SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- A pass rush that was already in need of a boost suffered a big blow when San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Aaron Lynch was suspended four games for violation of the league's policy on substance abuse after a lengthy appeals process.
Lynch said Sunday that the suspension came as the result of a diluted specimen, something that could be attributed to drinking too much water.
"It was just an unreadable specimen," Lynch said. "I've already been in the program so that’s the next step on some of those type of tests."
Lynch said he went through a lengthy appeals process but intimated that because he entered the NFL in its drug program due to a positive test from college, he had a tough time fighting his case. So Lynch now has to go through the preseason and training camp like the rest of his teammates but with the knowledge that he won't be able to play when the season starts against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 12.
In the meantime, Lynch plans on acting as if nothing has changed and trying to help a group of potential replacements that includes the likes of Eli Harold, Corey Lemonier and Tank Carradine.
"(I want to) just make our team better, be the best teammate I can be as far as being on the field and being a leader," Lynch said. "It's kind of hard because I am suspended but I think my play going against the offense and doing my best while missing four games will make them better. I'm going to go into training camp with the mindset that I'm going to the season and I'm going to keep practicing and playing like I'm playing in the first week but I'm just going to get ready to be the best player and teammate I can be."
Losing Lynch for a quarter of the season is far from ideal for a defense that finished 29th in sacks and 31st in disrupted drop back percentage in 2015. Lynch tied for the team lead with 6.5 sacks last season. In the first couple days of camp, Lynch is still getting work with the top defense, but coordinator Jim O'Neil said Monday that losing Lynch will force him to explore options before the regular season starts.
And those options aren't limited to the usual alignments or packages.
"He's the type of player that you build a defense around, just how dynamic he can be," O'Neil said. "But, it’s an opportunity for some guys to step up. We're going to play the best 11. So, if it's two outside backers and three D-Linemen, if it's four D-Linemen, one outside backer, if it's three D-Linemen, an outside backer and an inside backer, we're going to get the best 11 out there. So, we’re going to look at Ronnie [Ronald] Blair, we’re going to look at Tank, we’re going to look at Eli, we’re going to look at Corey. There’s a lot of guys we’re going to look at. So, we can do a lot of things package-wise going into the first quarter of the season to absorb some of the reps that we're going to lose from Aaron."
While Lynch can't play or practice in the first four weeks of the season, he can participate in the entire preseason and stay around the team facility when the season begins.
Despite his frustration and disappointment with the suspension, Lynch has taken solace in the support he's received from his teammates and the organization, particularly general manager Trent Baalke.
"They've had my back since day one," Lynch said. "Coming into the league, everybody thought I had issues or something like that, maybe a temper, maybe off-field mischief but I think I have proved myself to be a pretty stable guy and a great teammate. They've just had my back the whole way through and supported me, and haven't given up on me. They've been amazing."
For his part, Baalke believes that Lynch will bounce back just fine from the suspension.
"Does it raise concerns? Disappointing is a word I think we can all use," Baalke said. "I think Aaron would tell you that. I'm sure that would be something he would speak of. Aaron has come a long way in a lot of respects. He's matured a lot, he made a mistake and now he's got to pay for that mistake. But you talk to his teammates, talk to the people that coach him, talk to myself who has been around him, I'm very confident in him as an individual. I’m disappointed yet very pleased with his growth and maturity over the years. He knows what he needs to do and I'm very confident that he's going to make the right decisions and do the right things moving forward."
