San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will have a chance to compete against Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr at Levi's Stadium on the night of
Thursday, November 1. It will be the final regular-season matchup between the Bay Area rivals before the Raiders depart Oakland for Las Vegas, Nevada.
Which Bay Area quarterback would you rather build a team around? That was the question asked on
Good Morning Football on Thursday.
Former NFL receiver Steve Smith, who picked Carr, joined Kyle Brandt and Peter Schrager in answering the question. It is important to note that Smith said he has known Carr for a long time. Smith and Carr's older brother, David, were briefly teammates with the Carolina Panthers in 2007. Derek was 16 years old at the time.
"I'm going to go with my boy Carr," Smith said. "I like Jimmy Garoppolo. I love what he's done. Yes, it was a scheme that he effectively did week in and week out. If it's the scheme, there's some quarterbacks who screw up the schemes, so whatever. But Carr, I love Carr because what he is doing. You've seen (him) come back from injuries, he's put up big numbers, he's thrown the ball, he's a gunslinger, he scrambles. He is doing everything that you need and that the Oakland Raiders have desired. They looked for their franchise quarterback, and they have it."
Brandt and Schrager went with Garoppolo.
"I'm going to go with Garoppolo on this," Brandt said. "Not even so much about what he did last year. The times I was most impressed with Garoppolo was what he did as a Patriot when he came in to start the (2016) season. He comes in, Brady gets suspended, Garoppolo is incredible against Arizona, he's cutting up Miami before he gets hurt. So every time the guy's been out there with two different teams and two different coaches on two different coasts, he's been unbelievable. Derek Carr's great. I'm sure Steve goes way back with him, but I'm going to go with Jimmy G. That's my guy."
"I'm going to go with Garoppolo as well," Schrager said. "Look, I just feel like what he showed in those five games were enough for them to put the investment in, and I feel like there's a pressure on him that's unlike any other pressure because of the money he was given without the body of work. And I think he's going to rise to it.
"Garoppolo also has the advantage of being taught not only by
Tom Brady, but by Josh McDaniels, and getting the chance to just watch and learn. So now you get Kyle Shanahan, you get that entire dossier, everything he brings, for an entire offseason. Let's show you the way. But I also have four years of being with Josh McDaniels, and I know how he works. Two of the greatest offensive minds in the game."
Schrager went on to voice his opinion on Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback
Jalen Ramsey's comments that the 49ers beating his team during a Week 16 matchup last season had more to do with San Francisco's scheme than Garoppolo's skill.
"I watched that game," Schrager said. "I don't know. It looked like Garoppolo lit up that Jaguars defense."
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
Justin Melo of The Draft Network reports that the San Francisco 49ers expressed interest in Jonah Laulu, meeting with the defensive lineman at Oklahoma's pro day on March 12.
Melo notes that Laulu is versatile enough to play defensive end or defensive tackle on an NFL defense, making him an intriguing prospect for the 49ers, who value players who can fill multiple roles.
.@OU_Football DL Jonah Laulu is versatile enough to play as a base DE or within the interior.Former Hawaii transfer, Laulu met with
