49ers John Lynch on Carlos Hyde, Trent Brown and more at 2018 NFL Combine

INDIANAPOLIS — John Lynch wouldn’t delve too much into Carlos Hyde’s future with the 49ers, but the team’s general manager offered that the running back “is a really good football player for us.”

Hyde is set to hit unrestricted free agency when the new league year begins on March 14, and he could be among the top rushers available. Hyde ran for 938 yards and eight touchdowns last season as well as reeling in 350 yards on 59 catches.

Hyde, hindered by injuries his first three seasons, started all 16 games under first-year coach Kyle Shanahan, and that durability could bolster his case when negotiations commence with Hyde’s agent, Doug Hendrickson.

“We’ll talk to them this week,” Lynch said of Hyde’s camp. “Carlos is a really good football player for us. We’ll see what happens there. We’ll keep you abreast if there’s any updates.”

Lynch also noted that this draft boasts a strong crop of running backs. If Hyde leaves, top in-house candidates to replace him are Matt Breida and Joe Williams, a pair of 2017 rookies, although Williams missed all season with an ankle issue.

Here are some other talking points from Lynch’s sit-down with Bay Area reporters at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis Wednesday.

On the state of 49ers cornerbacks and interest in veterans Vontae Davis and Marcus Peters: “It doesn’t take a savant to look at our roster and say, ‘Hey, we need some people there.’ We’re doing our due diligence and we feel like it’s in our best interest … we wanted to get (former free-agent cornerback Vontae Davis) in the building. So we got him in the building. We had good visits. Ultimately we decided not to move forward there.”

“(On) Marcus Peters (slated to be traded from the Chiefs to the Rams), we did our due diligence and ultimately – the other thing we wanna keep in mind is we aren’t gonna sacrifice making decisions at (pauses) we don’t feel like this is a team, and I don’t wanna say this – we have high expectations – but we’re not one player away. We never wanna sacrifice the fact that we really wanna build this thing for sustained success and so the reported draft capital that they gave up? We had conversations, but we also never made a formal offer and we just felt at a certain point it was best to duck out and we’re comfortable with that.”

On the health of right tackle Trent Brown’s surgically repaired shoulder: “He’s coming along well. Our trainers keep in close contact. He hasn’t been around. Some guys choose to rehab here. He’s back in Florida. But from all accounts he’s really doing well, ahead of schedule like everyone is. One of our players was in the facility the other day and said they had been down there and he looks great. Just kind of going off things like that, but by all accounts our trainers have been in close contact and his rehab is going very well.”

Lynch, when asked about a potential extension for Brown, noted the 49ers have more pressing priorities, though wouldn’t rule one out down the road.

On staff changes:

Vice President of Football Affairs Keena Turner to front office, “special advisor” to Lynch. “I don’t think there’s a person in our building that understands the 49er way more than Keena.”
Senior Player Personnel Coordinator Ethan Waugh to college scouting director
Austin Moss from the league office to 49ers director of player engagement

On hiring Ken Norton Jr. in January, then losing him to Seahawks shortly thereafter:

Norton, the former Raiders defensive coordinator fired after Week 11, latched on as the 49ers defense’s assistant head coach and inside linebackers coach. After less than a week, he took a job as Seahawks defensive coordinator.

“With all due respect to Kenny, who I love, I’m not sure in my mind he took a better job. I can tell you that part of the concerns, and Kyle and I talk about everything but the coaching hires are Kyle’s, we just felt like we were adding a really good football coach, one that had familiarity with (49ers defensive coordinator Robert) Saleh and a guy that’s highly respected in this league. Kyle is a man of his word and talked to Kenny about some of the opportunities that, if these things presented themselves – little did we know it would be in a week and to a division opponent – but hey, it happened. And Kyle, I respect him for it.”

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