Three Takeaways From 49ers GM John Lynch's Combine Press Conference
On Tuesday, 49ers General Manager John Lynch took to the podium in Indianapolis to answer numerous questions regarding the 49ers offseason. He and head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to the media for the first time since their end result in Super Bowl LIV.
The two will now shift their focus towards the scouting process, with the on-field drills starting on Thursday, Feb. 27.
Here are three takeaways that stood out from Lynch's press conference:
Expect 49ers to Trade Back as They Seek Additional Draft Picks
The 49ers currently sit with just one pick over the first two days of the NFL Draft. On day three they hold five draft selections, but in order to gain multiple picks throughout the mid-rounds, you could see the 49ers trade back once, maybe twice to accumulate more draft capital in a year where they're extremely thin.
"We don’t have as much equity as we’ve had in years past, so we’ve got to figure out a way, we’ve got to be creative, we’ve got to be exhaustive in all the avenues we look at to improve our football team," said Lynch. "We’re committed to doing that.”
In years past, San Francisco has been a team drafting towards the top of round one. However, after a productive 2019 season, they find themselves among new circumstances, having to be more strategic to obtain top value over the three-day draft.
49ers are Committed to Jimmy Garoppolo Moving Forward
Jimmy Garoppolo enters the offseason after posting his best statistical season in the NFL, however, after a fourth-quarter disaster in the Super Bowl, rumors have started trickling out whether or not the 49ers would move off of Garoppolo moving forward.
“We’re extremely proud of Jimmy and committed to Jimmy moving forward," said Lynch. "He’s our guy. As I said, from the day he walked into our building, he made us better and we continue to feel that’s the case. That’s the most exciting thing about him is the room for growth. He’s not come close to hitting his ceiling. I think the room for growth, the more experience he gets in this system, the more experience he gets playing in general, we think the arrow’s up, and that’s a good thing.”
Lynch put the "quarterback trade/cut rumors" to rest as he appears firm on his statement that they're committed to Garoppolo for the long haul. Garoppolo still remains under contract for three more seasons, and he's slotted to make $25 million per year for the rest of his current deal.
Lynch Would Like to Keep the Running Back Room Intact
The 49ers running back department has had its fair share of injuries, but one consistent throughout the season still remained quality production no matter who was called upon. With Jerick McKinnon and Tevin Coleman both coming off injury-plagued seasons, the 49ers have big decisions to make on the future of the two veteran running backs in 2020.
“We like our group a lot," said Lynch. "It’s obviously, the one characteristic when you see that group, you see a lot of speed and you see a lot of guys with the right makeup. You can’t ever speak because there are guys who are at certain points where we have to make decisions. We like that group a lot and we’d like to keep as much continuity there as possible.”
Lynch sheds some light on the idea of keeping their running attack the same, but in an offseason where they're tight on cap space, that may be harder than it seems once the start of the new league year comes into effect.
