During the first two months of the off-season, the biggest question around the 49ers was how they would, or rather if they would, address the quarterback position this season.
A number of names have been spotted as possible substitutes or backup / training camp competition for Garoppolo. Sam Darnold was one of the names thrown out to bolster the QB room in Santa Clara, but the prevailing thought was that Darnold would cost the 49ers too much to acquire and that he would pick up his fifth-year option. a move that was hard to stomach given Darnold’s early career performances with the New York Jets.
Monday, however, showed that the price to acquire Darnold was not as high as many people believed, as the Jets gave the USC product to the Carolina Panthers for a sixth-round pick in 2021 and a second and fourth-round pick in 2022. All it cost Darnold, who is just 23 years old and was the overall No. 3 in the 2018 NFL draft, to get three choices that would give the Jets two key players. could yield if they set up properly.
Either way, it’s a penny on the dollar for a young quarterback who has the talent to turn things around now that he no longer has to share a building and an offense with Adam Gase.
The low price to acquire Darnold tells us even more than we already knew about the 49ers’ decision to trade the 20th overall pick and future first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 to move to the No. 3 finish this year to move its concept. to choose their next franchise choice.
If Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch were set on finding a way to replace Garoppolo or even give him a capable backup, they could have had Darnold for far less than they gave the Miami Dolphins and the can in their QB future kicked off in the road, in faith The QB room of Garoppolo and Darnold would be enough to tackle a Super Bowl in 2021.
Instead, Shanahan clearly fell in love with the talent above this year’s QB class, as he saw something he believed would increase the franchise for a number of years once everyone who picks them up takes over for Garoppolo.
If the 49ers’ main goal was post-free agency to make a change below midfield and in the quarterback’s room, they would have been able to do so without putting in a lot of draft capital. The 49ers would not want to pick up Darnold’s fifth-year option at $ 23.6 million, but they could get him 2/3 picks for a few days and have a young backup with starting potential behind Garoppolo while keeping the required draft capital. to make a big step in the future.
The price the Panthers paid for Darnold shows Shanahan and Lynch are confident they will get a star on the overall number 3. Not just a quarterback with potential, but someone they believe is a misshopper. A must-have. It also shows that the decision to trade was not a referendum on Garoppolo’s ability. If the power duo were really unhappy with Garoppolo, Darnold was one of the many options they could have explored to inject a QB change into the veins of 49ers.
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When the season ended in December, Shanahan and Lynch meant what they said in defense of Garoppolo. And he will still, at least for now, be the starter in 2021. The 49ers want to avoid putting all-or-nothing pressure on a rookie full-back. The 49ers wanted to add depth behind Garoppolo and give the man with a 24-8 record another chance to confirm himself as their guy.
Then they put on the strap and saw something they loved. Someone without whom they could not live. Prospects with ceilings that Garoppolo cannot match. So Shanahan and Lynch took the bold step of establishing their office on the name they call number 3 overall.
They plan to retain Garoppolo for the time being, hoping a healthy 2021 season will increase its value, and they could pick a first-round pick from a QB-needy team next season. Garoppolo should be worth more than Darnold in the trading market. He has proven he can play healthy, and his contract is a much-needed financial flexibility. But the 49ers will not get the first round for him during the off-season. Maybe the Chicago Bears or New England Patriots will pick them a second round.
But Garoppolo’s value for the 2021 49ers is higher than a second round. The 49ers believe they can win in 2021 with Garoppolo under center and Justin Fields, Mac Jones or Trey Lance holding a clipboard.
Their franchise-determining trade was not a desire to replace the man they took to the Super Bowl 16 months ago. They still believe in Garoppolo. If they did not, they could have acquired Darnold for a fraction of the price it cost to move Fields, Jones or Lance up.
They just saw something that was too good to pass up.
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