San Francisco 49ers Will Pay attention To Jimmy Garoppolo Commerce Presents
/https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/605e4333d4e2e5db3abd3e15/0x0.jpg)
The San Francisco 49ers admit they’ll be listening to trade offers for Jimmy Garoppolo. (Photo of … [+]
Getty Images
Throughout the off-season, the San Francisco 49ers’ brass has dismissed rumors suggesting they wanted to get rid of injury-ridden quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
Even if rumors of interest in Matthew Stafford, Deshaun Watson and Sam Darnold persisted, General Manager John Lynch and Co. have publicly changed.
That changed dramatically on Friday after San Francisco shocked the football world by climbing from 12th to 3rd overall with the Miami Dolphins in the 2021 NFL Draft.
It was a monumental step taken with the idea of drafting a potential franchise quarterback in late April.
NFL Media’s Sam Wyche caught up with Lynch at BYU quarterback Zach Wilson’s Pro-Day in Utah after the deal was closed. To say Lynch’s comments were interesting would be an understatement.
San Francisco 49ers In touch with Jimmy Garoppolo
Lynch noticed he called Garoppolo when the news of the blockbuster deal broke on Friday. The general manager reaffirmed to the Super Bowl quarterback that he remains on the 49ers’ plans for the 2021 season.
Not really surprising. There’s no way of telling how Garoppolo might react to the news. If the 29-year-old quarterback stays with San Francisco, it will be nothing more than a stopgap solution for an unnamed rookie quarterback.
It’s a very different scenario than when the 49ers bought him from the New England Patriots in the middle of the 2017 season. Is this another role that Garoppolo would like to take on? He has $ 24.1 million reasons to take on the role. Again, there is something to be said about the ego.
John Lynch confirms the San Francisco 49ers will pick the No. 3 quarterback overall
Trey Lance could now be an option for the 49ers in 3rd place overall. (Photo by Sam Wasson / Getty Images)
Getty Images
In the same conversation with Wyche, Lynch pretty much pointed out that quarterback is their target position with the third pick acquired by Miami.
San Francisco abandoned first-round picks in 2022 and 2023, as well as a future third-placed finish, to advance with the Dolphins. There is no way the team could do this without being fully sold on one of the quarterbacks guaranteed to be available with this selection.
Common sense suggests that former Ohio state star Justin Fields would be the best bet to help advance Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
Even so, North Dakota state’s Trey Lance has elite skills and one of the highest caps in the entire design. Some rumors are also spreading that San Francisco may shock the NFL world by picking Alabama’s Mac Jones. For more I am nothing but smoke and a mirror.
Of course, this all depends on what is expected to happen. This includes Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, who lands with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Jets with Zach Wilson by two in first place. If something unimaginable happens within the first two picks, the 49ers will run to the podium for either Lawrence or Wilson. The latter’s performance during the pro day on Friday adds another player to the one.
San Francisco 49ers now ready to listen to Jimmy Garoppolo trade offers
Jimmy Garoppolo could potentially return to the New England Patriots. (Photo by Jim Rogash / Getty … [+]
Getty Images
This is a great backdrop for the Friday news. As I discussed above, there is no telling how Garoppolo will react to the blockbuster trade. If that reaction falls on the side of displeasure, San Francisco may be forced to move him.
Lynch admitted on Friday that he would have to take calls from interested parties and that other teams would “circle” around Garoppolo.
It doesn’t take a genius to realize that the New England Patriots are one of those teams. Even after signing Cam Newton, they try to do a piece for Garoppolo. So far, the 49ers haven’t listened.
Garoppolo to New England makes perfect sense as head coach Bill Belichick resisted selling him to San Francisco in 2017. He considered Garoppolo to be Tom Brady’s heir. Given Newton’s team-friendly deals, he’s pretty much making backup money in 2021. That also plays a role here.
The Denver Broncos are another team that may be interested in a Garoppolo deal. They’ll line up with aspiring third-year player Drew Lock, who took the lead in the interceptions last season. The 49ers and Broncos have a great relationship given the presence of John Elway in Denver and John Lynch in San Francisco. That could play a role here.
With regard to a possible Garoppolo trade, the finances are already known. San Francisco would save $ 23.6 million against the cap if he walked away from it. That would be enough to sign all-pro linebacker Fred Warner for a record-breaking extension while also hitting the commercial market for someone like Chicago Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson.
Friday’s deal also augments what the 49ers had planned out of season at Quarterback. Initially the thought was that their interest in Andy Dalton and Joe Flacco came under the guise of endorsing Garoppolo.
Obviously this is no longer the case. Rather, it was a stopgap solution for this veteran, or a bridge quarterback for an unnamed rookie. This should tell us exactly what we need to know about Garoppolo’s future in San Francisco. Lynch’s comments on Friday add another layer to that.
