How Tyrod Taylor, other 2018 quarterback moves shake up 49ers’ plans in NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers’ plans for the 2018 NFL Draft are being shaken up following a slew of quarterbacking moves just ahead of free agency this offseason. Let’s break down the possible impact.
If you thought the NFL offseason was traditionally boring before free agency began, you’re wrong.
The San Francisco 49ers, of course, have been relatively inactive before free agency kicks off on Mar. 14. And with the 2018 NFL Draft taking place in late April, the Niners are biding their time before securing talent via the draft and free-agent market.
But that hasn’t stopped other teams from making moves. Among the biggest movers and shakers prior to free agency starting have been the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and the Cleveland Browns.
San Francisco 49ers
And it’s the Browns we should pay some attention to.
On Friday, Cleveland acquired quarterback Tyrod Taylor from the Buffalo Bills for a third-round pick, first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. In turn, the Browns sent off quarterback DeShone Kizer to the Green Bay Packers.
The Taylor move has some implications on the Niners and what may transpire in the draft.
San Francisco owns the No. 9 overall pick. Not needing a quarterback (thank you, Jimmy Garoppolo), the 49ers are hoping for a plethora of QB-needy teams taking quarterbacks early in Round 1.
The Bills’ first selection, currently, sits at No. 21. Their immediate backup to Taylor, Nathan Peterman, tossed five interceptions on 49 attempts last season, all for a passer rating of 38.4.
Yeah, Buffalo needs a replacement.
Should the Bills get aggressive and move up on draft day, that could serve to help San Francisco’s chances of landing a top non-quarterback prospect even more.
Other Factors at Play for the 49ers
The free-agent market will also dictate what happens on draft day. Soon-to-be former Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins will be highly sought after.
Not by the Browns now, which is more good news for the Niners.
Numerous reports have the Minnesota Vikings emerging as front-runners for Cousins’ services in 2018, and that’s of great help to San Francisco. The Vikings own the No. 30 overall pick in the draft and would have little reason to move up in Round 1. Instead, Cousins to Minnesota would ensure a top 10-drafting team, the New York Jets (also in on the Cousins pursuit), would likely have to use their top pick (No. 6 overall) to grab a quarterback.
More good possibilities for the 49ers.
Of course, the Vikings could let 2017 quarterbacks Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Bradford and Case Keenum hit the open market. Wherever they land will also highly influence other teams’ draft plans.
Here’s a list of top 15-drafting teams in possible need of quarterbacks:
- Cleveland Browns (Nos. 1 and 4)
- New York Giants (No. 2)
- Denver Broncos (No. 5
- New York Jets (No. 6)
- Miami Dolphins (No. 11)
- Cincinnati Bengals (No. 12)
- Arizona Cardinals (No. 15)
Don’t Rule Out the Browns Adding Another QB in the Draft
Just because the Browns acquired Taylor doesn’t mean they’ll avoid using one of their two picks in the top five to grab another.
As ESPN’s Dan Graziano pointed out, Taylor is likely a bridge option to the next franchise guy:
Browns' offseason plan for QB has been to acquire a veteran to serve as a "bridge, then take a QB with the No. 1 pick. Step one complete, with Tyrod Taylor.
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) March 9, 2018
Taylor is signed through 2018. And while it’s possible he suddenly emerges as the kind of signal-caller a team would build around, it’s more plausible to assume he’ll hold down the job and provide much-needed assistance to a rookie prospect.
In short, the Browns are doing what they should — find a veteran to mentor, while targeting someone younger and promising in the draft.
After all, this isn’t a win-now move.
At any rate, this only serves to help San Francisco on draft day. The remaining free-agent possibilities could hinder the Niners’ chances to get better talent in Round 1, so we’ll see how that pans out.
Next: 2018 quarterback carousel: Predicting who goes where this offseason
But the more teams in need of quarterbacks this offseason, the better the 49ers’ abilities to find some top-tier talent at No. 9 on Apr. 26.