placeholder image

Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports


Schefter insists Patriots’ interest in Mac Jones influenced 49ers trading up to No. 3

Sep 12, 2021 at 7:31 AM--


Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have insisted that the San Francisco 49ers were interested in Trey Lance since they started scouting this year's rookie quarterback class. For Shanahan, that process started in January after last season ended. The 49ers traded up to the No. 3 overall pick and eventually selected Lance despite most in the media and around the league believing that the target was Mac Jones of Alabama.

The 49ers insist that Lance was always the player to beat in their minds. He was the one for whom they made the trade.

ESPN's Adam Schefter disputed that this morning, believing Jones, not Lance, was the target. Not that any of that matters now. Lance is in San Francisco, and the New England Patriots selected Jones. However, nearly five months after the draft, the NFL insider decided to release this tidbit that now has sports media outlets talking.

"One of the many reasons the San Francisco 49ers traded up to the third overall spot in this year's NFL draft was their belief that the New England Patriots could trade up to No. 3 and beat them to Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, league sources told ESPN," wrote Schefter.

The insider adds that the 49ers were worried that the Patriots would leapfrog the 49ers, who initially sat at the No. 12 overall pick, for Jones.

"This belief contributed to the Niners completing the late-March trade that sent three first-round draft picks to the Miami Dolphins to move up to the No. 3 spot, which gave them the opportunity to draft Jones or any other quarterback they deemed worthy in that slot," Schefter continued.

The timing of this report from Schefter is odd. The 49ers are set to open the season this morning against the Detroit Lions, and Jones will start for the Patriots against the Miami Dolphins. Back in April, Shanahan shared how long he had been interested in Lance.

Said Shanahan after drafting Lance: "We can go back to January for the timeline, which we don't have enough time to go all the way through. ... We've been very high on Trey since the beginning, since day one. Yes, the person everyone else was speculating about (Jones), we liked him, too. ... When we made the trade, we knew exactly where we were going and what we were doing. ... I wouldn't have said there's no chance we wouldn't have (changed our mind and drafted Jones). We were going to go through this process, and I would never have said it couldn't have ended up being him, but I know how we felt about Trey the whole time."

Related News





Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News


placeholder image

Steelers reportedly interested in trading for 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk

By David Bonilla
Mar 19

The Jacksonville Jaguars were reportedly interested in trading for star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. However, the San Francisco 49ers' asking price of the No. 17 overall pick plus a player was seemingly too high for the team. Now, it appears another AFC team might be trying to pry Aiyuk away from the West Coast. Andrew Fillipponi of Pittsburgh-area radio station 93.7 The Fan reports that the Steelers are looking to work out a deal with the 49ers for the receiver. "Sources: The Steelers have looked into 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk," Fillipponi wrote on social media. "He's entering the last year of his contract. Steelers would have to execute a sign and trade. But they've shown


placeholder image

No Huddle Podcast: What Are The 49ers' Plans For The Future?

By Site Staff
Mar 19

(Episode 322) — Al Sacco and Brian Renick react to the Zach Wilson rumors, what the 49ers should look for in QB2, negative Al speaks up, how the offensive side of the ball is complete for now, replacing all of the superstars will be a challenge, why the 49ers need to draft well this year and next, and more. Note: This episode was recorded before news of Josh Dobbs' signing. The audio for the show is embedded above. Remember to subscribe! You can listen to the latest "No Huddle Podcast" episode above, from our dedicated podcast page, on


placeholder image

5 things to know about new 49ers QB Joshua Dobbs

By Kirk Larrabee
Mar 18

Joshua Dobbs became the latest addition to the San Francisco 49ers' quarterback room after agreeing to a one-year contract with the team on Monday. Dobbs, 28, has 2,920 passing yards in 21 games (14 starts) with 15 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in seven NFL seasons. He also has 91 carries for 496 yards and six rushing touchdowns and a 3-11 record overall as a starter. Dobbs comes to 49ers as a well-traveled NFL veteran who most recently was with the Minnesota Vikings. But Dobbs isn't any ordinary NFL quarterback. Let's take a look at what to know about him as he begins his time with the 49ers. The Joshua Dobbs "world tour" reaches San Francisco The 49ers are Dobbs' eighth team since joining the NFL as a fourth-round draft pick of


placeholder image

Details emerge on 49ers' 1-year deals with Jon Feliciano and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles

By Site Staff
Mar 19

Offensive lineman Jon Feliciano and linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles recently re-signed with the San Francisco 49ers on one-year deals. OverTheCap.com has revealed the contract information for both deals. Feliciano signed a contract that includes the minimum base salary for a player with eight accrued seasons of experience—$1.21 million. Flannigan-Fowles' base salary is slightly higher, at about $1.77 million. Feliciano is scheduled to count about $2.28 million against the 2024 salary cap, while Flannigan-Fowles is slated to consume almost $1.3 million. The linebacker's reduced impact is due to the 49ers using a portion of up to $1.45 million of salary that won't count against the salary cap for veteran players. The 49ers are paying Feliciano a


Latest

Trending News

Share 49ersWebzone