Thursday morning got off to quite the start, with Mike Lombardi saying on a podcast that the San Francisco 49ers had made it clear NaVorro Bowman was available in a trade. General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan nipped that one in the bud in a hurry. They issued a statement to Matt Maiocco denying that they are shopping Bowman.
“The report that we have been shopping NaVorro Bowman is completely false. From the time we joined the organization, NaVorro has been the consummate professional. It is evident he has been working very hard to prepare for the upcoming season and we have been impressed by what we have already seen on the field. We are looking forward to NaVorro’s future contributions to this team.”
This is the second notable trade rumor for the 49ers since John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan took over. During the draft, rumors circulated that the team was looking to trade Vance McDonald. Lynch and Shanahan addressed the topic during one of the draft press conferences, and were brutally honest. Lynch said the 49ers had spoken with teams about McDonald, but nothing got done, and so he would return to the team. Shanahan said the team is always looking to improve the roster. And coming off a 2-14 season, that makes sense.
That being said, it is interesting to see them jump to shut down the Bowman rumor quickly. Lynch and Shanahan have been pretty transparent thus far, and it would seem are not going to BS us. That being said, I would fully expect them to listen to offers for any players on the roster. As I said this morning, a 2-14 team that fires the GM and head coach is not usually a team in a good position to turn things around. The 49ers have some talent to build around, but how many of the returning players are in a position where the team is going to shut down all but the craziest of offers?
For the time being, people can back off the ledge regarding NaVorro Bowman. The defensive leader does not seem to be headed anywhere at this point.