Keeping Mac Jones as a Backup

I'm trading Mac the moment a team offers a 2nd, this team needs picks and importantly f**king take BPA and hit on them. This team needs youth, speed, athleticism and just flat out talented players so bad

Based on what we saw this year, Mac possibly keeping a season alive is a moot point with this roster. We need to build our roster into a legit contender before we worry about having a great backup qb

Originally posted by FredFlintstone:
I'm trading Mac the moment a team offers a 2nd, this team needs picks and importantly f**king take BPA and hit on them. This team needs youth, speed, athleticism and just flat out talented players so bad

Exactly. Mac is a starter so I want the Alex Smith deal. A two this year and a two next year

If we get a 2 I'm jumping. If we get a top 10 3rd round pick, I'd consider - depending what John/Kyle/scouts think what might be available there. Anything lower and we might as well keep him for a year and take the future comp pick

The narrative around the NFL for most of my life was that once a QB only got one chance. Teams were very hesitant to give a QB who had been dumped a second chance. Now we see Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold becoming franchise QBs after bouncing around to a few teams. I don't think Mac Jones' stock will ever be higher than this offseason and the team needs to start a bidding war. Here are the teams with serious QB needs:

Raiders - Probably draft Mendoza, could also trade for Jones if their next coach wants to hedge, like the Falcons did with Cousins and Penix.
Steelers - They would be smart to move on from Rodgers and Jones would be a perfect fit for them, depending on their coaching hire.
Jets - Massive black hole, they need someone who knows how to play football. Aaron Glenn might see Mac Jones as Goff 2.0 from his Detroit days.
Dolphins - They most likely move on from Tua (Shanahan's next reclamation project?). Ewers is not the long term answer. They might go full rebuild and draft a guy instead of trading.
Browns - I actually thought Sanders was decent in his time at the helm. They still have Gabriel as well, but the Browns are truly hard to predict. They may be players.
Falcons - The pressure to win is mounting. I think they get rid of Cousins this year and take a shot. Morris' firing shows how impatient ownership is getting and Trading for Jones might be the move they make.
Cardinals - This is a situation to watch. A new coaching staff might want to move on from Kyler Murray and Brissett isn't an answer moving forward. Could the right coach want Jones?
Colts - They have a serious decision to make. Do you commit to Daniel Jones long term based on his early season success or do you use his injury as a reason to look elsewhere. And have they given up on Richardson?

What is obvious is there are fewer viable QBs than teams who need them. Kyler Murray may be in play, Malik Willis will get some looks in Free Agency, and Cousins may get one more shot, that is it. So more than a few teams will come calling for Jones. I think a 2nd Rounder plus another mid rounder this year or next is the minimum. Best case scenario is the Jets offer #16 or the Steelers offer #31, but getting a 1st rounder might be wishful thinking.

Originally posted by mtl_49er:
If we get a 2 I'm jumping. If we get a top 10 3rd round pick, I'd consider - depending what John/Kyle/scouts think what might be available there. Anything lower and we might as well keep him for a year and take the future comp pick

I'm taking a 3rd and maybe a 2027 conditional pick all day

Originally posted by FredFlintstone:
I'm trading Mac the moment a team offers a 2nd, this team needs picks and importantly f**king take BPA and hit on them. This team needs youth, speed, athleticism and just flat out talented players so bad

Agreed. The organization is trying to clean up its finances.

It puts the onus on the front office to do their homework and consistently draft well. Extra draft capital is great thing.

The trade package needs to be good enough to be better than the safety net that Mac Jones provides us as a back-up in 2026 ...

... and better than the 3rd round comp pick we could get when he leaves next offseason.

I am crazy, I want a first. If not, I like the aforementioned a second for this year and a second next.

Originally posted by mtl_49er:
If we get a 2 I'm jumping. If we get a top 10 3rd round pick, I'd consider - depending what John/Kyle/scouts think what might be available there. Anything lower and we might as well keep him for a year and take the future comp pick

Gotta be a 2 because when he leaves he will likely net us a 3 anyway and I want that Alex Smith deal anyway because Mac has shown himself to be at that level

Thing is Mac Jones with a depleted roster and without wide receivers that could get separation and no Kittle and a mash unit defense went 5-3 and even beat LA in LA. Mac showed leadership toughness brilliance competency and resiliency at the game's toughest position and he won. A team can surmise that with first string weaponry and an adequate team and coaching around him he can be a 10 win QB as a floor and that can be a shot in the arm for some team

This may be stretching point a bit, but, seeing Indiana win the national championship with a high-level QB, puts Kurtis Roarke in the spotlight for what he did last year at Indiana. The only reason he dropped so much in the draft was his injury. Several observers have suggested he would be at least a high grade backup QB on a good team.

If the 49ers share that view, it makes Jones available to the highest bidder, and there should be a lot of bidders this year.

The Alex Smith deal would be a heaven-sent gift but is not realistic. Smith had multiple years of quality play behind him when KC made the deal. Jones has not had that although his record this year should not be overlooked. I would look at something more along the values lines of a #2 this year and a conditional 3rd next year.

Originally posted by dj43:
This may be stretching point a bit, but, seeing Indiana win the national championship with a high-level QB, puts Kurtis Roarke in the spotlight for what he did last year at Indiana. The only reason he dropped so much in the draft was his injury. Several observers have suggested he would be at least a high grade backup QB on a good team.

If the 49ers share that view, it makes Jones available to the highest bidder, and there should be a lot of bidders this year.

The Alex Smith deal would be a heaven-sent gift but is not realistic. Smith had multiple years of quality play behind him when KC made the deal. Jones has not had that although his record this year should not be overlooked. I would look at something more along the values lines of a #2 this year and a conditional 3rd next year.

It's simply not just plug and play Kurtis for Mac. Mac has viable starting experience in the NFL with some success outside of this team. A former pro bowler, former 1st round pick who won a national championship in college and set all time records there. Kurtis was in college football for 6 years and landed on a great team with a great HC his sr year....that's it.

I hope they can keep Jones for another year. They already have enough issues to address.

Originally posted by CatchMaster80:
I hope they can keep Jones for another year. They already have enough issues to address.

Trading Mac helps address an issue. Let's be honest if Purdy gets injured they aren't winning a Super Bowl anyway. A 2nd round pick is more important than a backup QB you pray never has to play for this team. Definitely when he is gone in 27 anyway

Originally posted by Brucey72:

Originally posted by CatchMaster80:
I hope they can keep Jones for another year. They already have enough issues to address.

Trading Mac helps address an issue. Let's be honest if Purdy gets injured they aren't winning a Super Bowl anyway. A 2nd round pick is more important than a backup QB you pray never has to play for this team. Definitely when he is gone in 27 anyway

Question is does this team trust that Purdy can stay healthy because he's been hurt a lot in his short career here and plays an incredibly aggressive style of football for a smaller guy. Otherwise they need a dependable and proven #2.