The San Francisco 49ers watched as their club was pillaged in free agency, losing 16 players, many of them key contributors.
“It’s terrible sitting on your hands,” general manager John Lynch told The Bay Area News Group on Wednesday from Stanford’s Pro Day.
The Niners released several players, traded Deebo Samuel, and didn’t make any splash signings as the organization reset after years of spending big. San Francisco saw starters on both sides of the ball leave, from offensive linemen Aaron Banks and Jaylon Moore to running back Elijah Mitchell to a trove of defensive stalwarts like Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga and Charvarius Ward. The club released Javon Hargrave, Maliek Collins, Leonard Floyd and others in cost-cutting moves.
Lynch said the plan is to replenish the core in April.
“We’ve got this thing called the draft, and we’ve got a lot of picks,” he said, via The Athletic. “And I think the thing the fans should know is we have a plan. And we’re gonna execute that plan. And we’re excited about the opportunity.”
The Niners currently have 11 picks in next month’s draft.
The 49ers are going through a transitional year, and Lynch is budgeting for some big contracts coming down the line, including quarterback Brock Purdy, who should go from being dirt cheap to expensive this offseason.
“The bottom line is you’re always looking at years out (from now),” he said. “And we forecast it, and we’ve got some big things coming our way. And you have to clear the requisite room to be able to do that. And you don’t want to get to a point where you have to do things to keep your roster afloat. You want to have that flexibility.”
Lynch declined to give any specifics on extension talks with Purdy, tight end George Kittle or linebacker Fred Warner.
The GM said that after years of owner Jed York shelling out for the Niners to make runs at Lombardis, it was time to recalibrate.
“Last year, we had such a good roster,” Lynch said. “I think we doubled down and said, ‘Let’s go for this thing.’ And we kinda pushed all the chips in knowing that at some point you’re gonna have to have that reset. And this was the year. So guys like Leonard Floyd and Maliek — believe me, their impact was felt. They were great. It was nothing they did wrong. We just felt like it was the time to do it, and we’re excited about what we can add and replenish.”
The Niners’ reset attempts to mirror that of division-mate Los Angeles, who, after years of shelling out picks and big-money deals, adjusted on the fly in 2023 while remaining a contender with a trove of young players, particularly on defense. The key for Lynch to getting his club out of the NFC West cellar while losing so many veterans will be hitting home runs on all those draft picks.
