49ers GM addresses rumors regarding Ravens' Lamar Jackson

The San Francisco 49ers aren't getting Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers and don't sound eager to trade for Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson anytime soon. 

"You're not doing your job if you don't look into things," 49ers general manager John Lynch told reporters during Monday's predraft news conference, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN. "A lot of those things I think you're limited by the way our roster is set up. And the other thing is, what's your motivation? And while those players, there's more than just Lamar, there's tremendous players, MVP-type players. We really like our guys and we like where we're at. We like our complete roster and how they fit for multiple reasons, and we're excited about that group."

As recently as Monday morning, some individuals such as former player and current CBS Sports analyst Bryant McFadden were linking the 49ers with Jackson. Specifically, McFadden suggested that the 49ers could send signal-caller Trey Lance, the No. 99 pick in this year's draft and first-round choices in 2024 and 2025 to Baltimore for the one-time NFL Most Valuable Player. 

While it's now no secret Lynch has fielded calls regarding Lance this offseason, the executive insisted on Monday he is not actively shopping the 2021 first-round draft pick. Jackson, meanwhile, had his rights for 2023 retained last month via the non-exclusive franchise tag and is reportedly looking to land over $230M in fully guaranteed money via his next contract. 

The deadline for teams to sign tagged players is July 17. As things currently stand, Jackson will have to decide if he will play on the $32.416M franchise tender for 2023 or sit games out as a way of protesting the tag. 

David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone mentioned that the Over The Cap website shows San Francisco possesses under $3M in salary-cap space. That reality ultimately may prevent Lynch from pursuing Jackson even if the 49ers learn that 2022 rookie sensation Brock Purdy won't play until the 2024 season due to the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow that forced him into surgery last month. 

Lance and free-agency signing Sam Darnold are expected to compete for QB1 snaps this spring and summer while Purdy recovers.