Who will start as a defender for the San Francisco 49ers next season? It is the question that is sweeping the nation.
I’m just kidding. This It is an important NFL discussion point now, so much so that by OJ Simpson is weighing in on the matter. (He is pro-negotiation for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson or Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.) After a disappointing 6-10 campaign full of injuries, San Francisco is in a unique position for a big comeback in 2021 … if the team has a reliable signal caller, anyway.
The problem is that decent, Pro Bowl-quality quarterbacks are quickly being swept away. Matthew Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, a division rival. This week, the Philadelphia Eagles traded Carson Wentz – who was terrible in 2020 but is only a few years away from an MVP-level campaign – for the Indianapolis Colts. If Wentz can get a third round choice in the draft in 2021, plus a second or first round choice in 2022, then the market for the remaining potential players will be steep.
We assessed rumors of realistic quarterbacks last week, and below, we’re doing the same based on new information.
Jimmy Garoppolo
If you clicked on this story, you are probably ready to move on with Jimmy G, who lost 10 games in 2020 and was not very good at first. But Garoppolo is still the pioneer in the work of the Niners, however boring it may seem. On Sunday, ESPN reporter Jeremy Fowler said “Garoppolo is still a viable option” for San Francisco. Andrew Brandt, an NFL insider, recently noticed that he doesn’t see Texans negotiating Watson, the Las Vegas Raiders negotiating Derek Carr or the Seattle Seahawks negotiating a disgruntled Russell Wilson. Which certainly reduces for 49ers.
But Brandt did add something intriguing: the San Francisco contract with Jimmy G allows the team to cut ties with him and suffer a $ 3 million limit. “If they decide to move on – and it happens in this league, we know – they are flexible,” said Brandt. “They have the ability to do that and not disturb their team building, their team building, their management of limit, which I believe is the ideal way to do this. “
In other words, if a positional update comes along, but the other team doesn’t want Garoppolo back in a trade, it wouldn’t be a problem for 49ers.
Deshaun Watson
Watson’s flirtation with the 49ers continues. Last weekend, the aforementioned Fowler also reported that Watson has a short list of teams that puzzled him. One of them is the Denver Broncos. Another is the Miami Dolphins, which have more assets to offer Texans in exchange. A third franchise is the San Francisco 49ers.
For now, Houston Texans’ new general manager, Nick Caserio, says Watson will not be traded. “We have no interest in changing the player,” was his line at the end of January. That doesn’t mean much, but it’s true that, with five years left in his deal, Watson doesn’t have nearly the same advantage that NBA players have when they ask to leave.
For the Niners to actually carry out a monstrous transaction, Watson will need to raise his complaints publicly, and General Manager John Lynch will need to separate himself from at least two or three first-round choices, in addition to a valuable positional player. It would be worth it, but it’s a lot to give up.
Sam Darnold
Yes, San Francisco seems to be kicking the tires on this one. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated says that at least five teams called the Jets about the 23-year-old quarterback and that the 49ers is a potential trading partner, so you can read between the lines. Apparently, the Jets – who have the second choice of the general draft – are giving the same answer to the inquiring general managers: come back soon.
If the Jets decide they want to catch a quarterback with their choice of the main draft, expect them to move quickly on Darnold. And at that point, the 49ers will have a tough decision on their hands.
A draft choice
The nuclear option! 49ers have choice 12, so if they can’t get Watson, they don’t want Darnold and they prefer to cut Garoppolo, they can always prepare their next starter. It would be a risky move, and throwing newbies into the fire is a great mix. In addition, Trevor Lawrence of Clemson, Zach Wilson of BYU and Justin Fields of the state of Ohio appear to be off the board in 12th position in most simulated drafts, making this the least likely option.
It is not entirely unlikely, however, that if Lynch decides he loves Trey Lance from the state of North Dakota or Mac Jones from Alabama, he can choose to save some space as a defender by cutting Garoppolo and trying a high-risk, high-reward reward.