It is easy to connect 49ers to a free agent or player who has been made available – especially if the position is needed in San Francisco. On Monday, several reports emerged announcing that the Arizona Cardinals will split from CB Patrick Peterson.
Peterson has a decorated career as he was elected to eight Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro selection for the first team three times. Peterson turned 30 last year and we know that history is not on his side.
Peterson traveled with number 1 in receivers for most of his career, which hasn’t changed in the past season. Peterson allowed a completion percentage of 62.1 on 66 targets, had four pass breaks, three interceptions, but also gave up six touchdowns, by Sports Info Solutions. Peterson also lost a tackle 12.3% of the time. SIS had Peterson for 29 total points saved last season, with Peterson allowing 8.6 yards per target.
Let’s compare that to Jason Verrett, assuming 49ers spend “a lot” on a cornerback during the free agency. Verrett allowed a completion percentage of 66.1 at 6.5 yards per target. He broke five passes, had two interceptions and gave up a score. Verrett also lost a tackle 10.4% of the time, through SIS.
The difference between the two is that 2019 was the only time that Peterson lost several games during one season, while 2020 was the first time that Verrett has played double-digit games since 2015.
Tony Pauline of the Pro Football Network believes the 49ers are calling to talk about Carson Wentz and Sam Darnold:
It will be the Philadelphia Eagles swap Carson Wentz?
ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz could be involved in a commercial package in a matter of days. So, where does it end up?
Sources tell me that the Chicago Bears are currently the first to get Wentz in a business. However, it does not rule out the Indianapolis Colts or San Francisco 49ers.
Moving from Jimmy Garoppolo to Wentz would bring this place down. I’ve seen some fans say the team doesn’t have to get rid of Jimmy if they want to acquire Wentz, but investing so much in a reserve quarterback doesn’t make sense, especially if you’re up against the salary cap.
Wentz has physical tools that are superior to Garoppolo, allowing Kyle Shanahan to do more in attack. However, physical tools only take you there. If you have to wonder about a quarterback, from how he plays on the pitch to whether he can handle himself in the event of an injury, he’s probably not your guy. In that case, I would let someone else fix Wentz if I were the Niners.
As for Darnold:
Carson Wentz is not the only quarterback that can be traded. Sam Darnold is the other defender whose name was recently cited as a caller of moving signals. This is more the result of teams asking about Darnold, rather than the Jets actively buying their choice of the first round of 2018.
Sources tell me that they think it is a real possibility that the Indianapolis Colts will be with Darnold. However, the 49ers will also be in the mix.
I have observed enough of Darnold to form an opinion. The Jets had almost nothing in terms of passing options last season, especially at the beginning of the year. His offensive scheme was a disaster. Darnold makes some ‘wow’ releases that will make you sit up straight. Darnold will follow those vomits with some smelly ones that make you want to turn off the game. Darnold is an excellent athlete who can run out of pressure and turn negative plays into positive ones thanks to his mobility.
All of this is true when it comes to Darnold. It is easy to understand why a coach like Shanahan would be interested in Darnold. Unlike Wentz, Darnold does not need “fixing”, so to speak. It needs to be rolled up if it makes sense. Essentially, the 23-year-old quarterback needs to know that it’s okay to not make the home run move every time he falls backwards.
I know if you are not familiar with Pauline’s name it would be easy to dismiss these rumors, but he has been around for a while and is usually linked to what is going on in the league. It is also understandable to feel fatigue because of the quarterback rumors that are linked to the 49ers.
The team is making calls. It is naive to think otherwise. Yes, Albert Breer reported that the 49ers were not at Matthew Stafford. This means that Vegas, Peter King and Adam Schefter were wrong. On Sunday, Schefter reported that the 49ers was one of the teams that sought out Stafford.
More and more rumors of Darnold to the 49ers emerged, as three different heads suggested the pair in Tuesday’s Golden Nuggets. John Clayton added this:
If they [Jets] decide to exchange it [Darnold], there will be a lot of interest. If the Colts fail to catch Wentz, they would make a big push. The San Francisco 49ers would consider it a possible upgrade over Jimmy Garoppolo. And don’t count the Carolina Panthers.
There are many connections to ignore the potential interest of the Niners in Darnold. If it looks like a duck and acts like a duck, then probably …