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San Francisco 49ers: Pros and Cons of Hiring John Lynch as General Manager

By Peter Panacy

Jan 1, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Fox Sports announcer and former NFL player John Lynch on the sidelines before game between Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Fox Sports announcer and former NFL player John Lynch on the sidelines before game between Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos former safety John Lynch during the ring of fame ceremony before the game against the Houston Texans at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos former safety John Lynch during the ring of fame ceremony before the game against the Houston Texans at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

The Pros

When John Lynch retired from the NFL in 2008, he immediately stepped into the broadcast booth with Fox and stayed abreast of football action ever since.

This isn’t like one of those moves, let’s say like a Mike Shanahan hire, where a candidate has been away from the league for a while.

Lynch is certainly well respected in NFL circles too. And his likely Hall-of-Fame accolades lend even more credence to this new position.

Jan 22, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan speaks to media after the game against the Green Bay Packers in the 2017 NFC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome. Atlanta defeated Green Bay 44-21. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 22, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan speaks to media after the game against the Green Bay Packers in the 2017 NFC Championship Game at the Georgia Dome. Atlanta defeated Green Bay 44-21. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /

The John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan Dynamic

Current Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator is all but slated to become the next head coach of the 49ers.

And he already has a rapport with Lynch. Remember, Lynch was playing underneath Kyle’s father, Mike, when both were with the Denver Broncos.

Check this out, courtesy of ESPN’s Adam Schefter:

"[Lynch] personally called Shanahan and volunteered for the job about a week ago. Shanahan, expected to be named the Niners’ head coach after the Super Bowl, thought about Lynch, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt Lynch was a fit for the job."

This isn’t a shotgun marriage for the 49ers either — no Trent Baalke and Chip Kelly combo. That didn’t work so well.

Hall of Fame and Super Bowl Talent

Lynch is eligible to be inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year, and it’s likely he’ll get the nod.

Additionally, he won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in 2002. Even if the Falcons lose Super Bowl LI, the Niners would presumably have two executives with top-level experience under their respective belts. That’s valuable.

A Big Name for the 49ers

FanSided’s Matt Verderame (I love you, Matt. But no) tweeted out the Lynch-to-San-Francisco deal was “peak 49ers.”

A peak move would have been a thorough GM search, only to end with a no-name scout or assistant being promoted from within the organization. Kind of like what CEO Jed York and Co. did with former head coach Jim Tomsula prior to 2015.

Tomsula wasn’t a big name. Lynch is. He’s respected and well known within NFL circles, as stated previously.

And as NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah pointed out, Lynch should have no trouble assembling a solid staff: