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The San Francisco 49ers have already
verbally committed to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in 2020. Much to the Niner Faithful's irritation, that hasn't stopped members of the media,
like Skip Bayless of Fox Sports 1, from wildly speculating that parting ways with Garoppolo in favor of
Tom Brady might be in the 49ers' best interests. That speculation isn't likely to stop until the quarterback's future is determined.
Brace yourselves for more, Faithful.
Apparently, Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders isn't among those who are quick to dismiss the possibility. It is important to note that Sanders says he likes Garoppolo. The former defender turned NFL Network analyst, however, feels that a win-now mentality makes a Brady-to-49ers scenario plausible.
Sanders shared his thoughts on the topic during an on-air discussion with Daniel Jeremiah and Rich Eisen during NFL Network's Sunday coverage of the NFL Scouting Combine. The entire conversation took place as the defensive backs went through their on-field drills.
Sanders, like Bayless, discussed a scenario where the 49ers sign Brady, who is scheduled to become a free agent on March 18, and trade Garoppolo back to the New England Patriots.
"If it was me, just the owner Prime, Brady-San Francisco, man," Sanders said. "[Trade Garoppolo] back to New England. Why not? OK, let me tell you something. San Francisco has a window of opportunity. You, as well as I, know that window closes expeditiously. You've got to seize it right now.
"I love Garoppolo, trust me. (If) Tom Brady is the quarterback in the Super Bowl, I feel like there's a different outcome. You've got two years, man. Get it done. I would do it. You give New England what they want; you give San Fran what they want."
Eisen questioned the reasoning behind the speculation, mainly because San Francisco already has a player in Garoppolo whom they consider a franchise quarterback.
"It makes sense for everybody," Sanders declared.
While it may seem to make sense for Brady, who would hypothetically land with the team he grew up cheering, it doesn't seem to make long-term sense for the 49ers. Brady will be 43 years old at the start of the 2020 season, while Garoppolo will be 28 and potentially has many more years of football in front of him.
Sanders argues that the Patriots want someone like Garoppolo, who has more playing time ahead of him. That has to make you wonder why he feels the 49ers don't want the same thing. San Francisco, Sanders explained, wants to win now.
"Sign and trade," Sanders said. "That's all I'm saying. It makes sense to me. Everybody is happy at the end of the day. At the end of the rainbow, everybody's happy."
The problem is, even if the 49ers do as Sanders suggests, and win a Super Bowl, which isn't a given, they will soon be left searching again for a quarterback of the future. They believe they have one now.
Jeremiah wonders if the 49ers might be able to get more from the Patriots under this hypothetical scenario than they gave up to acquire Garoppolo. The analyst even wonders if San Francisco might consider a lower selection or selections because it doesn't currently own a Day 2 pick.
Eisen takes it a step further, asking why San Francisco has to even deal with New England. It might be able to get more from another quarterback-needy team.
"I'm just trying to do business, Rich," Sanders added. "I'm just trying to make everybody happy. That's who I am. I'm Sanders Claus."
Niner fans may commence with the rolling of their eyes.
As draft week unfolds, analysts are unveiling their final mock drafts heading into the annual event. The 2024 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, and ESPN's Jordan Reid released a behemoth of a mock draft, projecting all 257 selections across all seven rounds.
The ESPN analyst has the Washington Commanders leaping in front of the San Francisco 49ers in the first round to select one of the top offensive tackle prospects, leaving John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan's squad to take a different approach.
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