The 49ers are questioning the availability of Panthers full-back Teddy Bridgewater, according to a report in the Athletic. Given what we know about San Francisco’s quarterback situation, an exchange regarding Carolina’s starting quarterbacks does not make much sense.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said before the end of last season that he wanted Jimmy Garoppolo to be part of the 49ers’ core to move forward, and that the separation from Garoppolo would require a significant upgrade.
Bridgewater does not mark the subject.
Starting last season in 15, he threw for 3,733 yards, 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with a 69.1 percent completion rate. His 7.6 yards per attempt was not remarkable, yet they picked a career high for the former Vikings’ first round. On the other hand, he hit nine times with the Saints last year and started just two interceptions with a best 99.1 pass rate in five – all wins.
All indications are that he is a lateral move from Garoppolo at best. Bridgewater would be about $ 12 million cheaper this season (assuming it happened before June 1), but it would also cost San Francisco a draft pick.
His nearly $ 13 million cap would also prevent the 49ers from trading to bring him in as a backup. They do not have the leeway to pay out more than $ 35 million for two headquarters.
One way it can make sense, purely hypothetical, is if the 49ers offered a first round of a team to Garoppolo and they determine what it might cost to create another veteran in the trade before looking at the free market. . This scenario does not seem likely, given Garoppolo’s injury history and for which a younger player like Carson Wentz only succeeded in an agreed trade to the Colts.
Maybe the 49ers like what Bridgewater did in his twenties, starting the past two seasons. However, he does not appear to be the upgrade they are looking for, and the idea that San Francisco would give up draft capital to save some money and at best move laterally below the center does not match the workings of the front office. the last four years.