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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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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 /

The Cons

While the 49ers’ hiring of John Lynch is an out-of-the-box approach, the problem is this move is still an out-of-the-box approach.

Is that what San Francisco needs? It isn’t as if Lynch comes into this job with legitimate front-office experience. He’s never been in charge of a team’s roster before. And there are too many differences to count between a general manager and television analyst.

Zero Front-Office Experience

This is certainly the elephant in the room.

Sure, Lynch has stayed alongside the NFL in an analyst role for Fox. But that’s oh-so vastly different than an executive. When the Niners were interviewing ESPN analyst Louis Riddick for the same position, they could have at least taken comfort knowing Riddick had experience assembling pro football rosters.

Lynch doesn’t have that.

And, as Golden Gate Sports’ Sean Bialaszek wrote, none of Lynch’s player accolades will mean anything when it comes to making roster decisions.

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Six Years Is a Long Commitment

Remember that part about both Lynch and presumed head coach Kyle Shanahan getting long-term, six-year deals?

Shanahan, well, maybe that makes sense. Remember, CEO Jed York is on the hook for both former coaches Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly’s paychecks post-respective firings. A quick hook on yet another head coach is the furthest thing from likelihood.

Yet the Niners are equally committed to Lynch now. It could be Lynch was Shanahan’s top choice, which would make sense if we’re led to believe the latter will wield tremendous power within the organization.

But what if it doesn’t work out so well? What if, three or four years from now, the 49ers roster isn’t much better than what was seen in 2016?

49ers Still Need a Lot of Help in Scouting

True, Lynch could compile a solid staff of scouts and assistants. His big name alone should help.

But Lynch, as GM, would still make the final call on any roster decisions either via free agency or the NFL Draft.

How well versed is Lynch in scouting anyway? Keep in mind, prospect events like the East-West Shrine game and Senior Bowl have already taken place. The 49ers need plenty of help, and the clock is already ticking.