Analyst Bucky Brooks recently broke down the quarterback situation for the San Francisco 49ers in a lengthy and thorough feature for Fox Sports. If you haven't already read it, I recommend you take a look.
Second-year player Trey Lance is poised to take over the starting quarterback job in Santa Clara. Jimmy Garoppolo has been the starter for most of Kyle Shanahan's head coaching tenure and remains on the roster—seemingly complicating things and generating a lot of offseason media attention.
San Francisco had hoped to trade Garoppolo in March. The quarterback opting to undergo shoulder surgery as the 49ers were involved in trade talks took the team by surprise and halted discussions.
Brooks understands Garoppolo is a far-from-perfect quarterback but acknowledges significant positives to his game. The analyst calls the 49ers quarterback a "talented, quick-rhythm passer with B-plus arm talent and athleticism."
"As an efficient rhythm passer with pinpoint accuracy at short and intermediate range, Garoppolo plays that game like an off-speed MLB pitcher adept at painting the corners of the plate," shared Brooks. "The veteran excels at throwing the ball between the numbers on a variety of in-breaking routes (shallow crossers, digs and deep overs) over the middle of the field. Garoppolo's superb touch, timing and anticipation on those routes enable the 49ers' receivers to gobble up yardage on an assortment of 'catch-and-run" concepts.'"
Brooks is also impressed with Garoppolo's quick-rhythm passes on short to intermediate passes.
The flaws, however, are clear. One will quickly point to Garoppolo's durability issues. The quarterback has played just one complete season since being traded to the 49ers in 2017. But there are also shortcomings in his on-field play. Brooks questions Garoppolo's judgment and deep-ball accuracy, pointing to some "head-scratching decisions that result in turnovers."
Brooks comments, "Whether it is a 'hero' throw tossed into traffic or a misread that leads to a poor throw, Garoppolo's blunders are a part of the package."
Lance's potentially high ceiling would provide the 49ers with an upgrade at the most important position in football. Brooks was high on the former No. 3 overall pick leading to last year's draft and remains high on him.
"Trey Lance is a bigger, faster and stronger prospect at the position, and his superior athleticism and arm talent could take the offense to another level," wrote the analyst. "From his ability to thrive on designed quarterback runs and read-option plays to his deep-ball prowess, the second-year pro offers much more than what Garoppolo brings as a starter."
San Francisco has three options when it comes to Garoppolo. It could trade the quarterback, keep him on the roster, or release him.
The first would require an interested team and a suitable offer as compensation. The 49ers might not like what Brooks estimates as "reasonable trade compensation."
"The Panthers' recent acquisition of Baker Mayfield should set a solid market for Garoppolo," Brooks explains. "Cleveland's former No. 1 overall pick was dealt for a conditional fifth-round pick that could turn into a fourth-round selection if he plays 70% of the Panthers' offensive snaps."
Brooks adds that the 49ers should expect a similar offer for Garoppolo. Whether or not they would go for it remains a mystery. The team has repeatedly indicated that it will hold onto Garoppolo if it doesn't receive a suitable offer. The question is: What is suitable at this point, with the list of quarterback-needy teams far shorter than it was in March?
The Seattle Seahawks have emerged as a hypothetical option, thanks to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reporting that the team from the Pacific Northwest had done their homework on the 49ers quarterback. While it seems unlikely that a team would do a division rival any favors by providing a starting quarterback, it isn't unheard of. For example, Brooks points to Andy Reid and the Philadelphia Eagles trading Donovan McNabb to Washington in 2010.
Such a trade might send the wrong message, though. While the 49ers are probably just looking for the best return for Garoppolo, it might be perceived as the team being unconcerned about facing their former starter twice a year. That might provide bulletin board material to drive Garoppolo.
"Although Garoppolo would certainly know the inner workings of the 49ers from a schematic and philosophical standpoint," Brooks notes, "the knowledge is meaningless if he is not good enough to punish the team with his performance. The 49ers certainly evaluated Garoppolo's talents and potential before drafting Lance and eventually putting the veteran on the trade block. If they are confident in their assessments, they should not worry about Garoppolo coming back to haunt them as a player."
Of course, if the 49ers end up releasing Garoppolo, he might just end up in Seattle anyway, with the Niners receiving nothing in return.
Keeping Garoppolo would mean the top two quarterbacks on the depth chart eating up $34 million in salary-cap space. That wouldn't be a terrible number for just one elite quarterback. However, having the higher-priced player (by a significant margin) backing up a relatively inexpensive starter is a costly luxury. Plus, the 49ers could earmark that money for other needs—like making a disgruntled star "wide back" happy.
Then there is the awkwardness of having Garoppolo remain in the locker room while the 22-year-old Lance tries to establish himself as a leader.
"Despite Lance's burgeoning confidence," Brooks shared, "the 49ers need to remove Garoppolo from the equation to enable the second-year pro to seize control of the locker room. Despite the listed order on the depth chart, there are several team members who will always view Garoppolo as the starter.
"With that in mind, the 49ers must remove any of the distractions and obstacles that could prevent Lance from growing into his role as the designated leader of the team."
