What Adam Peters’ Promotion Means for John Lynch’s Future with the 49ers

The 49ers haven't done much yet this offseason, but they did make one extremely interesting move.

They promoted Adam Peters from vice president of player personnel to assistant general manager. They actually created a new position for him. Which means if he was breathing down John Lynch's neck before, now he basically is in Lynch's lap.

Peters seems to be a hot name around the NFL these days. He interviewed for vacant general manager positions around the league offseason, although he didn't get them. So the 49ers kept him and promoted him.

I recently asked my dad, retired Bay Area sports icon Lowell Cohn, what he thinks of Peters' promotion. Here's what my dad said.

LC: "I think John Lynch better look over his shoulder. Look -- I'm not there anymore, I don't talk to Lynch, although I knew him as a young man and really liked him and admired him. I don't feel that he is on solid ground there. He only got a two-year extension when Kyle Shanahan got a three-year extension, plus the 49ers never announced Lynch's extension. You give an extension to your general manager and don't have a press release? There are cracks in that foundation. Having said that, I am not Lynch's agent, so I need to ask a further question: Is Adam Peters good at his job?"

GC: "Who the hell knows? East Bay Chris jokes that all the bad things the 49ers do are Lynch's fault and all the good things they do are because of Peters. Hard to know. You see Peters around the facility. He's handsome. Tall. Used to be a player. I think the feeling in the organization is he's a better scout than Lynch."

LC: "Hold on a minute. You say this Peters is handsome?"

GC: "Yeah, he has good hair."

LC: "John Lynch is handsome, too. Now, Kyle Shanahan is not handsome. I'm sorry. Now look, I'm not handsome. You're handsome. So you think he may get ahead because he's handsome?"

GC: "I just think they like the image and idea of him."

LC: "You've never heard him talk?"

GC: "No, never. But I don't see it as the 49ers promoting Peters or giving him more power. I see it as them taking power away from Lynch. And when Lynch loses power, it goes to Shanahan."

LC: "When they gave Peters a promotion, did they give him an extension?

GC: "I don't know, but they gave him a press release."

LC: "And they didn't give their general manager a press release. You know, it stinks. That bunch, and I guess I'm talking about Jed York, they really don't do things in a diplomatic, grownup way."

Interesting points, Dad. But please, tell us how you really feel.