STEAL OF THE CENTURY
Lynch gamble pays off with a Super Bowl trip
MIAMI — This was not a youngster he studied in the draft, brought to the team facility for an interview, went to dinner with to unwind. No, this was something else. This was even more of a gamble.
John Lynch, nine months on the job as 49ers general manager, engineered the trade in late October 2017 to acquire Jimmy Garoppolo from the Patriots. Looking back, Lynch could crow about this, stating he saw something in Tom Brady’s backup that convinced him this was all possible, that Garoppolo would lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl and turn around the fortunes of a franchise this quickly.
Lynch could pound his chest, but instead he scratches his head while admitting sometimes good fortune plays a part in all this. Lynch was not sure Jimmy G would turn out like this No, because we just didn’t know,’’ Lynch said this week at the 49ers’ hotel for Super Bowl LIV. “I didn’t think he didn’t have that in him, I just didn’t know.
“We felt it was a reasonable cost, albeit a high one, a second-round pick, to have an opportunity to find your franchise quarterback. Our conversations with Bill Belichick, when I talked to him, when [coach] Kyle [Shanahan] talked to him, it was, ‘You’re gonna love this kid, his teammates love him.’ And Bill doesn’t, he’s not prone to hyperbole, he doesn’t say things just to say it. If he says something he means it. That stuck with me.’’
There is the unknown of the unknown when someone ’s entire environment is uprooted. The cocoon of Garoppolo’s NFL John Lynch world suddenly opened and no one was sure how he would react to the metamorphosis. “I felt just about every emotion you could feel,’’ Garoppolo said. “When you’re going into a new situation like that you don’t know what to expect. I was so used to everything in New England. To come out here, I couldn’t wish for anything better. It’s been awesome, the people, the area, I love Northern California. It grew on me very quickly.’’ There are tangibles you can see and hear, the way a quarterback looks in the pocket, the sight of the ball coming out of his hand and the sound of the ball spinning off his fingers. Lynch studied all that. It wasn’t until he got to know the product of Eastern Illinois that the realization sunk in that Garoppolo’s demeanor and personality are made of the right stuff. “Just to watch him,’’ .“Lynch said. “He’s playing a position, we pull off a trade and he’s just as liable today to be sitting with a practice-squad player. I think his Midwest roots are really evident and the fact he has a great family and he was probably humbled by older brothers and put in his place a few times. “He’s a joy to be around. We’ve got a coach who’s extremely demanding and expects a high standard of play out of him and Jimmy’s awesome at that. I think that’s where the linebacker in him helps. He started out as a linebacker so he’s not sensitive. He understands Kyle’s sole purpose is to try to get the most out of him. Kyle can be very demanding and some guys don’t have the personality for that. I think it’s a perfect mix because Jimmy almost gets better when Kyles chewing him out. I just say ‘Keep chewing.’”