In order for an NFL team to be successful in today's league, the front office, scouting and coaching staff must all be in sync and have the same goals in mind.
John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan were hired together by the 49ers after the 2016 season in what was a complete organizational rebuild. The two have always publicly supported each other, although a recent article from Bleacher Report asserts that privately the relationship is much more strained between departments.
As training camps around the league get underway, the 49ers' top brass made sure to dispel the rumors as they sat together at a press conference Friday.
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“For anyone who questions our relationship, it’s the stupidest thing ever," Shanahan told the assembled media in Santa Clara. "Hang around us. It’s kind of a joke.”
Lynch kept with the joking theme, adding "You know, we drive into work every day together."
Shanahan also was quick to reject the implication that scouts were constantly being overruled by the coaching staff in personnel decisions.
"I’ve been in a lot of buildings and more people have a voice in here than any place I’ve ever been in," Shanahan said. "But ultimately, you’ve got to take in a lot of information and when it comes down to it, in every building, one or possibly two people get to make a decision and in our building John and I ultimately have to do that."
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The 49ers have been a hot topic around the NFL water cooler this offseason as the team looks to rebound from a dismal 2018 campaign with a now fully cleared and healthy quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo.
It's hard to blame these two for the 49ers' struggles over the past few seasons, considering what the duo was presented with roster-wise when they took over. By the end of Shanahan and Lynch's contracts in a few years, it wouldn't be a surprise to see this organization back among the NFL's elite.