49ers mailbag: Is there friction between Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch?
San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch completed their third NFL Draft together last weekend and will spend this week inking undrafted free agents to contracts and deciding who to bring in for rookie minicamp Thursday and Friday.
What they weren’t expecting was a story from Bleacher Report on Tuesday morning indicating there was a rift between the two. That’s a good place to start this week’s mailbag.
Brendan Panikkar asks: Is there really friction in the 49ers’ front office between Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch?
From what I gather, no. Matt Miller of B/R, who has accurately reported 49ers news in the past, wrote: “the two aren’t in lock step as far as the vision of the offseason and the future of the franchise,” and, “a power struggle could be coming with Lynch and chief deputy Adam Peters on the outs, and Shanahan looking for his own personnel man to run the draft and free agency.”
I’ve been told that isn’t true and many within the organization were surprised about the report. Shanahan sent a text to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, “Complete bulls---,” in response to the story.
Do I think Miller made it up out of thin air? No. Do I question his sourcing? Yes.
I’m not going to speculate on where Miller heard his information (he mentioned from “sources in the team’s scouting and coaching staff”). But I’ve been told from people who were inside the draft room there was no indication of conflict between the coach and general manager.
That’s not to say Shanahan and Lynch agree on every decision. It wouldn’t be a healthy way to construct a roster if they came from the same viewpoints. Both have admitted missteps along the way, such as drafting Reuben Foster and Joe Williams, who are no longer with the team. And, the 49ers are 10-22 since the regime was put in place. It’s impossible to look at that record and feel good.
But CEO Jed York was effusive in his praise of his prized pairing at the owners’ meetings last month. Shanahan and Lynch answered questions following all three days of the draft, and there were no outward signs of disagreement.
Does that mean everything is perfect? No.
Former third overall draft pick Solomon Thomas hasn’t worked out yet. The secondary lacks established talent outside of Richard Sherman and went largely unaddressed with meaningful resources this offseason. The team gave linebacker Kwon Alexander a large contract in free agency despite tearing his ACL last October. And we’re still waiting to see if Jimmy Garoppolo is worthy of that massive contract to become the franchise quarterback.
Naturally, there’s going to be pressure entering the third year after two disappointing campaigns. But as of now, I haven’t found any signs of that pressure leading to a chasm between Lynch and Shanahan.
Martin asks: Does Jason Verrett beat out Ahkello Witherspoon opposite Sherman?
I’m not sure. It depends on Verrett’s health. He’s coming off an Achilles’ tear that will be a year old when he reports to training camp this summer, and he’s only played in five games since 2016.
There’s a good chance if his health permits. The 49ers mentioned Verrett directly when asked why they didn’t use a draft pick before the sixth round on a cornerback after struggling at the position last season. Verrett was a Pro Bowler with the Chargers. There are no questions about his talent.
But Verrett was only part of the reason the 49ers sat out of the cornerback market until late in the draft. They think Witherspoon and Tarvarius Moore still have the potential to develop into impact starters. They might also argue that neither has been given the chance to prove himself, which means 2019 will be big for the opinion of the position heading into next offseason.
Brian Renick asks: Any chance the Niners look to trade for Chris Harris Jr.? They could trade from their D-line depth (plus a late-round pick) and then front load a contract that gets them out after a year or two. He would be an upgrade over K’Waun Williams in the slot and could slide outside if necessary.
The Broncos seem like a natural partner for any trade, given the connection between Lynch and personnel executive Adam Peters to John Elway. Plus, the 49ers in January hired Denver’s former defensive coordinator, Joe Woods, to become their passing game coordinator and secondary coach.
But Harris, who turns 30 in June, wants a contract worth some $15 million per season. That doesn’t seem like something San Francisco would be interested in on top of trading away draft capital or a player they value.
The 49ers remain high on Thomas and Arik Armstead, even if both are expected to play fewer snaps after Nick Bosa’s addition with the No. 2 pick. They believe new defensive line coach Kris Kocurek can put those guys in positions to succeed, unlike the past two seasons. They also like Williams and D.J. Reed in the slot.
San Francisco’s desired trade targets this offseason, Odell Beckham Jr. (26) and Dee Ford (28), are in their prime. Harris enters his ninth season and wants top dollar. I believe he would have been a more coveted trade target for the 49ers if he were 27 or 28, not seven weeks shy of turning 30.
Timothy asks: Do you expect any contract delays or holdouts with Nick Bosa like we saw with Joey Bosa?
Bosa is represented by CAA, the same agency as his brother and Thomas, who didn’t sign his contract until 45 minutes into his first training camp practice in 2017. Joey Bosa held out roughly a month of training camp before agreeing on his contract with the Chargers.
So yes, Bosa’s contract situation will be worth monitoring.
The reason is generally offset language because salaries are pre-determined by draft slot in the current CBA that was instituted in 2011. Offset language allows teams to recoup some guaranteed money if a draftee gets cut and signed by another team during his first four seasons.
Without offset language, a rookie that gets cut could retain his guaranteed money from the team that drafted him and make money from his new team. Some call it “double dipping.”
Given Bosa’s injury history (core muscle surgery last fall and a partial ACL tear in 2015), this could become a point of contention. We’ll see.
