San Francisco 49ers: Identifying 10 cornerstone players for 2018
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo
Technically, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is a free agent after this season, which would disqualify him from being included on this list.
But the reason he’s here (aside from the obvious) is the 49ers would place the franchise tag on him if no extension is reached between now and the deadline. Barring a trade, Garoppolo will be in a Niners uniform in 2018.
Garoppolo’s relatively limited sample size — just two starts at the pro level — keeps him from being the No. 1 cornerstone on our list. But there are more than a few reasons to justify him being a key piece to build around, aside from only playing the game’s most important position.
Our very own Rich Madrid broke down the film behind Garoppolo over at 49ers Webzone. Madrid cited Garoppolo’s pocket presence, decision making and quick release as some positive traits.
Madrid concluded:
"How good Garoppolo truly is at this point is going to remain a mystery until we see significant playing time. Even with the above-outlined skill-set, there is still some room for improvement, but the small sample of the film looks promising. But being a quality quarterback paired with Shanahan is something all fans, hyped and skeptical, should be looking forward to."
A larger sample size is needed, but it’s clear the 49ers are high on Garoppolo.
We should be too, at least in terms of identifying cornerstones.