Missing Pieces
Niner Report|October 2019
2019 49ers have best roster of Lynch/Shanahan era; how much better could it be?
Craig Massei
Missing Pieces

Resilient, unwavering and relentless, the John Lynch/Kyle Shanahan leadership team has valiantly marched on through three years of personnel hits and misses to determinedly build the 49ers, using all the vast resources available to systematically bring in the best talent they can find and the best talent they can persuade to come to San Francisco.

Finally, as they enter the all-telling third year of their program — a season sure to enlighten whether or not they are in over their heads running an NFL team — San Francisco’s first-time general manager and first-time head coach agree they have stockpiled enough quality performers and strengthened the talent base enough to give the 49ers a legitimate chance to compete for a playoff berth during the 2019 season.

That has been the goal since the duo took control of the operation in 2017, and as their season of reckoning arrives, Lynch and Shanahan are comfortable letting all their work constructing the roster speak for itself.

“We believe we are there,” Shanahan said a few days before the start of the regular season. “I’m extremely happy with where we are right now. You’ll never be satisfied, you always want to keep getting better. But the main thing is you get better each year, and we’re in a situation right now that we haven’t been in before. We know we have a good chance to win.”

Just as importantly, Shanahan said, that’s a feeling that permeates the San Francisco roster thanks to the upgrades and reinforcements that have been added steadily to it since the Lynch/Shanahan team arrived.

This story is from the October 2019 edition of Niner Report.

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This story is from the October 2019 edition of Niner Report.

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