The 49ers spent the past three weeks trying to trade up in the draft, finally securing a deal with the Dolphins to climb to No. 3 overall. Kyle Shanahan addressed the trade, confirming it was indeed to draft a quarterback.
“We looked at how our four years have gone and we looked at how we want the next four years to go and we looked at where we’re at in the draft and the options that are there,’ Shanahan said, via NFL.com. “And that’s why sitting there looking at this stuff since January and going all the way through the process, we felt pretty strongly we were gonna be left at the altar sitting there at 12.”
This move comes despite the Jets’ plans not being fully known. While Urban Meyer essentially confirmed the Jaguars will draft Trevor Lawrence first overall, the Jets will either trade the pick or trade Sam Darnold. Increased noise on option B, with the Jets then taking BYU’s Zach Wilson, has emerged in recent days.
[RELATED: Who will 49ers draft at No. 3 overall?]
The 49ers appear to be fine with selecting the third quarterback in this draft. Shanahan said the team is comfortable with three of the quarterback prospects being the long-term answer, adding that the Nos. 4 and 5 options would also have potential to elevate the team (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner). Shanahan expects the draft’s top five QBs to be drafted earlier than most currently anticipate. No draft has begun with four straight passers being chosen, but that possibility is live this year. Picking in the top five for the first time since they drafted Matt Ryan, the Falcons have a chance to select the 35-year-old’s heir apparent at No. 4.
With Lawrence and Wilson expected to be gone by the time the 49ers pick, they are likely going to draft either Justin Fields, Trey Lance or Mac Jones. Interestingly, Jones and Fields’ pro days are both Tuesday. Shanahan and John Lynch will attend Jones’, with the 49ers sending other staffers to Fields’, Peter King of NBC Sports notes. Assistant GM Adam Peters will be in Columbus for Fields’ pro day, per Wagoner, who adds that Shanahan plans to meet with the ex-Buckeyes standout at some point. Shanahan and Lynch did not attend Wilson’s or Lance’s, with the 49ers not wanting to arouse suspicion of their plans (Twitter link via SI.com’s Albert Breer). Shanahan also plans to meet with Lance.
While Shanahan said anyone on the 49ers could be traded, the team thus far wants to keep Jimmy Garoppolo around this season. The 49ers have become the latest team to mention the Chiefs’ Alex Smith-to-Patrick Mahomes transition. Shanahan said it will be difficult for the 49ers to find a quarterback better equipped to lead the team to wins this season, per Wagoner (on Twitter).
“We went to ownership and said, ‘Hey, things are looking good. We’d like to make this move, but we also don’t want to say goodbye to Jimmy,” Lynch said. “We’ve shown we can get to a Super Bowl with him. We can play at a high level and we don’t think those two things have to be mutually exclusive.”
Two years remain on Garoppolo’s contract. He is set to count $26.4MM against San Francisco’s cap this season. The 49ers could trade their incumbent starter and incur less than $3MM in dead money. The Patriots, who sent Garoppolo to the 49ers in 2017, may be interested.
Is Mac Jones really a top 4 pick all of the sudden? Seems like a huge stretch.
I’m sure he will be fine, as long as you give him the best O-line, best WR corp, and a couple of good RB options along with a good organizational structure, respected head coach, and talented offensive coordinator.
If they go with Jones, that’s a legacy maker or a legacy breaker for Shanahan. I wouldn’t do it if I were a coach, that’s for sure. You miss on a guy everyone is high on, it’s not as bad. You miss on a reach that you mortgaged your future for and, oof.
Trey Lance is their guy.
Anyone remember RGIII?
The QB who injured his knee severely enough that pretty much ended his career?
Three quality QBs. 49ers have a nice menu to browse before ordering.
I wonder if that “three” includes Lawrence, who they obviously aren’t getting? Or is it actually three other QBs they like?
I think it’s three total. Hence them trading up to #3 basically to say either way they get one they like.
You don’t trade to 3 for Jones, based on grades. Hindsight he could be Tom Brady, but going into the draft it unlikely they will have him that high. Being in a perfect system and situation is harder to evaluate.
Jets take Sewell and we are all good right?
The Jets just have that history…. Hell they took TE Johnny Mitchell #15 overall…
link to youtube.com
Don’t forget Eason over Marino too
Only way I feel comfortable with this trade is if we end up with Wilson. Seems no matter who you like third you have a gap between 2 and 3. I would like the Minshew and take A CB at 12 approach as a fan. Rolling the dice and pay off. But Mac Jones especially costing them 3 first rounds gives me indigestion. Zach Wilson is a completely different story.
I have a feeling they are going to choose fields. Haven’t heard any negative stuff about him
It will definitely be fields
Randy V Well you probably won’t be happy then unless they know something about the Jets draft plans that we don’t. You can’t make that trade unless you’re sold on Jones, Lance, or Fields. I’d be surprised if the Jets run it back with Darnold under another new HC, especially with the outlook for next years QB class.
I’ve seen mocks with Jones as low as 15. There’s no way sf trades that much away for him. Other than being “nfl ready” the other qb’s are a class better in my opinion. (Though interestingly jones fits the 49ers system better than the others)
Mocks are fun but they’re still a crapshoot. All it takes is one team ahead of the 49ers to like Jones, and he’s gone before they would have picked at 12. Especially because of how QBs have historically been drafted before the analysts think they will.
Getting who the media wants is meaningless if they don’t end up with the guy they want.
Right. This on the heels of every one of them from GM down, talking about how much they “believe” in Garrapolo. Ahead of the draft, these guys are the kings of BS.
They literally never confirmed they were taking qb. This article sucks.
So there is no way in Hell that the 49ers do not know who the Jets are taking, the coaching staffs are entirely too close.
The last time a team traded the house and did not get the player desired was in 1997 when The Raiders traded up to #2 in target for Orlando Pace. Two weeks later the Jets traded the #1 over all pick to the Rams. I know that the Redskins traded the house for the #2 for RGIII, but they paraded him around town the week before the draft, they knew.
The 49ers do love QB’s from BYU.
It’s no coincidence that the 49ers traded up in the middle of Zach Wilson’s Pro Day.
They either know what NY is doing or they feel comfortable with both Lance & Wilson
knowing they’ll get one of the two.
I’m betting Jones got the *wink *wink “promise” from Carolina during Senior Bowl week, which is why he opted to not play in the Senior Bowl Game.
No one trades based upon a “wink”. They either know or they don’t,
Did Carolina trade up already? Seems to me that if the commenter was right and Carolina made it known to Jones that if he’s there at #8 then they were taking him then why should he play in the Senior Bowl. Not sure about the Panthers’ system and his fit, but at this point it might be a shock if they did end up passing on him.
More lies from SF. Why all the posturing
Afraid someone might trade to the 2 spot? You just said your fine with 3 QB’s In the draft. Makes no sense. My guess is Mac Jones is their pick which is probably a Mitch Tribiusky in waiting
“Shanahan and Lynch did not attend Wilson’s or Lance’s, with the 49ers not wanting to arouse suspicion of their plans “
So then why did they attend Jones’s practice? Why see anyone if you don’t want to arouse suspicion?
Good good please don’t draft Mac Jones
Even if the 49ers do draft a top talent are they going to remain committed to this player when the time comes to pay fair market value? They didn’t do that with Buckner.
There are only two sure-fire NFL QBs in this draft, thus this could be a massive mistake.
Shanahan couldn’t make a quarterback out of Nick Mullens or CJ Beathard, thus he is unlikely going to be able to fix one of the pretenders he’ll be left with in the upcoming draft.
The 49ers mentioned the Smith-to-Mahomes transition? If you count getting asked by the media if they saw this situation like the Chiefs’ and they replied ‘no, not really’, then yeah, I suppose they mentioned it.
If SF uses the formula that most TV mock drafters use, they’ll draft either Wilson or Jones. In today’s NFL, QBs who have the skills and physicality to run the ball and get away from at least the second level of the defense, such as Murray and Mahomes, have been successful. Not to take away Rodger’s or Brady’s achievements, they were not the top choices in their draft. It was a gamble that paid off for GB and KC. In the 49ers offense, imagine someone like Fields or Lance running the offense with Samuel, Aiyuk(?), Kittle, Mostert and a FB in Juice, who I think is a great run blocker.
IMO, that will be a fun offense to have. A mobile QB with those said players on the field. Healthy. Of course, the O-lines health will be a big factor, as well.
Just my humble opinion.
Would Atlanta feel like they were gifted Fields if San Fran takes Mac? Considering Fields grew up in Georgia?! But if San Fran leapfrogs Atl to get infront to take Fields then man Shanahan bones his old team for Fields. MAAAN