Trading up ‘pissed off’ SF’s Garoppolo
Coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch didn’t disguise their intentions Monday, only stopping short of naming which quarterback they want to draft and develop this year behind incumbent (and disgruntled) starter Jimmy Garoppolo.
Trading up to the No. 3 overall pick on Friday signaled that two-quarterback approach, and the 49ers’ brass officially said so in the first press conference in nearly three months.
Let’s cut to the highlights:
The Garoppolo drama
First off was explaining the 49ers’ intentions with Garoppolo — and vice versa.
“I’m sure Jimmy was a little pissed off from it, like I’d be too,” Shanahan said. “But knowing Jimmy, he’ll be fired up and come in and work his butt off.
“The more mad Jimmy gets, usually the better he gets. This is going to be a good thing for Jimmy, too, which would be a great thing for the 49ers.”
Shanahan called Garoppolo before Friday’s news broke about the 49ers moving up from No. 12 overall (at the cost of three firstround picks and a third-rounder to Miami), and Lynch followed up with his own call to relay the 49ers’ intentions of keeping him in their 2021 plans.
Whether Garoppolo remains on board with that plan is unknown. He nor his agent have commented publicly this offseason. He has two years remaining on a contract paying him roughly $25 million annually, and the 49ers’ brass did not indicate that a holdout or trade
request is forthcoming.
So, is Garoppolo available via trade? “Yeah. That’s accurate with every player on the team, even myself, if someone blows us away for an offer,” Shanahan replied, to which Lynch interjected a “no” on any coach-related trade.
Who’s the guy?
Shanahan sees a great quarterback crop awaiting in next month’s draft, and while he wouldn’t name drop any of the three leading options or his film-room favorite, he acknowledged there are “five guys kind of at this party.”
Lynch acknowledged that Trevor Lawrence is the projected No. 1 pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars, and then as for the No. 2 spot, Lynch said; “who knows what happens with the Jets.”
Zach Wilson (BYU), Justin Fields (Ohio State), Trey Lance (North Dakota State) and Mac Jones (Alabama) all are contenders for the 49ers (and Jets).
Shanahan revealed that he and Lynch are attending Alabama’s pro day Tuesday, in part because Fields is willing to work out separately for the 49ers after his own pro day at Ohio State on Tuesday.
Chiefs’ model
Of all the NFL’s storied quarterback competitions (or controversies, as they’re more known in 49ers land), the Kansas City Chiefs’ hold the most recently successful model that the 49ers will try following. Alex Smith led a playoff-bound Chiefs team in 2017 while rookie Patrick Mahomes sat that season, took over in 2018 and won the Super Bowl two seasons later (against the 49ers).
“That’s a good example, the most obvious example of having a really good quarterback, drafting a young guy, having success and moving on the next year,” said Shanahan, indicating that Garoppolo would be a lame-duck in 2021.
NFL history is littered with other examples, such as Steve Young coexisting with Joe Montana for five years on the 49ers, and Aaron Rodgers biding his time behind Brett Favre in Green Bay. Not all such transitions pay off in Lombardi Trophies and the 49ers are embracing that risk.