The 2021 NFL draft is still three weeks away, but the 49ers are now the biggest game card this year after trading to the overall number 3.
General manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan did not shy away from the 49ers watching a young full-back with their top picks. Who is at the top of their wish list remains a mystery, but we know the 49ers are going to take a QB. That brings us to Jimmy Garoppolo.
The most likely scenario remains that the 49ers will keep Garoppolo for the 2021 season while grooming a young signal caller for the future. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on ‘SportsCenter’ on Sunday that this should still be what he hears.
“I’ve been asking and several league executives have told me that the 49ers have not been too eager to trade Jimmy Garoppolo in recent weeks,” said Fowler (Rob Goldberg of H / T Bleacher Report). “It was comfortable holding him, but they believe they would move him at the right price – think a first or a high second round.”
The eagerness of the 49ers to trade Garoppolo or not may depend on a few factors. What they could receive in return is, of course, at the top of the list. Just like who they are aiming for with their first choice and whether they can get another veteran.
If Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson are the first two picks in the draft, the 49ers will decide between Justin Fields, Mac Jones or Trey Lance. Evaluators consider Fields and Jones to be more ready, while Lance is more of a project.
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“It all depends on where they fit in with the number 3 pick here,” Fowler said. “If they go with a player who they think can start right away, maybe it’s a Mac Jones or a Justin Fields who can change things with Garoppolo. But if it’s a more evolving player like a Trey Lance, it could move them to retain Garoppolo. for a year because I was told they were looking for upgrades.
“They are comfortable keeping Garoppolo, but the injury history, which has missed 23 games in the last few years, is the $ 24 million salary, all the major issues here.”
Whether it’s going with the 49ers or not, it could be a make-or-break season for Garoppolo. He has shown that he can help lead a team to the Super Bowl, but he must now prove that he can stay on the field and be the QB that brings his team another ring.
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