It won't be long until 49ers fans finally find out what will happen with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, and if Trey Lance is indeed up to the task of stepping in to take over the offense.
Garoppolo and Lance have been popular topics of conversation throughout the NFL this offseason, and recently a number of analysts on the NFL Network weighed in on what the future could and should hold for each of them. First, Brian Baldinger and former NFL players David Carr and Thomas Davis gave their thoughts on which team would be the best fit for Garoppolo if and when the 49ers decide to move him.
Their answer -- the Seattle Seahawks.
Of course, it's probably unlikely the 49ers would choose to trade Garoppolo to a division rival. But each analyst felt the Seahawks were the best match for Garoppolo offensively, with Baldinger saying he'd immediately be their best option, even if he might not be enough to make them a playoff team.
"If that move was made, he'd be the best quarterback on the roster," Baldinger said.
In addition, analysts and Good Morning Football hosts Peter Schrager, Kyle Brandt, Michael Robinson, and Will Selva recently held a discussion about if Garoppolo could possibly start in Week 1, if by chance he's still on the team.
Schrager isn't a believer, saying of Garoppolo, "I don't see him as the number one in Week 1. There is a small chance he is the number two and he's there, but I would be surprised if they don't find a way to move Jimmy Garoppolo before Week 1."
Neither is Robinson, who called Garoppolo "a back-up quarterback." Robinson feels the only thing 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense has lacked over the years has been a dual threat quarterback like Lance, and that Lance should be given the keys to the offense as Shanahan tries to get past his postseason shortcomings.
"What needs to happen to get over the hump? The only thing we haven't seen is this Kyle Shanahan offense with that dynamic playmaker at the position," Robinson said.
Selva thinks Garoppolo could stick around for the time being, and that it might not be a bad idea to keep him until they know for sure if Lance is the answer.
"We still haven't seen it, right? And I wouldn't be surprised if Jimmy G's still a Niner," Selva said. "When you're going with an unknown like Lance and have a team that's expected to contend, I think it would be a good idea to have a backup you know you can win with. And I don't know what the market is for Jimmy right now."
Brandt isn't sold either, saying the buzz around Lance isn't like it was for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes after he was drafted in 2017 to eventually replace veteran Alex Smith.
"All the vibe you heard from Chiefs camp about Mahomes was, 'Oh, this guy has it,'" Brandt said. "And Alex Smith has said, 'Yeah, he was doing the no-look passes in practice and I knew he was the guy.' I don't hear that about Trey Lance. I just don't hear it yet."
Schrager weighed in later, saying he believes the 49ers do not want a quarterback competition or another Joe Montana/Steve Young situation, suggesting that if Garoppolo remains with the team, it's a sign things have gone very wrong with Lance.
"It is possible," Schrager said. "It is a luxury in a lot of ways, but gosh, if Trey Lance isn't the starter in year two after an offseason where he was the only guy there, I would say that is quite an indictment on Trey Lance."
Click here to watch the full segment.
We'll find out how accurate each of these opinions winds up being when training camp begins on July 26. The common expectation remains that Lance will be the undisputed number one quarterback and that Garoppolo will eventually get moved, possibly after he proves to be healed up from his offseason shoulder surgery.
