QB Matt Barkley
Contract: No details given yet, reported on by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport
Grade: C+
There’s no way of sugarcoating this, Matt Barkley has not been a good NFL quarterback. In his first extended run of play last season, Barkley threw for 1,611 yards, eight TDs and 13 INTs in seven games total.
A quarterback rating of 68.3, Barkley simply wasn’t an efficient passer during his time as the starter.
That comes with a caveat though; the 2016 Chicago Bears were in dysfunction and Barkley came in at midseason. Additionally, when breaking down game samples from last season, Barkley did have a few instances of above-average play (three games with 300-plus passing yards).
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And this signing isn’t supposed to be the end-all for the 49ers at quarterback. Barkley is merely quarterback insurance behind Hoyer (or double-insurance in the case San Francisco lands Kirk Cousins).
Considering the 49ers literally had zero quarterbacks on their roster some 72 hours ago, the depth is welcomed at the position. There also remains the possibility of Barkley providing some extra mentoring, alongside Hoyer, if the 49ers draft a quarterback. That potential grooming could prove to be hugely beneficial in the long-run.
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As it stands, San Francisco currently has $88,236,014 in cap space, per Over The Cap. That will change with the additional signings made, but it remains that the 49ers will still have some of the most cap space in the league once the rest of the deals are finalized.
A good sign of aggressiveness being met with thoughtfulness.