Kyle Shanahan, John Lynch to 49ers: Takeaways from Introductory Press Conference

The San Francisco 49ers' new regime was on display for the first time Thursday, as general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan met with the media to discuss their plans for the franchise's future.  

Lynch and Shanahan officially signed their contracts with the 49ers on Wednesday, though it's not been a secret they were going to be tasked with turning around a team that posted the NFL's second-worst record (2-14) in 2016.

Regarding the six-year deals both Lynch and Shanahan received, 49ers CEO Jed York explained the reasoning behind that decision. 

"I believe in both of these guys," York said, per Ann Killion of the San Francisco Chronicle. "We're not where we need to be."

Shanahan, who served as the Atlanta Falcons' offensive coordinator for the past two seasons, did address one big elephant in the room about last Sunday when his previous team blew a 25-point lead to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 51. 

Per Mindi Bach of Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Shanahan said he "needed a few days to grieve" after the loss but was "proud of Falcons coaches/players."

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, regarding reports Shanahan said "I blew it" after the Super Bowl, he responded with “I don’t know if I used those exact words, but that sounds like how I talk.”

In describing why he wanted to coach the 49ers, per Jennifer Lee Chan of NinersNation.com, Shanahan said the franchise is "committed to winning."

As far as how the division of roster building will be divided up between coach and general manager, Shanahan will have control over the 53-man roster with Lynch handling the 90-man offseason roster, per Chan. 

Lynch spoke highly of Shanahan as a football coach and how their philosophies match up well. 

"I think he's one of the brightest minds in the game," he said, per the 49ers' official Twitter account. "We see football and life in a very similar light."

The subject of Lynch's lack of front-office experience came up, which led to his response about needing to "surround myself with a great team," per Killion.

On that note, per Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group, Lynch noted the 49ers already hired former Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew as a senior personnel executive.

Looking ahead to building the 49ers' roster, per Chan, Lynch summed up his pitch to potential free agents in one sentence: "Do you like winning, because we are going to do that.”

Regarding the quarterback position, per Niners Nation, Shanahan said the team just wants the "best player available," regardless of whether it's a rookie added through the draft or a veteran. 

Colin Kaepernick, who started 11 games at quarterback last season, is expected to opt out of his deal, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, and Blaine Gabbert is scheduled to become a free agent. 

Per Niners Nation, Lynch did note Kaepernick contacted him and they will have a meeting at some point in the future to discuss things. 

Things have fallen apart for the 49ers since reaching three straight NFC Championship Games from 2011 to 13. Shanahan is their fourth head coach since 2014 after Jim Harbaugh, Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly. 

Their win total has decreased in each of the last three seasons, capped off by a 2-14 mark last year, their worst since 2004. 

Bringing in Shanahan and Lynch at the same time to lead the turnaround is the first step toward restoring the 49ers toward respectability. It's going to be a long process, but their ability to build a roster together will get them where they want to be.