Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Thursday, February 27th, 2025
“San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch spoke to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Here is everything he had to say.”
49ers Notes: John Lynch discusses Purdy negotiations, likely departure of Deebo Samuel
“But the initial question he received on Aiyuk related to trading him. Lynch left the door open there, and pointed to the 49ers’ financial realities, which could involve parting with key players going forward.
“You get calls, and you always listen to calls,” Lynch said. “We’re, I think since Kyle and I’ve been here, we’ve been, certainly a top five, I believe number two cash spending team in the last five years, or four years. going into the fourth year, I think we’re the fourth highest cash spending team. So at some point you have to reset a little bit, or at least recalibrate. You can’t just keep pressing the pedal.
“I think there’s some good that can come out of it. We need to get younger. I think we’re the oldest team in football. Trying to make a run at the deal last year, and I think it’s good to constantly get younger. Our draft class last year was a great move towards that. We’ll have four picks in the top 100 if the comp picks happen like we see it. As always a calculation. We’ll have 10 picks overall, and we’re excited about adding more youth to a great core of players that we already have.”
That point, about an impending “reset” or the need to “recalibrate” points to the most notable part of Lynch’s presser, which is that the 49ers will probably end up cutting Deebo Samuel with a post-June 1 designation.”
“On Wednesday, Lynch characterized the early negotiations with Purdy as “good discussions.”
“They’ve got their thoughts, we’ve got our thoughts,” Lynch said. “We’ve just got to try to make it a reality. He’s played really well, and we know that we have every intention of making him our guy. It’s just coming to an agreement.”
49ers want Dre Greenlaw to return; Brandon Aiyuk doing ‘very well’ in ACL recovery (paywall)
“I know that anecdotally [Aiyuk’s] doing really well,” Lynch said. “And our trainers who have been with him say he’s doing very well. He’s putting in the work. That’s what you have to do. And like I’ve always said, the real top-end athletes tend to heal at a little faster rate, and I think that’s going on with Brandon as well.”
Lynch, 49ers to honor Deebo’s trade request, but deal isn’t guaranteed
“Then, he came up and talked with me and we had a very honest and frank conversation,” Lynch said. “He told us his reasons. I asked him to sit on it, sleep on it, and we’d do the same. We did, and we told him he could go talk to people.”
Lynch said it feels as if time has run its course with Samuel and the 49ers.”
Lynch encouraged by state of 49ers’ O-line with Williams returning
“Trent’s playing and he’s ready,” Lynch said. “I think he’s really motivated to come back. That’s rarefied air that Trent lives in, and when you’re a player that has experience playing at those heights, you don’t want to play unless you’re playing at that level. And I think that’s where Trent’s at.”
“He’s a Niner through and through,” Lynch said of Kittle. “I want that to become a reality. I think the only thing on that is timing. That’s no different from what I’ve told George and his agent.
“There are some other things we’re focused on. George is certainly there, but that’s something we all want to see become a reality, including George.”
49ers met with Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen at NFL Scouting Combine
“He grew up a fan of the 49ers and especially liked Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman,” Maiocco noted.”
49ers met with Tennessee DE James Pearce Jr. at NFL Scouting Combine
“Over his last two seasons at Tennessee, Pearce amassed 17.5 sacks and totaled 19.5 across three seasons. In 2024, he recorded 28 tackles (13 for a loss), 7.5 sacks, a pass defensed, and a forced fumble.
Pearce has earned a Pro Football Focus defensive grade of at least 87.1 in each of the past two seasons. He significantly improved his run-defense grade from 67.7 in 2023 to 84.1 in 2024.
As a pass rusher, Pearce posted a 91.9 Pro Football Focus pass-rushing grade in 2023 and an 89.4 in 2024. His 55 pressures last season tied for the 12th-most in the nation.”
NFL Draft: 49ers reportedly ‘very high’ on UCLA edge rusher Oluwafemi Oladejo
“In 2024, Oladejo earned a 73.8 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus and recorded 33 pressures.
“Even before the testing has begun, teams have been raving about Oladejo’s interviews, which have gone spectacularly well,” Pauline noted. “Teams also love the fact that he’s a quick-twitch athlete who has continually improved his game and looked like a natural last year moving from inside linebacker to outside linebacker/edge rusher.”
49ers rank 8th overall in NFLPA survey. See where they were highest and lowest (paywall)
“The 49ers did not receive a grade below B-minus in any category. They ranked highest in food/dining area (fourth of 32 teams), team travel (eighth), strength coaches (ninth), head coach (10th), treatment of families (10th) and nutritionist/dietitian (10th). They ranked lowest in the quality of their training staff (25th), training room (21st) and locker room (15th).
Head coach Kyle Shanahan received an A grade. Per the survey, players feel that Shanahan is “moderately receptive to locker room feedback on team’s needs,” ranking him 16th, and 97% of players feel Shanahan is efficient with their time (11th). Owner Jed York received an A-minus and ranked 12th among his peers. The players feel that York is “extremely committed to building a competitive team,” ranking him sixth, and believe York “significantly contributes” to a positive team culture (seventh).
The 49ers are among 29 teams that offer daycare for families for home games, but they are among just two teams that charge players to use it ($40 per child). Players mentioned that the sauna and showers “frequently” break.
For the second straight year, the 49ers ranked among the bottom half of the league only in their training staff and training room, categories in which they finished 21st and 24th, respectively, in 2024.
The latest rankings came after a season in which a slew of injuries to high-profile players played a significant role in a 6-11 finish. The players feel that the team’s training staff “slightly contributes” to the team’s success, ranking the 49ers 25th in the league.”