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When the project came to an end and the question arose as to whether, and when, some general managers will be specifically targeted for replacement, a report was revealed that there was some degree of tension between 49ers coach, Kyle Shanahan and MG. John Lynch.
Shanahan quickly dismissed the statement as "conspiracy" (instead of saying "Wow, that's right, you got me"), and the idea that Shanahan and Lynch plan to divorce seems misplaced.
This does not mean that there is no urgency. There are surely some. With two disappointing seasons (last year's disaster due to unreasonably high expectations in pre-season) and three consecutive fewer than normal seasons, the 49ers find themselves stuck in half a decade of poor results. Shanahan and Lynch have been on board for two of them and they have four years left for their six year contracts, which are fully guaranteed without offset language.
After firing three coaches in three years, the 49ers needed stability. They have it now, and they will not give it up so soon. Even though things did not go as well as expected.
This does not mean that Shanahan is delighted with Lynch's performance. But there were inevitably growth problems, since Lynch was coming directly from the broadcasting booth to the reception desk.
Errors were inevitable. In the first year, Lynch did not know he needed to know and he did not know what he did not know. How could he? This led the organization to incorrectly inflate its 2017 plan, which means that the 49ers got the type they would have chosen at No. 2 after upgrading to No. 3 (Solomon Thomas) and that they got the one they would have taken to No. 2,3 if the guy they wanted had disappeared at No. 31 (Reuben Foster). The two guys were disastrous compared to their expectations, with Foster cut after multiple off-road incidents for which there were red flags and Thomas on the trading block before the project (the team denied, because that of course, they do).
We will not buy the denial of Thomas's shopping, but deny him of the potential that Shanahan and Lynch have already lost. While Shanahan perfectly mastered the composition of his team when he obtained the position, his ability to hire executives under contract with other teams was considerably reduced, which gave him little options to GM's place These limited options were meant to have inherent limitations. And Shanahan can not be surprised that, two years later, these limitations have had consequences.
The question becomes, now that Shanahan and Lynch have two full seasons and three dead seasons together, what is the next step? How much did Lynch learn? How much more adversity can the relationship support? A season leading to a playoff appearance would go a long way in bringing Shanahan and Lynch closer. Another season of disappointment could begin to separate them.
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