No matter who the San Francisco 49ers select at No. 3 overall later this month, the speculation surrounding the future of Jimmy Garoppolo will heat up. Right now, the plan is to hold onto the veteran quarterback, allowing the rookie to sit and learn in his first year.
Still, there will be those who believe the 49ers should trade Garoppolo and that his trade value will plummet as soon as his eventual replacement is drafted.
Field Yates joined ESPN's Get Up! and explained why it might be in the Niners' best interest to hold onto Garoppolo for the upcoming season, which head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have stated as the plan.
Yates states that if the 49ers wanted to take advantage of Garoppolo's maximum value this offseason, they would have traded him before free agency and before quarterback-needy teams started filling in their vacancies.
"Think about the suitors they would have had available at that time," Yates said. "Chicago, Washington, New England, all those teams that, at the time, not only did not have a new quarterback plan in place but had more roster flexibility in terms of cap space."
Instead, the 49ers held onto Garoppolo and waited until after the free-agency frenzy was over, and coincidentally, after Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson's legal issues surfaced, to move up from the No. 12 overall pick to No. 3.
"I'm not sure that Jimmy Garoppolo is anywhere other than a Forty-Niner at the start of this season," Yates added, "because you're right, in the sense that the minute they draft a Mac Jones, maybe Jimmy G's value depreciates. But it could go right back up if he plays how they expect him to play.
"If they expect him to play pretty well this year, well enough that they could make a playoff run again, a year from now, they could have value in a Jimmy Garoppolo trade and an obvious transition plan to whoever they take at pick three."
Robert Griffin III makes pitch to join 49ers as a mentor for Trey Lance
By David Bonilla
May 3, 2021
Robert Griffin III is still looking for work after spending the past three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. The 31-year-old recently made a pitch to one team during Bleacher Report's draft show. He'd love to reunite with San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and work as a mentor for rookie quarterback Trey Lance.
There's one problem, though. The Niners now have a pretty crowded quarterback room. Jimmy Garoppolo figures to be the team's starter. Lance will learn behind him until he is ready to take over the reins. The team also signed Nate Sudfeld this offseason, offering him a contract that signals he may be more than just a camp arm. San Francisco also has Josh
49ers have no plans to restructure Jimmy Garoppolo's contract, say Shanahan and Lynch
By David Bonilla
May 1, 2021
The 2021 NFL Draft is in the books. San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch spoke with reporters after making their eighth and final selection. There has been some speculation that the team might ask quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to restructure his contract this offseason, especially after drafting his eventual replacement — Trey Lance of North Dakota State — with the No. 3 overall pick.
There are no plans to do so right now. Why? Because it's not necessary. Even after earmarking over $12 million for its latest rookie class, San Francisco isn't as pushed up against the salary cap as some felt it would be this offseason.
Garoppolo remains part of the 49ers' plans for the upcoming season and will be needed to mentor the
Trey Lance thankful for unique situation with 49ers, exciting to learn from Jimmy Garoppolo
By David Bonilla
May 2, 2021
Trey Lance is excited about the opportunity to join the San Francisco 49ers. He was the No. 3 overall pick, and the young quarterback knows it is a unique situation. Most teams selecting at the top of the draft are doing so because the roster lacks an abundance of talent. That isn't the case for the Niners, who are just over a year removed from a Super Bowl appearance.
San Francisco had a championship-caliber roster last season. Injuries just decimated its depth. This offseason, the team brought back most of the players it wanted back. With some good luck on the injury front, Lance is walking into a better situation than most who were drafted in the top five. The team, after all, traded up to get him. And, it already has a veteran quarterback ahead of him, taking some of the
John Lynch says Jimmy Garoppolo embracing the competition after 49ers draft Trey Lance
By David Bonilla
May 3, 2021
Keeping a veteran quarterback while drafting his eventual replacement isn't a new idea. The San Francisco 49ers did that last week with the selection of Trey Lance of North Dakota State. They also intend to keep Jimmy Garoppolo, their starter since 2017, around.
The Kansas City Chiefs did it with Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes. The 49ers did it with Smith and Colin Kaepernick. The Green Bay Packers did it with Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. It's a solid blueprint that allows a rookie to more easily transition from the college game to the pros, especially when thrown into an offense as complex as head coach Kyle Shanahan's.
"First and foremost, Jimmy's really good," general manager John Lynch said this morning on KNBR's Murph & Mac show. "He's a
