The San Francisco 49ers are going to hire former NFL star and Fox analyst John Lynch as general manager, per various reports on Sunday night. Niner Noise looks at the pros and cons of this surprising move.
Former NFL star and Fox analyst John Lynch is slated to be the next general manager for the San Francisco 49ers, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday evening.
The move came as a surprise to many following the Niners’ GM search in the wake of Trent Baalke’s firing after yet another failed season in Santa Clara. Previous reports indicated San Francisco had narrowed its search down to three candidates.
None of those were Lynch.
According to Pro Football Talk though, Lynch wanted to keep his candidacy a secret. Hence the surprise on Sunday.
All this, of course, prompts the question whether or not this is a good hire. We can guess — and guess we will — but won’t know the actual answer for some time. Years, in all likelihood.
Lynch, and likely head coach Kyle Shanahan, will have plenty of years with which to work too. CSN Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco reported both 49ers’ new executives will receive six-year deals.
We’ll get into that as well.
Let’s cover those pros and cons and come up with an ultimate conclusion whether or not Lynch to San Francisco is a smart choice.
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.
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:
I know people are freaking out around the league but I think John Lynch is incredibly bright & he'll surround himself with smart dudes.
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) January 30, 2017
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.
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:
John Lynch is EXACTLY who you'd want turning a place around. Ultimate out-work-the-world type with (cont) https://t.co/CDrZeHwwDL
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) January 30, 2017
Good enough for Niner Noise.
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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.