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49ers Officially Announce John Lynch as General Manager

By Peter Panacy

Nov 3, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers former safety John Lynch (right) gets a hug from announcer Gene Deckerhoff before Lynch addresses the crowd as his name is added to the Buccaneers Ring of Fame during the halftime ceremony of a football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 3, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers former safety John Lynch (right) gets a hug from announcer Gene Deckerhoff before Lynch addresses the crowd as his name is added to the Buccaneers Ring of Fame during the halftime ceremony of a football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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The San Francisco 49ers have officially announced former Fox NFL analyst John Lynch as the team’s general manager, in a statement released by the team on Monday.

The San Francisco 49ers’ search for a new general manager officially came to a close on Monday morning with the team’s announcement on the signing of former Fox Sports NFL analyst John Lynch.

Lynch, a 16-year veteran of the NFL and Hall of Fame candidate, was reported as the Niners’ next GM Sunday evening.

San Francisco made it official Monday afternoon via a statement on the team’s website.

Here’s the official statement made by Niners CEO Jed York:

"During his 15 seasons as an NFL player, John epitomized what is so special about the game of football. A world-class competitor, his love and respect for the sport are unmatched, and you would be hard-pressed to find anyone in league circles who does not have great respect for his work ethic and passion. Having already helped lead a team to a Super Bowl title as a player, John is equipped with tremendous insight into what it takes to create a culture that breeds sustained success.Having spent the last eight seasons as an analyst with FOX, he has honed his skills as a talented communicator while also developing valuable relationships around the league and a vast knowledge of the NFL that will be beneficial to our team. As we learned more and more about John, it became apparent that he was not only one of the best to ever play this game but also a Hall of Fame caliber man, one who people are compelled to follow."

Lynch has ties with presumed head coach Kyle Shanahan from a brief time together with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The nine-time Pro Bowler also played under Shanahan’s father, Mike, while with the Denver Broncos.

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There are, of course, concerns about Lynch’s inexperience at a front-office level. While his work as an analyst has kept him abreast of developments within the league, he has zero experience working at assembling a roster.

And San Francisco needs plenty of help there.

So it should be expected Lynch works to bring in some help on a reported six-year deal. The length of that contract should give Lynch adequate time to prove his worth.

At least the Niners are making bold steps, even if they’re a bit out of the box.