11:33am: The 49ers are believed to have discussed Lance with the Vikings at the Combine, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk adds. With most of the league’s power brokers in one place, trade talks are common in Indianapolis. The Vikings have since restructured Kirk Cousins‘ contract, rather than extending him as they did last year. This naturally opens the door to discussions about Cousins’ post-2023 future. Hendon Hooker has also been mentioned as a possible longer-term option for Minnesota. For now, former 49ers backup Nick Mullens remains the Vikings’ QB2.
8:20am: With Brock Purdy avoiding Tommy John surgery and Sam Darnold having signed last month, Trey Lance sits in a much different position with the 49ers compared to his 2022 standing. As a result, trade rumors continue.
Teams are looking into the former No. 3 overall pick. Several have contacted the 49ers about Lance’s availability, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). While the 49ers are not believed to be the ones making the calls regarding a potential Lance trade, the topic is coming up days ahead of the draft.
Lance’s value has obviously cratered compared to where it was two Aprils ago, when the 49ers traded two future first-rounders to move up for the North Dakota State standout. He has made four starts in two seasons, not posing a serious threat to Jimmy Garoppolo as a rookie and suffering a fractured ankle last season. Lance underwent two surgeries but is expected to be ready by the time the 49ers begin on-field work next month. With teams viewing Purdy as San Francisco’s likely future starter, the subject of Lance’s availability is coming up.
Two seasons remain on Lance’s rookie contract, which can run through 2025 if the fifth-year option is exercised by May 2024. Lance’s trajectory does not make that a likely scenario in San Francisco, but if the 49ers receive a viable offer, Lance’s option decision could become another team’s responsibility soon. It certainly depends on what the 49ers consider a worthwhile proposal, and Rapoport adds (via Twitter) no trade is imminent.
John Lynch said last month the team still has Lance in its plans, but Kyle Shanahan said securing the 49ers’ 2023 starting job will be more difficult for the former Division I-FCS star than it was in 2022. The 49ers essentially handed Lance their starting job last year, putting Garoppolo on the trade block. The team’s decision to circle back to Garoppolo on a revised deal ended up saving its season, with Lance going down in Week 2. Purdy’s performance in relief of Garoppolo months later placed Lance on shakier ground, and the 49ers signed Darnold to a one-year, $4.5MM deal ($3.5MM guaranteed) early in free agency. Darnold’s 55 career starts place him as a threat to Lance’s status as Purdy’s primary backup, and a scenario in which the ex-Jets and Panthers starter begins the season under center for the 49ers — as Purdy completes his rehab odyssey — is not difficult to envision.
Of course, Purdy is still going through UCL rehab. He might not receive full clearance until the regular season begins. Considering the injury trouble the 49ers have experienced at quarterback during the Shanahan-Lynch run, trading Lance months before Purdy is cleared would represent quite the risk. Darnold has not exactly proven durable to this point, either.
The 49ers selling low on Lance would make their 2021 trade-up decision — one widely believed to have been made with Mac Jones as the target — look worse. This will be a topic to monitor ahead of the draft, however.
Maybe the Ravens could interested if they decide to trade Lamar Jackson.
they need to find a team willing to give him what he wants first which is no easy task.
I think Mini could be interested. likely to move on from Cousins and would give Trey a year to learn the offense.
im interested in the price if he is traded however since he hasn’t looked ready to lead a team yet.
I like it
I’m not sure why the 49ers would want to get rid of Lance now for less than a first round pick. But for a mid or late first round pick, it is an opportunity for another team to grab a top quarterback prospect, albeit with limited years on rookie contract. A few years in Kyle Shanahan QB school should be considered a benefit rather than a minus (a couple of years in the Jets QB room).
Don’t think the return would be anything close to a first round pick….mid or late…..the 49ers (Lynch) have themselves to blame for the trade capital they used to acquire a QB who had very limited experience (and I’m being kind) actually throwing the ball which a QB actually kind of needs to be able to do effectively, especially in SF……the entire notion of trading him to a QB friendly team might work, but thats a 50-50 proposition unless they run the ball more than 50% of the time.
I do believe he is available. I’m thinking maybe even for a 3rd round this year then, based on performance in 23, a 2nd or 3rd next year. IE because of little in game experience to date plus coming off a significant injury.
I think a 2nd and 3rd is very feasible … they def need an OLineman and moving up would make sense.
They’d be luck to get a 3rd, absolutely no way they’re getting a 2nd and a 3rd?
Jets got a first for Darnold. Even after he showed he couldn’t hack the starting duties. There’s always someone who will do something stupid, or see treasure in someone else’s trash.
Carolina hasn’t drafted a QB yet. Give them a call.
SF really messed this one up. They are praying another GM partially bails them out by giving up something of value for this major bust. Id imagine SF put this story out there in an attempt to create some value for him. His play sure hasn’t done that. As a QB, if you can’t look good in that system…you’re a bum. Plain and simple.
Idk about not looking good dudes been injured and purdy took them to the nfc cg
Kind of hard to look good when you’ve been injured. I’d say SF did the opposite too by hedging against a learning curve (Jimmy G staying as a bridge/backup) and then drafting and developing (Purdy) while making sure each is set up for success. Just turns out injury has been the biggest issue for Lance which is unfortunate. They have a great team in place to be competitive regardless of who their QB is.
@just_another_pretty_face
You’re spot on correct with your comment and assessment of the 49ers situation.
They admittingly took a gamble on Trey Lance, his upside, his lack of experience, etc., and did so knowing the cost of two extra 1st Rounders.
Knowing they were taking a risk Lynch and Kyle hedged their bets by keeping Jimmy around, and then selecting another more polished, veteran developmental QB in Brock Purdy who they felt could one serve as a quality backup once he learned the system.
They were in a position to take that gamble because of the amazing job they’ve done with this roster. John, Kyle, DeMeco, Saleh, Turner, Kocurek, etc. all contributed and helped this regime by hitting on all-pros,pro-bowlers, and starters in the 4th and 5th rounds of the draft multiple times. John Lynch, Kyle’s staff and his scouts know exactly what kind of players Kyle wants to fit his system, and they do an excellent job digging up late round gems where Kyle and his DC can put them in the best position to succeed based off their strengths.
Also, Coach Kocurek has created an atmosphere where he has helped ressurect the careers of seemingly two to three different DL each and every season. The 49ers are able to bring in these talented guys for cheap, and then they come to SF knowing they’ll get used correctly and coached up by the best DL Coach in the game, and then they ultimately leave after a year or two, and are rewarded with another team giving them a big contract in free agency.
The 49ers get a year or two of cheap production, and then when they leave they get another compensatory pick. Speaking of which, no one has received more compensatory picks than the 49ers for having their minority coaches taken away and promoted to higher roles elsewhere.
Ever since the rule has been put into place the 49ers have had front office members Martin Mayhew and Ron Carthon hired to lead the front offices of other teams, and they have had DeMeco Ryans, Robert Saleh, and Mike McDaniel all THREE leave to lead teams on the field as head coaches.
When considering the percentages of minority coaches in the NFL, heck, the 49ers are single-handedly helping to bring the numbers up…
Anyways, this franchise does so many things right, even the one possible mistake they’ve made, they hedged their bets, and now they’ve given themselves MULTIPLE cheap options at QB while they continue to bolster their roster with talent and solid depth all over their offense and defense…
Your comment should be in my trash file. Your take sucks. I’d stick in Cincy problems. Not a big fan of the trade either but when you don’t suck and want a top prospect you make moves. Cincy got Burrow because they sucked.
Cincy fans get one Super Bowl loss in em and think they got the keys to kingdom
i hate to agree with this due to the haul of first rounders he cost, but seeing him incapable of getting Deebo the ball on a simple bubble screen in good time has me leaning towards bust. Purdy has proven to be able to move the offense, but now what? His elbow might fall off. Is Darnold any less likely to be injured and can he move the ball? Lance’s His release isn’t anywhere near quick enough to get the ball to receivers on time and his throwing accuracy is still in the works. What the 49ers got was a guy who ticked all the boxes physically and with a world of “if he can just get some time to develop, maybe”.
No way this is true. This is Lynch and Co. floating this hoping for a taker. This team should have won multiple rings in the last few years but they can’t scout QBs properly.
Pass on Mahomes(even thought they needed a QB) to Draft BUST Solomon F’n Thomas and trade draft capital to get Jimmy G only to turn around and trade a FU** ton more draft capital to replace him with some unproven dude from North Baked Potato St that played against dudes currently selling life insurance.
If they draft Fields instead, with that O Line and those offensive weapons intact, SF wins at least one SB over the last couple years.
Now, they’re hoping someone is desperate enough to take this dude off their hands?
Embarrassingly inept. The Jets and Niners screwed up big time. Wilson and Lance won’t even be in the league in 3 years.
A bit harsh in criticism but pretty spot on regarding the take…..Lynch blew this one big time thinking he was getting a vintage version of Lamar who certainly has come back down to earth in the last 2 seasons by taking Lance…..when will these GM’s learn that run first QB’s just don’t last and if you have an offense based on throwing the ball more than running it, howdy you choose a QB who had like 300 passing attempts since High School to his credit when you drafted him for you NFL team…..very curious indeed.
As a sidebar, it will be very interesting so see exactly how successful Hurts is this season when the Eagles surprising Super Bowl run last season was all about his planned and unplanned running…..
It’s really hard to say that. Even Fields with his potential is no guarantee. The first round QBs in that draft after #1 got their values pulled up by Lawrence. There was such a fervor that anyone with a spark in the run-up to that draft was going to go in the first half of the first round. Personally, as a Jets’ fan, I wanted Sewell as protection and any weapons available with their second first round pick before they decided to trade Sam and go with Zach Wilson. I would’ve traded back if anyone else was desperate enough for Wilson but I still wanted Sewell so they couldn’t have dropped that far. They traded up for AVT who could be a star if he stays healthy.
It may be a sunken cost fallacy, but I don’t think it makes sense for the Jets or the Niners to give up their young QBs for pennies at this point, because they could wind up succeeding on prove-it deals later on. Geno Smith finally got his chance about 6-7 years later and earned a moderate pay day. The hope for the Jets is that, assuming they complete the Rodgers trade, Zach will learn behind him for two years, then take over with an improved supporting cast.
I definitely agree. No reason to trade Lance and/or Wilson at this point as the return would very underwhelming. Especially Lance as the Niners gave up a TON to move up to get him. At this point, just cross your fingers and hope they aren’t both indeed BUSTS.
Horrible take.. first, North Dakota is not the potato state dummy, that’s Idaho. Second, if they scout QB’s so poorly how did Brock Purdy work out well? Injuries can’t be planned for when evaluating a player, but can be planned for from a team standpoint with depth, which JL and KS have drafted the best depth in the league. Fields is talented but we don’t need another running back. Fields is not a good qb, he is a good runner who scrambles so much that the play breaks and he hits (sometimes) an open player. He has shown no ability to hit tight targets as our system requires. Also, how many other teams passed on Patrick Mahomes? How many teams passed multiple times on Tom Brady? Admittedly our first round picks have not been hits every year so trading them away to get a QB with a huge upside and arm talent that is better than you have is an ok gamble to take when you are stacked everywhere else. From a success standpoint it hasn’t hurt us much the last few years because of the options we had. Losing a SB to the best QB in the league by far, then losing a NFC title game because your former safety can’t catch, then losing the NFC championship game due to injury to our THIRD STRING QB is not a result of missing high first round picks (where no QB would have been anyway). There is absolutely no way to say that Lance is a bust because of injuries and only 4 games. You sound as logical as Seahawks fans so go over to those chats and spit your horrible opinions.
Lance is one of the biggest draft busts of all time
I always admired the old Raiders QB that went #1 and popped drinking some purple drank which ended his time in about 1-2 years! But the LT in Tenn 2 years (?) didn’t;t even make it to a second season. Miami traded for him and cut him in his 2nd off season.
Lance isn’t good, didn’t play enough ball out of high school & college to draft this loser 3rd overall. Niners don’t get harassed enough about it.
Bingo! One FCS season after high school and the Niners jumped the gun at 3rd overall when he should’ve been a 2nd or 3rd rounder.
A 2nd AND 3rd for this bust? Please put the pipe down…
The Jets and Niners wet themselves by passing on Fields and now they’re paying the tax on that. Chicago had no O Line, no legit offensive weapons and no D to help with field position yet Fields still literally broke records. Imagine him on a team like SF with that O Line and those weapons and a great D… WOW, they would have at least one ring over the last couple of years.
No one wants this unproven dude from North Baked Potato St, the Niners are floating this story desperately hoping to find a GM dumb enough to bite.
Fields is meh. He’s a Lamar wanna be. Fields will lead the bumbling Bears to last place again in the NFC North.
When his rookie contract is not extended for 50M a year down the road you will see why.
Lamar wannabe? While Fields passing game surely leaves something to be desired, hes built to withstand hits unlike Lamar.
it’s why teams aren’t knocking down the door to trade for Lamar. he won’t hold up 5-6 years down the road.
Built to withstand hits? What are you talking about? One bad hit and any guy in the league could be done for good regardless of how well they’re “built”. The key is avoiding taking hits and well that’s tough when you’re a run first QB.
We have a bust in Darnold who’s a back up QB & a QB recovering from a serious elbow injury and won’t be ready for the first month or two of the season. Why not keep lance who’s knows the system more then darnold at this point and showcase him and hope to get a better return then settling for maybe a 3rd round pick. Lynch isn’t getting a 1st or 2nd for lance and selling for a 3rd at this point is ridiculous.
I think both Zach and Lance can use a change of scenery. How about Jets and Niners swap them?
Lance didn’t play against elite college players.He’ll always be a step behind.
Teams are always calling EVERY OTHER TEAM to express interest in EVERY OTHER TEAM’S players. It means nothing. And posters bashing Lance think they’re knowledgeable, talk like they’re knowledgeable, but in truth are knowledgeable about nothing.
How are all these teams possibly ‘in’ on Lance but just let Lamar sit out there like he’s not 100x the QB Lance will ever be…
The answer is pricetag, not only to acquire him but also what it will take to sign him.
So these owners rather save a penny and settle for a bum than put a top 7 QB into their depth chart for the future. It’s just so dumb.
The risk is so much higher with Lamar, you’re paying a huge cost in picks and guaranteed money for a guy that his current team doesn’t even want to pay. Whereas Trey is a buy low candidate that you don’t have to pay a bunch to.
Purdy himself even said he’s not sure he will be able to play in 2023! Keep Trey, and don’t use him like a damn fullback!!!
It’s starting to smell like a Josh Rosen pick.
Teams calling? They left out the part that they’re from the USFL.
Yes the decision to trade up for Lance does look like it could end up being a poor one made by the 49er front office. However we have also seen the regression of Mac Jones and o could easily see him become just a really good backup.
Could end up being poor? You don’t give up what the Niners did to grab a QB and have him basically miss his 1st 2 seasons and be 3rd on the depth chart going into season 3. They’ll be fortunate to have somebody take him off their hands for anything of value in return.
Yes the decision to trade up for Lance does look like it could end up being a poor one made by the 49er front office. However we have also seen the regression of Mac Jones and I could easily see him become just a really good backup.
Not on board with the folks calling Lance a bust. He’s had only four starts, and 5th half-game. The half game looked really good, he sucked in the AZ game, was great against Houston, played in a foot of rain in Chicago, and got hurt against Seattle.
He’s basically had only one bad game. The bigger knock against him is less the performance and more that two of his control years are gone, and a 3rd year might be a development year. I’d be real happy to see the Raiders throw a 3rd rounder to SF for Lance.
I wouldn’t confuse this guy with Zach Wilson. Heck, even Wilson is probably better than the Jets offense allows for.
Two seasons gone and a 3rd will be in development, so by your projections he might take over in year 4, certainly not a bust for a guy they gave up a bunch for and drafted 3rd overall. BTW, what is 2nd round draft pick Jalen Hurts up to these days?
Perhaps I could’ve chosen a better description. Relative to his draft position, and that awful trade, he is certainly a bust.
What I trying to get at is that he might still be a good QB. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him out-perform Fields in a couple of years.
IRT Hurts, I desperately wanted my Raiders to draft him with their #2. Gruden would’ve passed anyway, but Philly drafted him probably slightly higher than where he was projected. I can’t do anything but tip my hat to them. And, you know, be bitter about it.