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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 (center) stands for a photo with the Glazer family which own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 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 (center) stands for a photo with the Glazer family which own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 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 /

And the Niner Noise Verdict Is…

Cautiously optimistic and excited about it. Sorry it’s not a one-way-or-the-other perspective, but that’s almost impossible in this case.

What is the case is the 49ers are taking a major leap of faith by hiring John Lynch.

It wouldn’t be the first time a struggling NFL team took such a route. Remember when the Denver Broncos moved Hall of Famer John Elway into a general manager role in 2011, even though he had almost zero front-office experience? Well, the Broncos won a Super Bowl four years later. That worked.

Oh, and the NBA’s Golden State Warriors did something similar with current head coach Steve Kerr. That worked well too. Lynch could be the next story.

Sure, there are a lot of question marks in place. But Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer — who is usually spot on with his analysis — is already endorsing Lynch:

Good enough for Niner Noise.

More from Niner Noise

Give Jed York credit for handing over power to Kyle Shanahan and, now, Lynch. The 49ers need that, even if plenty of question marks remain on the table.

But considering York and the franchise are willing to give both new executives six years to turn this thing around, it’s a sign San Francisco’s top leadership is looking at this as an ultimate positive too.

Next: Hiring John Lynch Reveals a Major Shift in 49ers Philosophy

Overall, when in doubt, it’s nice to at least know the Niners are back to some form of relevance.