Photo courtesy of Jed York’s twitter account.
By John Sarianides
The San Francisco 49ers are set to introduce former Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan as their new head coach today.
The 37 year old Shanahan along with his hand picked general manager John Lynch will be tasked with turning around an organization that has fallen on hard times after appearing in the Super Bowl just four years ago.
It won’t be easy given the lack of talent on the roster but Shanahan is the right guy for the job and if given time, he will make the 49ers a contender again.
Here are theee reasons why I think he’ll succeed.
1. He’s Been Groomed For This: Shanahan is the son of former Broncos and Redskins coach, Mike Shanahan. Kyle has nine years of coordinating experience in the NFL with the Texans, Redskins, Browns and Falcons. He worked for his father as offensive coordinator in Washington from 2010-2013.
Shanahan will call his own plays in San Francisco, which is a smart. He is one of the best play designers in the NFL and a terrific play caller. He has been groomed for this opportunity and I think he’ll make the most of it.
2. Cap Space: The 49ers are flushed with cap space. They will have $87.6 million dollars they can spend in free agency. Needless to say, Shanahan and Lynch will be busy when free agency opens next month. I think the Niners will spend a lot of the money they have and if they draft well, they could turn things around relatively quickly.
3. Full Control of the 53 Man Roster: Just like Dan Quinn in Atlanta, Shanahan will have full control of the 53 man roster in San Francisco. Lynch will have control of the 90 man roster.
Having the ability to pick your own players is vital in today’s NFL. The fact that Shanahan will have the final say in personnel is important. He will be able to bring in the players he wants. The downside of that is, if things don’t work out, it’ll all be on Shanahan.
If 49ers owner Jed York shows the same patience over the course of the next four years that he displayed during this hiring process, the 49ers will be contenders again. He hired the right guy in Shanahan. He just needs to give him time.
FYI. The featured image I used is really corny. The 49ers are trying a little too hard.