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Sean Payton: I just can't see John Lynch failing as 49ers GM

Helen H. Richardson / Denver Post / Getty

While many have laughed at the San Francisco 49ers for hiring former NFL safety John Lynch as general manager without any front-office experience, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton knows a successful football man when he sees one.

Payton believes that the success Lynch has experienced at each level of his career is a surefire sign that the 49ers have found the right guy to run their team.

"I've known John now a number of years just in his job with Fox and covering our games, and man, he's exceptional," Payton told KNBR radio on Wednesday. "He's one of those guys, you just can't see him failing. He didn't in high school. He didn't in college. He was successful in the NFL. He was doing outstanding at Fox.

"So he's got that - what he doesn't know and what he has to learn, he's going to. He's someone who is smart enough to seek advice, ask the right questions."

Payton acknowledged that, like any team, Lynch and new head coach Kyle Shanahan will encounter their fair share of troubles as they try to turn the lowly Niners back into a successful franchise. He thinks that the trail of triumph each man has had will ultimately translate to their new positions.

"These guys have been around a lot of winning. That won’t mean that there aren’t stumbling blocks and there aren’t hurdles that they have to overcome, but I think in the end, their communication and their vision certainly gives them a chance in that division."

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