After a weekend of meetings with general manager candidates and presumptive head coach Kyle Shanahan, the San Francisco 49ers are reportedly expected to hire their new GM early this week.
This news comes by way of Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area, who provided some details about the three finalists for the job.
“Team executives Jed York and Paraag Marathe, along with presumptive head coach Kyle Shanahan, met with Minnesota assistant general manager George Paton and Arizona vice president of player personnel Terry McDonough in Atlanta,” Maiocco wrote. “The search also includes a third candidate with whom Shanahan is believed to be comfortable working, according to another source. ESPN analyst Mark Dominik has widely been speculated as an individual who could emerge in consideration for the 49ers’ general manager position. The 49ers have discussed Dominik, a source said last week, but there has been no formal interview.”
Shanahan cannot sign with the 49ers until after Super Bowl LI, but at this point it’s all but a given he’ll become the next head coach (more on that here). He was heavily involved in the meetings this weekend in Atlanta with York and Marathe as they interviewed Paton and McDonough.
As Maiocco notes, Shanahan also has a history with the third candidate, Dominik, from their time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004-05.
Whoever is hired, we can be sure he’s been given the vote of confidence from Shanahan, who’ll be working closely with him when it comes to personnel decisions. That said, despite some rumors to the contrary, the current Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator doesn’t want full control over the roster.
The 49ers are in a prime spot to rebound after a few years of decline. With more than $80 million available under the cap and 10 draft picks, including the No. 2 overall selection, they have the means to turn the ship around rather quickly, provided smart moves are made on the personnel side and the coaches can develop their players.