The official start the NFL league year is just over two weeks away, but there was a plethora of news this week at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. San Francisco 49ers GM John Lynch sat down with local Bay Area media to talk free agency and more offseason updates.
D.J. Jones
Defensive lineman D.J. Jones is a free agent and coming off a very impressive season in San Francisco. Jones had 64 tackles, including 11 TFL, five quarterback hits and two forced fumbles.
“If his objective was to stay here, he made it really hard,” Lynch joked. “I don’t even hope that he misses his market because he’s earned it…I do think it’s going to be challenging.”
Jones also contributed to what was a top run defense that allowed an average of four yards per carry during the 2021 season.
“We certainly value him and such a good human being too,” Lynch said. “When I talk about my favorite people in the building, I’m not afraid to say D.J.’s right at the top of the list. He’s the guy who treats the people behind serving lunch as well as anyone. He’s a great person. So that would be a tough one to lose. But there might be that chance.”
Offensive Lineman
Alex Mack
“We’ve had good communication with Alex, and the good news is, I think he really had a blast playing with our group,” Lynch said. “So I believe that he’s interested in coming back and we’re certainly interested in that. I think he added a lot to who we are.”
Laken Tomlinson
“Laken’s been, when you talk about consistency and durability, he’s kind of like the poster child for that,” Lynch said. ‘He’s there every week, and it’s a fun story. First-round pick who had kind of hadn’t realized his talent for whatever reason with Detroit…I think Laken really likes our culture. We like having him. So we’ll make an effort to try to keep him.”
Aaron Banks
“I think he really grew, he really reshaped his body and we’re really excited about getting him out there and letting him compete. And it’s a huge offseason for him. But right before I left, they’re allowed in their facility if they’re out there working out on their own and there were…probably nine or 10. Aaron was one of them. So I think he’s really made a commitment and…he’s got a ton of ability. So it could be really fun to see him become a part of who we are. And he made, he made great strides last year. So I’m really excited about him, as we all are.”
Compensatory Picks and the Depth of the NFL Draft
With Mike McDaniel becoming the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, the 49ers will receive two compensatory third-round picks in the next two drafts. In 2020, the NFL began rewarding teams that develop minority coaches and executives, and with Robert Saleh hired as the New York Jets head coach and Martin Mayhew as the GM of the Washington Commanders, San Francisco received third-round picks for 2021, 2022 and 2023.
“I think that’s something that maybe Kyle and I have needed to grow,” Lynch Said. “We like being aggressive, but that’s also a valuable tool that a lot of the good organizations have tried to take advantage of. But in order to do that, you got to let people, good players, go and it’s not something we love to do. But you have to understand that as many guys we are paying at top of the market, which is a good deal, because we have players that deserve to be at the top of the market, you can’t keep everyone…We’ve played that game, side game, but we’ve been the beneficiary of that, their success turning into drafts that have helped us out as well.”
This year’s draft class is known for depth. It may not be as top heavy as the last several years, but teams have the potential to fill key positions with solid players past the first couple rounds.
“[W]e don’t have a first round pick and we’re not used to that,” Lynch said. “But I think when people ask me the signature of this draft, it’s the depth of it. And so it’s a good year to have, I like that we have nine picks. [I]t’s a good year to exhibit patience, because at every position it seems like, traditionally, there’s this many players with draftable grades and it’s skewing up and almost every position in terms of… [F]inancially when you’re up against the cap, it’s more efficient to have all those draft picks to kind of fill those spots.”