Tag: John Lynch

John Lynch’s alter ego threw De’Vondre Campbell off 49ers sideline

De’Vondre Campbell was ejected by John Lynch’s ‘crazy’ alter ego.

The De’Vondre Campbell saga isn’t done quite yet.

Fox’s Jay Glazer on the network’s NFL pregame show reported some fascinating details about Campbell’s sudden exit from the San Francisco 49ers’ Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

First, according to Glazer, the 49ers are opting to explore a suspension route instead of an outright release for the veteran linebacker.

“The 49ers are trying to suspend him,” Glazer said. “They’re working with the league office to see what’s the max they can do. Even if he wanted to come and apologize and come back – players don’t want him.”

This isn’t a huge surprise. 49ers players were vocally displeased with Campbell after Thursday’s game. Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Friday also made it clear the club was done with Campbell after he refused to enter their Week 15 bout in relief of linebacker Dre Greenlaw.

However, it wasn’t the coaching staff that forced Campbell to leave the sideline and go to the locker room. Per Glazer, that was done by general manager John Lynch and his ‘Red 47’ alter ego.

“But you’re asking what happened behind the scenes,” Glazer said. “They started seeing about the second quarter that he was refusing to go in. So John Lynch actually went down there and confronted De’Vondre, and said ‘you don’t want to go in the game? You’re refusing?’ So it was Lynch who sent him to the locker room.

“By the way, I’ve got players who called me after and said ‘hey, we’ve heard you talk about this alter ego of John Lynch, this 47 Red character – man we saw it. That dude is crazy!'”

It’s not typical that a player will actively quit on his team the way Campbell did, but knowing that Lynch’s alter ego is looming may keep it from happening again any time soon in San Francisco.

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Where are the 49ers scheduled to pick in the 2025 NFL draft?

For those of you reading ahead, here’s where the 49ers stand in the NFL draft order:

Mid-November is probably too early to start earnestly diving into the NFL draft for the San Francisco 49ers.

Some teams are already eyeing April’s three-day selection event, and while the 49ers playoff chances are dwindling, they still have the talent to turn a corner and make a run at the postseason.

Until the 49ers turn that corner though, we have to operate like they’re not going to, thus leading us to take a quick peek at the 2025 NFL draft order.

Next year’s draft will be particularly important for a 49ers club that’s may be entering a transition stage where they need to supplement their roster with some top-end talent to fill some starting jobs and shore up depth on a top-heavy roster.

The problem for the 49ers goes back to what we just talked about up top — they’re not bad enough to worry about the draft yet which means they’re in the purgatory that sits between a playoff berth and a premium draft pick.

Here’s where things stand in the NFL draft order (non-playoff team edition) after 11 weeks according to Tankathon:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9)
2. Tennessee Titans (2-8)
3. Cleveland Browns (2-8)
4. New York Giants (2-8)
5. Las Vegas Raiders (2-8)
6. New England Patriots (3-8)
7. New York Jets (3-8)
8. Carolina Panthers (3-7)
9. Dallas Cowboys (3-7)
10. New Orleans Saints (4-7)
11. Cincinnati Bengals (4-7)
12. Miami Dolphins (4-6)
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6)
14. Chicago Bears (4-6)
15. Indianapolis Colts (5-6)
16. Seattle Seahawks (5-5)
17. Los Angeles Rams (5-5)
18. San Francisco 49ers (5-5)

That’s right. The 49ers, who are last in the NFC West by way of tiebreaker, would also pick last out of the three 5-5 NFC West teams because of the strength of schedule tiebreaker.

Because the 49ers, Rams and Seahawks all have 5-5 records, the strength of schedule tiebreaker kicks in. The team with the lower strength of schedule gets the earlier draft pick. San Francisco’s opponents have a .549 winning percentage. Seattle’s is .531, and LA’s is .534.

It’s worth noting those numbers are based on season-long percentages. The 49ers have the lowest strength of schedule after 11 weeks.

Ideally the 49ers will turn their season around and find their way into the postseason. For now, we’ll continue keeping track of where they stand in the NFL draft order.

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NFL trade deadline: No major trade isn’t bad news for 49ers

The 2024 NFL trade deadline came and went with the 49ers making only one, very under-the-radar move.

The 2024 edition of the NFL trade deadline came and went with the San Francisco 49ers staying relatively quiet.

The day was headlined by CB Marshon Lattimore going from the New Orleans Saints to the Washington Commanders, edge rusher Za’Darius Smith heading from the Cleveland Browns to the Detriot Lions and wide receiver Mike Williams going from the New York Jets to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Despite multiple veteran pieces in potential positions of need being available, John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan decided to hold onto their premium draft capital and add some depth on the defensive line. Just before the deadline, San Francisco dealt a future seventh-round pick to the Houston Texans for veteran defensive tackle Khalil Davis.

While they didn’t make a major move on Tuesday, help is on the way for the 49ers.

While they’ve posted an underwhelming 4-4 record through nine weeks, it’s fair to say the 49ers have yet to be healthy at any point in the first half of the season. While they will still be missing players like Brandon Aiyuk, the 49ers will be getting a boost with the return of several key players.

For the first time all season, reigning Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey is nearing a highly-anticipated return to the field after being sidelined due to an Achilles injury. Along with McCaffrey, Brock Purdy will welcome more help offensively with the soon return of Jauan Jennings.

Jennings, who has posted a breakout campaign in 2024, has missed the last two games with a hip injury. Jennings, with the addition of McCaffrey and rookie Ricky Pearsall, will give Purdy and the 49ers offense more playmakers and depth for the stretch run of the 2024 season.

While Purdy’s offensive weapons will have more flexibility, so will the 49ers’ offensive line. Veteran offensive lineman Jon Feliciano recently had his practice window opened. Feliciano started every playoff game last season. While Dominick Puni likely wont be going anywhere, Feliciano’s return fills a whole in the 49ers offensive line depth. His return also provides competition for players like center Jake Brendel.

While the 49ers still have some question marks on the defensive line, the defensive line unit was a popular group on Tuesday’s trade deadline with players like Smith and Preston Smith being on the move. With Lynch and company not making a move, the 49ers will need to lean on one their free agent signings from the summer – Leonard Floyd.

The veteran pass rusher has had a quiet start to his campaign with the 49ers, recording 24 tackles and three sacks in eight games. Yet, over his last four games, Floyd has notched two of those sacks. If he continues that pace for the second half of the season, Floyd could check many boxes on the 49ers’ defensive front.

Coming off the bye week, the 49ers will enter the post-trade deadline run on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Why 49ers won’t make big splash at 2024 trade deadline

The 49ers will likely be active at the trade deadline, but don’t expect them to make a big splash.

The San Francisco 49ers are in a weird place as the 2024 NFL trade deadline approaches.

They entered this year hoping to make another Super Bowl run, and their 4-4 record has them in the thick of the playoff race as the get to their Week 9 Bye. On the other hand, San Francisco through eight weeks hasn’t looked like a Super Bowl contender, which makes the trade deadline an important point for them in the 2024 campaign.

While a big-time trade may be what the 49ers ultimately need to get over the hump, don’t expect them to push all their chips in for a run this season.

The 49ers’ front office has been aggressive in making acquisitions since general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan took over. That’s especially true when they feel like such moves will help them win a Super Bowl. However, they’ve typically juxtaposed that ‘all-in’ mentality with an eye toward the future. There’s an immediate plan, but there’s also a longer term vision that includes the three-plus years down the road.

A longer-term vision may be what keeps them from unloading premium assets in a trade during a season where they’ve started 4-4.

The 49ers are in something of a transition period with their roster where the next three or four years will see an exodus of the core veterans that have kept their championship window open since the 2019 season. Players like left tackle Trent Williams, fullback Kyle Juszczyk and tight end George Kittle are reaching a point where they won’t be substantial parts of the team in three or four years. That job belongs to the likes of quarterback Brock Purdy, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, defensive end Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner. They represent a new core that would ideally throw open a new Super Bowl window.

That group will need the support of draft picks that will theoretically replace some of the exiting veterans.

In some ways the 49ers are already feeling the sting of losing three first-round picks in the Trey Lance trade before the 2021 draft. The lack of top-end depth has hurt them as veterans have gotten too expensive to keep and injuries have forced the club to dig deeper into their depth chart. That shrinks their margin for error with the selections that will help comprise their new core of players on a Super Bowl contender.

It’s hard to believe a team that’s generally so focused on the future will push all its chips in to try and make a run with this 2024 club.

Instead of using premium future draft capital, they’ll likely aim to shell out some later-round picks for depth along the defensive line, or wherever the team believes it most needs the assistance. That’ll allow them to thread the needle between trying to contend this year without mortgaging their future.

Some better depth at a couple of key spots combined with the impending return of reigning Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey should be enough to at least put the 49ers in the conversation when it comes to this year’s Super Bowl.

A big splash in the trade market would definitely put them there, but there’s too much at stake in the future for the 49ers to go make such a splash now.

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Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles named to NFL Competition Committee

On Friday, they announced adding two new voices to the Competition Committee which strives to make the game better from every angle.

The NFL is constantly listening to voices in and around the league to make the league better. On Friday, they announced that they would be adding two new voices to the Competition Committee.

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles and former Buccaneer and Pro Football Hall of Famer John Lynch will be added to the committee.

Bowles joins other head coaches on the committee, such as Mike Tomlin, Sean McDermott, and Sean McVay, who all add their voices to the league’s ear. Lynch is joined by Chris Grier, the only other general manager on the committee.

The point of the NFL Competition Committee is as follows from their site: “The Competition Committee’s actions are based, in part, on feedback from a variety of sources. At the end of each season, the 32 NFL clubs fill out a survey, answering questions about player protection, officiating, competitive balance, and technology.”

Bowles is heading into his third year as the Buccaneers head coach, Meanwhile, Lynch has parlayed his successful NFL playing career into one in the front office with the San Francisco 49ers.

49ers superstar WR sits out practice despite team expectation

Brandon Aiyuk watch continues.

Brandon Aiyuk watch continues.

Despite both Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch noting that the San Francisco 49ers star pass catcher was in Santa Clara on Wednesday, Aiyuk was not on the field at the start of practice. Prior to practice, Shanahan and Lynch spoke to members of the media and indicated their hope that Aiyuk would return to practice on Wednesday.

Although the start of the regular season is quickly approaching, Aiyuk is still “holding in.” Aiyuk has yet to suit up for practice since the start of training camp as he seeks a new contract or a trade from San Francisco.

Via @mattbarrows on Twitter:

When speaking with members of the media before practice, Shanahan said he’d hoped Aiyuk would return to practice on Wednesday in Santa Clara. While Shanahan mentioned his hopes for Aityuk practicing, he noted that does not believe Aiyuk practicing is an indication that a new deal is coming.

Via @mattbarrows on Twitter:

Via @957thegame on Twitter:

 

It wasn’t just Shanahan who was hoping Aiyuk would practice, it was also general manager John Lynch. When speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Lynch didn’t hold back saying,”at some point, you’ve got to play” in reference to Aiyuk’s extended contract saga.

Via @AdamSchefter on Twitter:

Via @brgridiron on Twitter:

The 49ers are set to open the regular season against Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets on Monday Night Football just 12 days away from Wednesday.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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John Lynch doesn’t sound like GM getting ready to trade a star wide receiver

It’s hard not to be optimistic that a Brandon Aiyuk contract is getting done with the 49ers after hearing John Lynch on KNBR.

The San Francisco 49ers still don’t have a deal in place on a long-term contract with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

It’s not new that the 49ers have taken their time getting a high-priced extension done with a star player. Just last offseason their negotiations with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa lasted until practice began for the first week of the regular season.

While the Aiyuk deal has come with its share of twists and turns, including rampant trade speculation and multiple deals in place with other teams, recent comments from general manager John Lynch don’t appear to be coming from a GM preparing to trade an All-Pro less than a month away from the regular season opener.

Lynch appeared with ‘Murph and Marcus’ on KNBR in San Francisco and talked about how the team feels the pressure to get something done with Aiyuk as the clock ticks down toward the start of the regular season.

“I’m not going to characterize any chances or anything,” Lynch said. “I can tell you this, it’s been a long, arduous, hard process. A hard journey. We started this early and for whatever reason haven’t been able to get it across the finish line. That’s been frustrating, but the communication still has been really good both with Brandon and his agent, and we’re trying to figure out solutions. You know, I’m always hopeful. I’m an optimistic person by nature, and I’m always hopeful that we’ll get there and get there soon. I can tell you we feel the urgency to have him, the season’s approaching.”

Urgency, or lack thereof, has defined the seemingly interminable Aiyuk saga. The 49ers weren’t in a hurry to negotiate. They apparently aren’t in a hurry to trade him. Now they’re left trying to ram through a negotiation in the 11th hour.

That the club feels that urgency is notable. If they were simply feeling pressure to get anything done, they could pull the trigger on a trade with the Steelers. They may ‘lose the deal,’ but the urgency they’re feeling comes from a desire to get a contract done with Aiyuk.

Lynch elaborated further on Aiyuk’s readiness and the team wanting to keep him in the Bay Area.

“The good news is Brandon is a really, really hard worker,” Lynch said. “He’s taking great care of himself this offseason. He’s in fantastic shape, but there’s things you have to do on a football field and getting yourself in there with our team. So, we’re working hard, and hopefully there’s a resolution soon. That’s all I can share with everyone. I understand the angst of everyone. I understand there’s been all kinds of stories and talk, that’s what people do these days. I don’t like that part of it, but we love BA as a player, I think you see it every time he goes out there representing the Niners. He’s a guy we traded up for in the first round back in the (2020) draft. I remember doing it from my guest house during the COVID times, and we’re fortunate to have added him to our squad. And we’d really like to keep him around.”

Those aren’t the words of a GM preparing to punt his 26-year-old All-Pro to Pittsburgh. It’s been clear throughout the offseason the 49ers want to keep Aiyuk. Based on Aiyuk’s actions and continued negotiations with the 49ers, it’s clear staying in San Francisco is his desired outcome as well.

Lynch can’t come out and say what’s actually going on in negotiations. Reading between the lines of his hit with KNBR provides real optimism that things are heading the right direction with just over three weeks to go until the regular season opener.

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View all of the Broncos players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Randy Gradishar is the latest Broncos legend to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame. View the full list here.

Former Denver Broncos linebacker Randy Gradishar will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio on Saturday evening.

So, how many players do the Broncos have in the Hall of Fame now? That depends on who you believe qualifies for the count.

There are several players — running back Floyd Little, quarterback John Elway, safety Steve Atwater, tight end Shanahan Sharpe, offensive lineman Gary Zimmerman, running back Terrell Davis and cornerback Champ Bailey — who are obvious Broncos Hall of Famers. That’s seven.

Quarterback Peyton Manning only played four years in Denver, but he won the AFC West in all four seasons and won Super Bowl 50 with the Broncos. That’s eight. Outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware spent the majority of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, but he won his ring in Denver. Nine.

John Lynch won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but he, like Manning, played the final four years of his career with the Broncos — and he’s a member of the team’s Ring of Fame. Ten.

So Gradishar is essentially the 11th Denver player to reach Canton. There are others, though. Safety Brian Dawkins played three seasons with the Broncos. Cornerback Willie Brown played four seasons in Denver before a 12-year stint with the Oakland Raiders. Running back Tony Dorsett and cornerback Ty Law also spent one season each with the Broncos.

Additionally, late team owner Pat Bowlen was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2019. So there are at least a dozen members of the Hall of Fame who Broncos fans can claim as their own. Up next should be former coach Mike Shanahan, who was snubbed again by voters in 2024.

Here’s a quick list of every former Bronco in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

1. RB Floyd Little (1967-1975)

(Dick Raphael-USA TODAY Sports)

2. LB Randy Gradishar (1974-1983)

(Rod Hanna-USA TODAY Sports)

3. QB John Elway (1983-1998)

(Photo By USA TODAY Sports)

4. DB Steve Atwater (1989-1998)

(Getty Images)

5. TE Shannon Sharpe (1990-1999, 2002-’03)

(MARK LEFFINGWELL/AFP via Getty Images)

7. OL Gary Zimmerman (1993-1997)

(USA TODAY Sports, US Presswire Sports Archive)

8. RB Terrell Davis (1995-2001)

(Jamie Squire /Allsport)

9. CB Champ Bailey (2004-2013)

(Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

10. DB John Lynch (2004-2007)

(Rick Scuteri-US Presswire Copyright Rick Scuteri)

11. QB Peyton Manning (2012-2015)

(Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)

12. OLB DeMarcus Ware (2014-2016)

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

13. Owner Pat Bowlen (1984-2019)

(Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports)

14. DB Brian Dawkins (2009-2011)

Brian Dawkins
(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

15. CB Willie Brown (1963-1966)

(Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports)

16. RB Tony Dorsett (1988)

(Rod Hanna-USA TODAY Sports)

17. CB Ty Law (2009)

(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

Did 49ers WR hint that contract negotiation ended?

Daps and hugs for Brandon Aiyuk with John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan. Is a deal close?

There was an intriguing scene caught on video Wednesday. during Day 7 of 49ers training camp.

TheSFNiners on Twitter posted a photo from the stands at camp that shows wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk taking the field as his teammates practiced. Aiyuk was still in street clothes, but he appeared to greet general manager John Lynch with a hearty handshake and a smile.

That wasn’t necessarily new since the pair has been seen together at multiple practices during the All-Pro WR’s hold-in. This time head coach Kyle Shanahan also came over to greet the receiver with a smile, a handshake and a hug. Here’s the video:

This may or may not mean anything, but it’s certainly noteworthy given the long, drawn-out contract extension talks Aiyuk has gone through this offseason. He, Lynch and Shanahan could be celebrating a break-through in talks that has things trending the right way.

That trio could just as likely be friendly with each other and the greeting isn’t anything more than that.

No matter what the basis of the greeting is, that Aiyuk is still friendly enough with Lynch and Shanahan for these kind of interactions is a good sign for San Francisco. It doesn’t appear to be contentious, which it could easily be after Aiyuk requested a trade the week before training camp began.

For now there’s no real news on an Aiyuk contract extension. All signs point to things trending the right way. That should be considered good news as the team gets ready to wrap up its second week of training camp.

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Brandon Aiyuk, John Lynch watch 49ers practice together

Brandon Aiyuk watched the first part of #49ers practice on Thursday with … John Lynch

If there’s animosity between Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers front office, it didn’t show at Thursday’s training camp practice.

Aiyuk, who reported for camp but isn’t participating in practice while he awaits a contract extension, already showed a willingness to resolve his contract dispute amicably by showing up to the team facility on Tuesday when veterans were required to report. His other option was to hold out and not report.

He was on the field for Wednesday’s practice before exiting to the team facility with general manager John Lynch according to reporters on site. Thursday was more of the same, but with a twist. Aiyuk was on the field again, only this time he and Lynch watched together.

Barrows indicated Aiyuk watched the latter portion of practice with safety Talanoa Hufanga. Hufanga is on the PUP list while recovering from an ACL tear he suffered in Week 11 last season.

Aiyuk watching a practice with Lynch doesn’t necessarily mean a contract is close. It does provide some optimism though that the two sides are at least talking and trying to work toward an extension.

So far Aiyuk has done all the right things through two days of camp. The more he continues doing that, the better.

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