Jimmy Garoppolo remains the San Francisco 49ers quarterback early into the offseason. There is a good chance he is the starter for Week 1 of the 2021 season. That doesn't mean the 49ers brain trust won't look into every possibility to upgrade at quarterback, as it does every offseason for each position group.
The 49ers reportedly had some discussions surrounding Matthew Stafford before the Los Angeles Rams surrendered a haul to the Detroit Lions for the quarterback. NFL insider Benjamin Allbright recently named San Francisco among the teams that have "made calls" to inquire about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz. It is unknown how genuine that interest might be, though.
Then you have Deshaun Watson, who remains in a standoff with the Houston Texans. The quarterback wants a change of scenery, but it might take some major convincing to get the Texans to relinquish their hold on him.
Over the weekend, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported that the 49ers are "very interested" in Watson. Should the Texans quarterback force a trade, there would be significant interest. It is unknown how long San Francisco might remain in a potential bidding war for Watson, and the team may be significantly outmatched. That's why La Canfora feels it may be unavoidable for the 49ers to give up some premium talent to acquire Watson.
That possibility has created debate among 49ers fans on social media. Surrendering draft capital is one thing, as those selections are a gamble to start with. But what about handing over some of your top young talent, too?
"I think the problem the 49ers would have is that there's teams picking ahead of them," explained La Canfora on 95.7 The Game's The Morning Roast on Tuesday, "and in some cases, teams that I think the Texans perceive to be clubs that will be picking ahead of the 49ers for years to come. And when you're talking about a trade of that magnitude, and a player that accomplished, that stuff matters. So, I think it would take the 49ers trading premium players, plural."
La Canfora uses the New York Jets as an example. Robert Saleh's new team owns the No. 2 overall pick, a much more enticing selection than San Francisco's No. 13 pick, which was the product of an injury-plagued season. Who knows if the 49ers will be selecting that high again anytime soon?
La Canfora points out that the Jets can create a package that includes first-round picks (they have two in 2021), quarterback Sam Darnold, who could help fill some of the void left from Watson's departure, and New York may not be as successful as San Francisco in 2021, even with Watson.
"I don't think that's immediately a playoff team," La Canfora comments.
Can the 49ers compete with that? It might be a challenge without including some premium talent, assuming a team like the Jets go all-in for Watson.
"I don't think the 49ers and Texans are a great match," said La Canfora. "Or at least, not as good as probably some of the other options."
However, La Canfora does acknowledge that Texans general manager Nick Caserio does have some familiarity with Garoppolo. The executive was with the New England Patriots when the quarterback was drafted. Could Garoppolo be part of a package for Watson? La Canfora actually predicts a different destination for the 49ers quarterback.
"I think Garoppolo ends up in New England when it's all said and done," he said before stating that it could happen this offseason.
Where does that leave San Francisco at quarterback? La Canfora also reported over the weekend that head coach Kyle Shanahan remains "very high" on Jets quarterback Sam Darnold and feels something might happen there.
"I hear Kyle is a big fan," explained La Canfora. "... I don't think you have to pay [Darnold] right away at all. I think you say, 'Look, you know my history with quarterbacks. You know my dad's history with quarterbacks.' You've got the fifth-year option. You've got a lot of things and tools at your disposal. I think you can put him firmly in prove-it mode."
You can listen to the entire conversation with La Canfora below.