49ers acquire Garappolo
Losers of their first eight games and owners of a huge hole at the quarterback position, the San Francisco 49ers made a big move in advance of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, acquiring Jimmy Garoppolo from the New England Patriots for a second-round pick Monday night.
Three people with knowledge of the situation confirmed the move to USA TODAY Sports. Each spoke on the condition of anonymity because neither team has announced the move.
This is a major deal on a number of fronts beyond just San Francisco and New England.
But the immediate impact will be Niners rookie coach Kyle Shanahan finally getting what could be a capable quarterback as he and general manager John Lynch continue their rebuilding efforts. Both Shanahan and Lynch are armed with six-year contracts and determined to construct this team the right way — patiently rather than overspending in free agency.
They resisted the urge to overpay for Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins last offseason — a move that would’ve required them to part with high draft picks in addition to paying a salary of more than $20 million annually for Cousins. Shanahan and Lynch pondered it, people familiar with the situation said. But they felt it wise to hold on to their picks to fill as many roster holes as possible.
Instead, the 49ers went with affordable journeyman quarterback Brian Hoyer this season. And rather than using a first-round pick on a quarterback, they allotted a third-rounder on C.J. Beathard. The Hoyer experiment didn’t last long. He got benched in his sixth start. Beathard showed a degree of promise, but he has struggled as well, throwing just two touchdown passes and three interceptions while completing only 52% of his passes in three games (two starts).
Five of the 49ers’ losses have come by three points or fewer, and many around the league believe a capable quarterback will help solve some of their struggles.
It was long believed that Shanahan would pursue Cousins in free agency next year. The two remain close from their time together in Washington (2012-13).
But that was no slam-dunk.
Yes, the 49ers would have had the cap space to outbid Washington for Cousins if he became an unrestricted free agent. But members of the 49ers organization have privately expressed some concern that the Redskins will use the franchise tag on Cousins a third consecutive off- season, which would mean that any team pursuing him would have to part with two first-round picks and also commit to paying him roughly $34 million in 2018.
As was the case this year, the Niners would have been hesitant to part with a bevy of picks for Cousins. (Shanahan saw the major setback in Washington after its expensive pursuit of Robert Griffin III in 2012 failed to yield a franchise quarterback while costing the franchise several first-round choices.)
However, the move to acquire Garoppolo helps the 49ers in four ways:
They upgrade the position now, which should bring immediate improvement.
They only part with a second-round pick rather than multiple first-rounders (and they still retain another selection in the second round next year).
Garoppolo, who has started only two games in his career, should come at a much more affordable price next year. He is currently in the final year of his rookie contract, earning $434,158 this year, and conceivably won’t fetch the $28 million to $35 million annually it would cost to sign Cousins. The Niners will also have the option to franchise Garoppolo themselves if more time is needed to hammer out a long-term deal.
San Francisco also might have expanded its options for the 2018 draft. The 49ers are currently in position to have a prized pick atop the first round in what is expected to be a strong quarterback draft. Now that they’re unlikely to select a passer, Lynch and Shanahan will likely be able to field offers for the selection and theoretically recoup what they gave up for Garoppolo and then some.
Moving Garoppolo does leave the Patriots with questions.
Tom Brady now needs a backup. New England had already traded Jacoby Brissett to the Indianapolis Colts this season.
It’s possible Belichick will sign Hoyer, who has played in New England before and will be released by San Francisco.
Parting with Garoppolo also means the Patriots long-term picture at quarterback is murky. Brady is under contract for
2018, but he’ll be 41. Now there’s no heir apparent.
Cousins and the Redskins will also feel the repercussions of Monday’s trade.
Many teams will have interest in Cousins, but now there’s one less suitor. He threw for more than 4,000 yards in
2015 and 2016 and is on pace to do so again this season while also ranking among the league leaders in completion percentage and passer rating.
But now, because he’s a believer in fit and familiarity, Cousins could be more inclined to remain with Washington.