As the 49ers undergo an ambitious roster reshuffle, San Francisco is drawing inspiration from two recent rebuilds from a pair of contending teams.
During an exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, 49ers general manager John Lynch revealed the success the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams had in similar situations gives San Francisco hope in its own attempt at rebuilding on the fly amidst a financial reset.
“I think you embrace it, and you’re buoyed by the fact that we have people that we respect that did it,” Lynch told Breer. “The Rams have done a nice job of doing that and never missed a beat and stayed competitive. And then Buffalo, obviously, it helps when you’ve got Josh Allen, but, hey, we’ve got Brock [Purdy] … At some point, you have to pay the piper and this was a year that we needed to cleanse it a little and I think it will give us some flexibility moving forward. …”
The 49ers saw key departures on both sides of the ball, losing three All-Pro players in wide receiver Deebo Samuel, defensive backs Charvarius Ward and Talanoa Hufanga, as well as the heartbeat of their defense in linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
With San Francisco assimilating a bevy of young starters on its defense, Lynch mapped out how the Seattle Seahawks taught him a valuable lesson about absorbing the growing pains with younger players early in a season, with an eye on the long term benefit during the playoff push late in the year.
“I’d go broadcast for years in Seattle; I did a lot of Seattle games,” Lynch told Breer. “And I always thought Pete [Carroll] and John [Schneider] understood that really well, that you play young guys. You may not be there early in the year, but they get better. They get better, and if you can hang with them, love them up, and teach them, you’re gonna be a competitive, really good team. And the young guys tend to stay a little healthier. They can practice, and then you can compete late in the year. There are a lot of blueprints. We’ve got to embrace it.”
San Francisco invested heavily in its defense during the 2025 NFL Draft, with its first five selections all coming on that side of the ball. The 49ers particularly emphasized their defensive line, spending the No. 11 overall pick on EDGE Mykel Williams while beefing up the interior with a pair of gap eaters in Alfred Collins and CJ West.
While it always is a tall ask to replace proven NFL players, perhaps the recent success of Buffalo and Los Angeles can serve as a vital big-picture reference point as San Francisco navigates the roller coaster of growing pains likely to come while its younger players adapt to significant roles for a team expected to contend sooner rather than later.
Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast
Read the full article here