Lynch: 49ers had to clear room for 'big things coming our way'

Niners general manager John Lynch described it as "terrible" to watch several San Francisco players depart in free agency but attributed the mass exodus to the team's long-term plan.

"We've got this thing called the draft, and we've got a lot of picks," Lynch told reporters earlier this week at Stanford's pro day, according to The Athletic's Matt Barrows. "And I think the thing the fans should know is we have a plan. And we're gonna execute that plan. And we're excited about the opportunity."

San Francisco lost several starters this offseason, with wideout Deebo Samuel notably leaving to the Washington Commanders following his trade request. The 49ers also watched linebacker Dre Greenlaw, safety Talanoa Hufanga, guard Aaron Banks, and defensive linemen Leonard Floyd, Javon Hargrave, and Maliek Collins depart in free agency.

Lynch declined to talk about contract negotiations with quarterback Brock Purdy but alluded to it when discussing the team's offseason strategy. Purdy is expected to become one of the league's highest-paid players with his forthcoming extension after being one of its cheapest over the first three seasons of his career.

"The bottom line is you're always looking at years out," Lynch said. "And we forecast it, and we've got some big things coming our way. And you have to clear the requisite room to be able to do that.

"And you don't want to get to a point where you have to do things to keep your roster afloat. You want to have that flexibility."

The 49ers finished 6-11 last year and missed the postseason for the first time since 2020, partly due to a string of key player injuries. San Francisco was coming off a trip to the Super Bowl and expected to be a contender again.

"Last year, we had such a good roster," Lynch said. "I think we doubled down and said, 'Let's go for this thing.' And we kinda pushed all the chips in knowing that at some point, you're gonna have to have that reset. And this was the year."