Sherman's personality, once hated among 49ers fans, will be appreciated now

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ORLANDO, Fla. – Richard Sherman might have been the most-hated person in the NFL among 49ers fans for the first seven years of his career.

But when it came time for general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan to determine whether to pursue Sherman after his release from the Seattle Seahawks, the history warranted no internal discussion.

“Not once,” Lynch said on The 49ers Insider Podcast. “That’s not any disrespect to our fan base, 'The Faithful.' I understand and appreciate that passion they have and not liking people from the other side.

“That’s quickly forgotten when a guy starts playing well for your team.”

In fact, Lynch views Sherman’s dominant, and sometimes abrasive, personality as one of the reasons he is a good fit for the 49ers. Many of the 49ers’ young, promising defensive players -- such as DeForest Buckner, Solomon Thomas and their defensive backs -- have laid-back demeanors.

“We’ve got a lot of quiet, pragmatic guys on this defense,” Lynch said.

“So when you go get a guy like Richard, you’re looking for that contagious competitiveness. You’re looking for that dog -- someone to pull it out of not only himself but pull it out of the other players.”

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