We’ve spent most of the past two months discussing Mitch Trubisky’s alternative quarterbacks to Joe Flacco. On Friday morning, the San Francisco 49ers shocked everyone when they traded with the Miami Dolphins for third choice in the draft.
It is a league run by defenders. The Niners had one of the best defenses in the NFL, and that meant nothing last season, as they didn’t have a quarterback. So, why act now?
Well, mortgaging your future looks desperate. San Francisco does not seem to fit into the “desperate” category, but they are well aware of the type of defender needed to win in this league. I point to the Bills game last season. The defense, out of a coverage gap, did everything it could against Josh Allen.
Does not matter.
In creating for himself and launching lasers all over the field, Allen had one of the most impressive defender performances you’ll ever see. Robert Saleh has been one of the best defensive coaches in the NFL for the past two years. He didn’t have an answer for Allen’s physical tools. From arm strength to mobility, Allen attacked the Niners on Monday night.
After that game, Kyle Shanahan talked about how he evolved as an appraiser:
“So, I rate defenders in terms of trying to find people who might have a chance to be one of those elite type guys and there are many different ways to do that. You can see now that there are many different ways, so you don’t think that will ever change. I don’t think you have the right thing you’re looking for. You are just trying to find a guy who is better than 98 percent of the people on this planet or in this country and when you find that, you take him and adjust to him. “
From Jimmy Garoppolo to Matt Ryan and Brian Hoyer, Kyle never had a quarterback who was extremely talented physically or “elite”.
Look around.
Quarterbacks who make plays outside of the script and structure are the most difficult to prepare. When you say that, the instant reply is: “pocket quarterbacks still win in the NFL”.
No one is disputing that. Both of these things can be true. Deshaun Watson is, for me, the best pocket QB in the NFL. Your decision making and accuracy are unmatched. Watson also makes his player look better than he is.
For the 49ers and Shanahan, they finally realized that an elite talent paired with an elite call player would take that attack to levels never seen before. RGIII and Ryan were special under Shanahan. We often forget the other side of the discussion. Kyle now has the opportunity to find a quarterback who can raise from him.
Trey Lance and Justin Fields fit this mold.
Both are excellent runners, although Lance is one of the best running defenders to come out of the draft in a long time. Both have cannons in place of weapons and both make the correct football. This is before we get into your “superstar” ability to fix a broken part or turn something into nothing.
If the defense reads a screen, you now have a quarterback who can do more than throw the ball at the feet of the running back. Is your first reading covered? Is there a defender unlocked? Don’t worry, now you have an athlete. Is the defense carrying the box because they can’t stop the race? Cool, now you have a pitcher who will make defenses count out of numbers.
I don’t think fans are aware of how the attack has been hampered by Shanahan for the past two seasons. Now that San Francisco has made this switch, it is time to acknowledge that the team is not convinced of its current initiator and is aware of its flaws.
It is now up to 49ers to select the correct player. The pieces are there. The list is as strong as you might expect. However, none of this matters if the defender does not perform well.
We are entering year 5 of the Lynch / Shanahan regime and we still don’t know if the team has a quarterback. They know this is probably their last chance to get a franchise quarterback. Everyone else at NFC West has one. I refuse to believe that the landing of the Rams at Matthew Stafford did not play a major role in this move to the 49ers. It is no longer a marked victory when you play against Rams.
You cannot beat Los Angeles without scoring or barely moving the ball in the second half. The game is evolving, and no position is as much as a defender’s position.
It was a brave move by the 49ers. Now, they have no choice but to make that choice right. No pressure, guys.