our new GM:)

        1. Somebody give CFC a cookie for reading about Toub somewhere and suggesting he come with Ballard. Do it quick before he heads for the Titans board ; )

          1. The Titans boards are pretty bad btw. I’ve yet to find any format that’s as clean and easy to navigate as the one here.

          2. I’d start my own but it will be hard to gain readership when every post begins with; “So how much longer do you think we’ll be sticking with Mariota?”

  16. If one more person says that lynch was a Walsh guy and that’s why this is a positive thing I’m going vomit all over my I love me some Jed York t-shirt.

    Lunch was a 20 year old kid wondering if he should play baseball. He was learning how to play football. None of which will in any substantial way help him to be a gm.

    1. OK – how about he’s a Stanford graduate a smart guy that can put together a full sentence and he will not draft an injured player every year for five years in a row. Just that alone should put them ahead of the game.

  17. We at least one good thing is the more fresh people that come in to help Lynch as he learns and assembles his team, the less direct influence from people like Jed and Paraag. Plus with Baalke finally gone things pretty much have to improve going forward, don’t they?

  18. When I think of growing pains, I think of suffering, torment, torture, misery, agony. This is the language York used to introduce his new GM.

    I’ll take hyperbole for $800 Grant.

    1. I remember growing pains as being mildly annoying. I guess Grant must have a really, really low threshold for pain.

      1. No owner in the history of the NFL has used the word “pain” when describing a GM or HC hire.

          1. Find me one example.

            Owners in all businesses know to use positive language when presenting a new hire.

            1. My not being willing to sift through the hundreds of pressers and other articles of owners discussing GMs and HCs doesn’t prove you’re right. It just proves I have better ways to spend my time.

        1. I’ll take this degree of pain over the pain we had the last 4 years. Baalke’ resume is similar to Kaep – did well his first 3 years because he was given turnkey players. It was all down hill (without brakes) after that.

      2. Growing pains are mild, come and go over a relatively short period of time, and represent a period of rapid growth. Yeah, York really hates the Lynch hire, either that, or he’s simply being realistic.

        1. Pain is pain. York never would have invoked that if he were confident in the move. It was forced upon him and he’s creating a buffer from blame when the team loses a lot of games.

          1. The expression “growing pains” is used many times when discussing something that is starting from the ground up.

            Maybe York has learned from his “our only goal is to win super bowls” mantra. Maybe he realizes that the 49ers aren’t going to rise like a phoenix from the ashes in a linear ascent. There will be fits and starts, where is the harm in acknowledging that?

            What if he had said something like, “John has his work cut out for him and there will likely be some rough patches along the way…” Would that be any better, or is that the same thing in your mind?

            1. That’s still negative. A smart executive doesn’t invoke negativity when introducing a hire. “Adjustment period” would have been a better choice of words.

              1. “Adjustment period” seems like a watered down way of saying the same thing. It just seems like you’re looking for something to criticize. In any case, it doesn’t really matter, it’s all going to play out on the field.

              2. No it doesn’t, especially when it comes to a business. Growing pains and adjusted period both mean there will be hard and trying times ahead.

              3. Yes, it does. Adjustment period implies a newcomer feeling out new people, which is natural. Growing pains implies this guy has no idea what he’s doing.

              4. Growing pains implies this guy has no idea what he’s doing.

                And an adjustment period cannot imply the same thing? Both terms means essentially that there will be bumps in the road up ahead. Whether that is considered a negative tone or an interesting learning experience is up to the employees.

              5. Adjustment period is much less severe. Every new hire goes through an adjustment period, but not every new hire goes through growing pains.

              6. Again, that is not true. There are some new hires that do not go through an adjustment period, even if they are new to the field. It all depends on the person. Going through an adjustment period can be the same as going through growing pains.

              7. Even the most qualified new hires go through adjustment periods as they acclimate themselves to a new environment. But the most qualified new hires no do not go through growing pains because no growth is necessary. They’re already qualified. Growing pains implies a deficiency in the hire. Adjustment period implies no deficiency, just a habituation to a new set of circumstances.

              8. Hah ha ha, Grant you make yourself ludicrous with your propositions as “absolutes” according to your tunnel-vision opinions. Here again you revert to a peevish sophomoric mentality masquerading as the All-Knowing. You’ve made great strides this past year as a journaliist but when are you going to get over that? Or is that unconsciously embedded in your genetics?

          2. Oh please. That is semantics Grant. It is more likely that York knows that the roster will need an overhaul in order to find the players who will fit the offensive and defensive systems Shanahan will want with the 49ers.

              1. No, it’s reality. Tell me how York could apply glitter and rays of sunshine to the current roster.

              2. Grant,

                I disagree. With regards to the growing pains line,Jed said something stupid to the media as usual. I think Jed finally realized he shouldn’t be the face of the Niners after his last press conference blunder.

                Lynch will be handling the Press from here on out. I expect Jed will be heard from about as much as Denise.

              3. That’s a start. Jed needs to back away from the lime light. Then he has to hire a director of football operations.

              4. Didn’t have to do that. Also didn’t have to introduce problems at the onset.

                I am struggling to figure out why facing the reality of the current state of the 49ers and the likelihood the team will need to be gutted are examples of negativity.

              5. It’s like if someone hired you and then told the company, “Look, we know there are going to be growing pains with this guy.” Everyone would be like, “Well then why did you hire him in the first place? Why not hire someone who won’t have growing pains?” Not a wise choice of words.

              6. The same applies to the term adjustment period Grant. No employee wants to hear that. We are coming back to where I pointed out that there is no way to put glitter and rays of sunshine on the current state of the roster.

              7. Adjustment period just means building familiarity with new people. That’s totally natural. Growing pains means John Lynch has no clue what he’s doing, and he doesn’t. York shouldn’t have said that about someone he just hired.

              8. Sorry Grant, but they both imply there will be trying times ahead. There is no way to spin that in a positive light.

              9. Both can be expected or anticipated, and both can potentially be painful.

          3. So Grant, you’d rather have Jed lather in the superlatives only to mock each one when the results don’t trend in your direction? Would that suit your agenda better?

              1. We’ve been though diminishing pains, static pains for the last 3 1/2 years. If there still pain to be had, I’d rather it was in the upward direction.

          4. Growing pains are a fact of life Grant.

            They got the best Head Coach available, according to you. He brought in a smart, dedicated, well respected man’s man he knows he can trust.

            Quit being the glass half empty guy. Positive thinking is better for the soul.

              1. The owner blew it up, ate two contracts and secured the most dynamic offensive mind in the NFL as their HC. Chillaxx dude!

              2. Sorry to disagree, but there are worse owners. Jed just does not have a clue, and will reel from crisis to crisis, floundering away. Yet, in his heart, he is not evil like Haslam and others.

                However, he stopped the leaks, and has actually hired some quality dudes, so things are looking up.

                We all get it. Your job is to temper the enthusiasm, and point out where it might go wrong, but here is one fan who is jumping for joy, and you cannot rain on my parade. Everything I hear from Lynch is like music to my ears.

    1. Sounds like he is leaving it open if Pops decides he wants to do something:

      “I always anticipate asking my dad for advice and stuff like that, just like anybody would in their profession if their dad had done the same thing and been successful at it,” Shanahan said. “But as far as him working in the building and doing stuff like that, that’s definitely not been in the discussions. My dad’s basically retired.”

      1. That sounds good to me.

        What did you think of Lynch’s press conference? I’m not totally sold, but I feel a lot better. Especially if he can bring in Peters.

        1. I’m in the same camp as you. The wording I used yesterday was cautiously optimistic. The criticisms about Lynch’s lack of experience are valid and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t concern me a little, but Lynch is a high character individual and quality person, and when you can add people like that in any business it’s a positive move imo.

          1. Agreed.

            It remains to be seen, but it seems that he might be the type of person to change the direction and energy of the organization (I couldn’t bring myself to use the “C” word). I really like what he had to say about observing winning organizations and the importance of getting everyone on the same page.

            I also like to hear that he “knows what he doesn’t know”. I’m always surprised and amazed by otherwise smart people being unable to understand that. It also sounds like he’s not afraid to surround himself with smart talented people.

            Of course, it would be better if he there wasn’t so much for him to know that he doesn’t know, but I’m pretty happy how things turned out, considering Tom Cable was in the mix. Yikes.

            1. Yep, for me the crown jewel is Shanahan, and hopefully the mix in the front office is good enough to get him what he needs without the drama.

  19. “….Jed York is experiencing growing pains which may develop into severe stomach cramps….”

    Well .. maybe we could all chip in .. and
    get him some of .. this .. perhaps .. ?

    1. Would you guys take him over Williams? I think I’d still put Williams as the top WR unless he ran a ridiculously poor time.

      1. Tough to say. Corey Davis is a split end in the mold of Amari Cooper. Mike Williams is a flanker in the mold of Dez Bryant. What’s your preference?

        1. I’d go with Dez for the same reason I’d go with Williams, versatility and ability to go up and get anything close to him. Guys like that can be big time red zone weapons. I would have no problem taking Davis if Williams was gone though.

          1. Good points. Counter point — it’s easier to find a possession receiver in free agency than a big, fast split end.

            1. Yeah especially this year with Alshon Jeffrey in FA, but I like the big guys who can make plays anywhere on the field. Williams just looks like a big time play maker at the next level to me.

              1. I also like guys that can score from anywhere on the field, which seems more like Davis. But they both seem like No. 1 receivers, so you can’t really go wrong.

              2. But the difference is Corey Davis went up against lesser competition whereas Mike went up against top NFL prospects.

              1. Honest question, Grant. Why do you cover the Niners? You are obviously miserable. If I hated my job as much as you imply you hate your job…I would change jobs. I am not saying you have to blow sunshine up our asses, but you just don’t have anything good to say about the Niners. Maybe you are a sell out and that is your way to make money!

              2. I love covering the 49ers. They’re the gift that keeps on giving. I wouldn’t want to root for this team, though.

    2. Davis at 2? Nah, none of the WRs will be a top 5 pick. Trade down if you can’t get Garrett. The number 6 pick could be used to take the WR Shanny likes.

      1. I will have to disagree with you there #80. Davis is a prospective #1 WR that excels at route running. If he run a 4.4, he will easily be a top three prospect.

          1. None of the QBs should be in the top 15. Also, four of the first five teams picking are in need of a #1.

              1. It will all depend on the teams #80. Three of the first five teams need a QB, but each one could potentially hold off until later to draft one. I think Trubisky will be the only QB taken in the first round, but he will not be selected until the 15-30 range.

              2. They could hold off on taking a WR too. I think Trubisky will be top 5. The rest of the top 5 will be all D unless Watson or Kizer are targeted.

  20. Lynch has never been even a scout, now he’s in charge of the draft? If 9ers don’t turn around fast enough Jed (Paraag whispering in ear) will fire Lynch, also serving to eliminate any KS leverage. Jed even talking “growing pains” in describing his new hire is even pre-setting the stage in case Jed has buyers remorse later. What a mess.

    1. Niners should keep Smith and Reid.

      They should honor Staley’s service to the Niners by trading him to a playoff team of his choice for a second round pick.

      That will give him a chance for a ring.

  21. Unless Garrett falls, the majority here wants to trade back.

    Question to all… Whats the minimum you would accept to trade back? Would you go under chart in a weak trade back market (like 2013)?

    I would. If the best offer was the Jets 6+39+70 for the 2, I’d take it. Chart says we could extract more, but if that was the best offer I’d still consider it.

    So challenge to all… what’s the MINIMUM you would accept to move from 2 to 6? Not the ideal. Not chart. Not what you hope for. The minimum.

    (this assumes Garrett is taken at 1)

    1. The minimum would be three high picks Brodie. Teams looking to trade up to the first two picks tend to send an equal or greater amount of draft capital to the team in the top two. Anything less than that would make a trade down meaningless.

      1. Not exactly sure what “high picks” is.

        Lets say there were no other offers. What specific minimum picks would you accept to move from 2 back to 6 from the Jets? They currently hold 6+39+70 in the first three rounds.

        1. I doubt the Jets will trade up. That seems to be a popular choice on here, but there does not appear to be any reason for the Jets to do so.

          1. Jets are desperate for a QB, and the scuttlebutt is that they like Trubisky. Bears also will need a QB, so NY will want to leapfrog ahead of the Bears to get the QB of their choice.

            Jets could offer their number 6 pick, the number 39 pick and a 2018 second round pick for the Niners number 2 pick.

            It all depends if they are willing to accept the second best QB, or if they want the QB they covet.

            1. Yeah, I am not buying it, especially with the big voids in the other parts of the roster.

              1. They tried Fitzpatrick, and he flamed out. Petty did not shine. Hackenberg was not ready, Geno Smith was a cancer.

                With better QB play, they could have won several more games. They do need DB help, but the draft is deep in DBs this year.

              2. With better QB play, they could have won several more games.

                1. The same can be said for the 49ers, no matter how much you deny it.

                2. This is not the draft to reach for a QB in.

              3. No, with their defense, even Joe Montana would not have won, either.

                A defense that gives up 200 yards rushing will lose 99% of the time.

              4. Sorry Seb, but you can belittle one while heaping on the other, especially the QB position is a problem.

          2. OK, no Jets trade. Some other trade scenario with specific minimum draft slots offered for pick 2.

            Because I view this as a weak trade back year for the 2 pick, I’m more inclined to accept a little under chart offers as long as I remain in the top 10.

            1. Brodie,
              In that Both KS and KL were given 6 yr contracts maybe they won’t be in a hurry to cash in on a trade this year. Possibly they exchange 1st rd picks and get an extra 2nd this year then pick up 2 or 3 extra picks in 18. Jed has made it pretty clear that he is not going to rush them.

              1. OldCoach – I was thinking the opposite. If there’s less pressure to make a big splash in 2017, trading forward would be a good option.

                What’s the minimum in specific picks you would accept to move back from 2 to 6 (or some other scenario)?

                I really trying to get a feel for what everyone’s minimum price would be. I looks to be a weak trade back year. Lots of good players in the top 10.

        2. B2W,

          I wouldn’t take any less than two first round picks and something else this year like a 2nd or 3rd. If Garrett is gone, I take Allen.

          1. Allen would be a good choice for people wanting to “change the culture.” I’d seriously consider Hooker too.

            1. I like Jamal Adams better than Hooker. His culture is laying the wood and locker room leadership….

              1. Lost of people agree with you. I haven’t watched any Adams (I will) but I hear great things. Much will depend on the defense the 49ers trot out. If it relies on a fast single high safety, Hooker is my choice.

              2. I think Shanahan will go with Ward at FS and Tartt at SS for 2017.

          2. I wouldn’t take any less than two first round picks and something else this year like a 2nd or 3rd.

            This is an example of the high picks I was referring to Brodie.

            1. JYTD-MWD – Thanks for the feedback. I’d try to extract the biggest price possible for trade backs, but this year I’m willing to trade back a little under chart if there are no other offers.

              – As it stands, the trade back market is looking more like 2013 than 2016. (this could change)
              – Unless Garrett falls I think the top ten talent is (somewhat) even.
              – Most mocks have Williams falling outside the top nine. (this could change)
              http://www.nfl.com/draft/2017/mock-drafts?icampaign=draft-sub_nav_bar-drafteventpage-mockdraft
              so why not grab any draft capitol you can get?
              – Outside the top ten I’m demanding closer to chart. Maybe above chart. Its the way the talent seems to be arrayed at this moment.

          3. Rocket

            That’s playing hard-nose…but it’s what we need to get ‘back in the game’ before 2150….personally, I hope that Garrett IS gone…this draft is toooo rich to waste position on an ILB unless it’s PW revisited….we need quantity as well as quality….

  22. Mike Garafolo
    Mike Garafolo – Verified account ‏@MikeGarafolo

    One of new 49ers GM John Lynch’s targets for top personnel guy: Adam Peters, currently Broncos’ director of college scouting, sources say.
    3:25 PM – 30 Jan 2017
    144 RETWEETS192 LIKES

  23. I can’t imagine Grant writing anything positive about anyone that Jed hired and he certainly didn’t do anything to alter my view with this piece. But, that’s just Grant being Grant and part of why we all enjoy reading and posting here. For me, my mind continues to imagine anyone who could possibly be worse than Baalke. Like Curly Howard of the three stooges used to say: “I’m trying to think but nothing happens”. Seriously, you could take virtually everything that Grant wrote and re-write it about the Bill Walsh hire. Front office experience zero. Overseeing scouting experience zero. Bill Walsh was a lifetime coordinator with some HC experience at Stanford, and was passed up for HC by Paul Brown. Never spent a day as a GM. Hey Grant is the journalism major. If given the assignment he could write a much better article than me about why Walsh was a desperate move by young Eddie D who had so far failed miserably at anything but running the 49ers into the ground. So maybe history is about to repeat itself. I just can’t get negative right now knowing that at least Jed did not do the impossible and get someone as bad as Trent Baalke.

    1. WC You hit the nail in the coffin with that one! In my view Jed already won by just firing Trent Baalke

        1. What’s wrong with letting the groom choose his bride? They’re both joined at the hip like the Defiant Ones. Besides, the 49ers got the grand prize in Shanny Jr….

          1. The GM should choose the coach, not the other way around. And the director of football operations should choose the GM. But the 49ers don’t have a director of football operations. They have Jed and Paraag.

            1. Sounds like Lynch is all for KS. He is the guy Lynch would have chosen. He sure gave effusive praise during that Seahawk- Falcon Game, and that was before Lynch was even on the radar for the GM position.

              1. Yes, which is one of the reasons Shanahan chose him. But if the GM had been chosen before the HC it is extremely doubtful that Lynch would be the guy.

            2. In a conventional situation, sure. However, in this culture of dysfunction, I think it’s a fair attempt to overcome it in an unconventional way….

              1. “It’s a lot easier to get a suit than it is to get a coach.”

                Turns out, York should have listened to Madden when he advised choosing Harbaugh over Baalke….

              2. The suits fled.

                The rats fled. Fixed it for ya;>)Somebody must have turned on the lights!

              3. Just because they’re qualified doesn’t mean they’re a fit. Their egos got in the way of an outstanding opportunity to work with a dynamic new coach, and rebuild an organization. Not to mention Ballard wanted a special teams coach over Shanny Jr. That doesn’t sound very qualified to me….

            3. i agree with Grant that the GM should choose the coach. But since they have gone with the coach, it’s more important that the GM and coach be on the same page. Considering that sans a POFO, Jed and Paraag are not really qualified to choose a GM, it’s better for the franchise to let the coach choose the GM he can work with.

              It’s funny how Grant and many of the commentors here are so obsessed with hierarchy and power play than the bottom line of putting together a winning team.

              1. Grant,
                There is nothing in this collaborative power structure that prevents Shanalynch from hiring competent player evaluators. Adam Peters is a decent start.

            4. I agree that Jed should have hired a Director of Football operations to find the HC and GM instead of doing it himself with Marathe. I had zero confidence in those two in regards to finding and hiring the right people. However, as unorthodox as it was, they at least wound up hiring one of, if not the best, HC candidate on the market. So while I think it was more of a broken clock situation, at least they seem to have succeeded in finding a top notch HC.

              With Lynch we are going to have to wait and see because there is literally nothing tangible to go on to try and predict how this will work out. So far he’s off to a good start with the hiring of Peters.

              My personal opinion (hope) is that Lynch seems like a move to get a football guy in place as a representative of the team in the mold of the Director of Football Ops. I have a feeling that at some point his job title will reflect that and somebody else will become GM. Not in the next year or two, but at some point that is how I see this playing out.

            5. Give it a rest. If he’s not competent to pick a GM or coach then he’s not competent to pick a Director of Football Operations.

              I short you keep flogging what is, essentially, a regressive fallacy. Which is not the same thing as the informal Regression Fallacy where people like you keep expecting above average results over time as if they’re average.

              They’re not. They’re exceptional. And in the NFL there are only a small, small handful of these exceptional talents. Which is why there are only 16 post-merger head coaches and 6 post-merger GMs in the HOF.

              Yes, Grant, your expectations are completely delusional. A guy like Belichick or Walsh or Noll or Landry or Gibbs is something that half the teams in the NFL have never had. Ever. In their history.

              1. York knew the right GMs to pick — they just didn’t want to interview with him and Paraag.

  24. Come on guys, York the Younger just took another flyer and this time on the GM. How long does this go on? How did this work out for Nolan or Singeltary or Tomsula?
    I am an old guy who has experienced working in organizations that are run by competent humans and have also experienced organizations run by buffoons ..how would you describe the 9ers front office?
    Yep, painfull.

    1. Hacksaw,
      If the 9ers end up with Lynch, Gamble, Peters and Dominik all in the front office I believe that good things will happen

    2. Hacksaw
      LOL: Old geezer or not…wouldn’t you kick your walker aside and be dancing in the street with the rest of us, if lighting struck twice (Walsh / Shanahan)?

      1. GEEP

        Dare I wade into this euphoria with a sobering thought….as has been noted, we don’t always get a second chance….I feel that we HAD a second chance and blew it with ‘Chip’. I said and still believe that Coach Kelly was the closest thing we have seen to coach Walsh. It’s going to be interesting ,to me at least…to see what our roster looks on opening day, how many players Çhip’ brought in without benefit of a draft or FA that will be on that roster. Kerley, Streater, and a couple others who hopefully will contribute to Shannahan whom I consider our third chance for greatness. With an owner who lurches to and fro like a drunk, making decisions without forethought, I’ll keep watching and hoping, but I’ve lost the confidence that I’ve always had in MY team. Earn it back….

  25. Here’s some info on what KS thinks of QBs (not surprising, but maybe a confirmation):

    Presumptive 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan preached the importance of finding a franchise quarterback. From Rotoworld:

    “Teams who don’t have one of those guys usually struggle to be there at the end of the year unless they have one of the top defenses in Super Bowl history or NFL history,” Shanahan said. “You need a quarterback to consistently be competitive. That’s what everyone is looking for.” Finding “one of those guys” will presumably be Shanahan’s and GM John Lynch’s first order of business when they finally get to work following the Super Bowl. Colin Kaepernick is the only quarterback currently under contract for 2017, and it is likely he opts out or is released before free agency opens in March. “

  26. Well, it looks like little Jeddie is finally growing up.

    I am thrilled that he actually did not leak, and am glad that none of the conventional GM candidates did not get the job. I think they would have tried to shout KS down, and the last thing KS needs is more FO drama.

    Lynch is a friend, and will cover KS’s back. The whole -who’s got control of the 53 – is no longer important because even if Lynch has final say, KS will have input on the decision. Sounds like it will be a collaborative process, unlike the Baalke dictatorship.

    Guess that dinner with Paton did not go well. Guess McDonough is now spinning his rejection as an honor to be considered, and it will be touted in his resume.

    The most important thing is to realize that Baalke will no longer be here to select more ACL players. lynch will not try to micromanage the roster, and his defensive expertise will help fix the defense.

    Grant may want to parse the semantics, but the bottom line is that the Niners finally have a leader to look up to, not look down upon.

    Now, if only Jed lets them do their job, and tells Paraag to just stick to the contracts, the Niners have finally given us downtrodden fans a ray of hope.

    1. On the 53 man roster and Coaching staff I agree. The draft is way to expansive and time consuming for the HC to be in charge of imo. I would let the GM handle that. Obviously the HC should have a say as he knows the kind of player he wants, but most HC’s can’t commit the time needed to draft effectively.

      1. I also think the GM should be in charge of personnel acquisitions because, well, that’s usually their background and area of expertise. Just because you know the best doctor in the world doesn’t mean you go get them when the pipe bursts.

  27. It’s always fun to listen to Brian Jennings just for the fact that he calls out specific individuals if he doesn’t like their approach (he roasted that special teams coach from Green Bay that Singletary had first hired and then fired, and the current Cardinal special teams coach).

    What Jennings described as his view of the essential responsibilities of a GM made me reckon that Lynch may play an important role in helping Kyle assemble the coaching staff by selling the position jobs to coaches that he knows thru his connections.

  28. Interesting article and there is surely a grain of truth to the “no credible GM wants to work with Jed & Paraag” storyline. However, I have 2 problems with your article.

    1) You cite Mike Florio as a source. Florio is despised in many NFL circles because he makes stuff up and presents it as if he has inside knowledge. Skip Bayless has more credibility than Mike Florio and that’s saying something. No credible journalist should cite Mike Florio as a source for anything.

    2) You went way over the deep end on the “Growing Pains” quote. That term is often used to describe people who may be young & talented but may not be as experienced as others. You said, the term Growing Pains elicits thoughts of “suffering, torment, torture, misery, agony.” A quick Google search yields a much different definition: “Growing Pains – the difficulties experienced in the early stages of an enterprise.” Growing pains does not mean 9er fans are about to experience the bubonic plague. It means to expect a few missteps but the organization is committed to getting through the growing pains. This blog experienced growing pains when you first came on board. You were a petulant kid given a job because of your fathers connections and you were extremely arrogant. You acted like you know more about football than NFL executives and players and fans who have been playing/watching football longer than you’ve been alive. We all got through your growing pains and now you have built your own following. Aren’t you glad someone gave you a chance even though they surely expected to deal with some growing pains while you learned the ropes?

    1. “You acted like you know more about football than NFL executives and players and fans who have been playing/watching football longer than you’ve been alive.”
      That, dear sir, is the essence of punditry…

      1. Arrogant inexperienced blowhards lecturing people with 10x more experience is “the essence of punditry?”

        uhhhh, yea i think you may need to work on your vocabulary.

    2. >>You said, the term Growing Pains elicits thoughts of “suffering, torment, torture, misery, agony.”

      I think Grant was just giving us some insight into his experience as an adolescent.

      Don’t worry, Grant. Tell your 12 year old self it gets better :)

  29. Well… Given all the back and forth here, I think I can state one thing for certain – Whether this new direction sucks, or doesn’t suck. We’re all going find out together. ; )

  30. I’m still waiting to see all these posters who swore up a d down, that Kyle Shannahan wasn’t coming here. Even going as far as to link articles about other organizations trying to get him.

  31. Finally read your G-rant on Lynch. What you didn’t pick up on but did put in there is;
    York said. “He (Shanny) says John is the most prepared of all the TV (people) he meets in the production meetings before games.”
    Do you know what that means? He studies films, analises plays, evaluates players, talks to coaches to get the latest info. WOW isn’t that what you want from a GM going into the draft???
    After the Peters move are you ready to rewrite your piece?

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