How the 49ers are affected by the 2018 quarterback landscape post free agency

Broncos and Cardinals Acquire Veteran Quarterbacks

Two other teams in need of quarterbacks this offseason, the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals, also made moves to acquire veterans under center.

The Broncos, drafting at No. 5 overall, are electing to go with former Vikings 2017 hero, Case Keenum, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It’s hard to gauge what kind of impact this will have on both Denver’s draft plans and how those affect the 49ers, as the Broncos have certainly made mistakes under center as of late.

Paxton Lynch, Trevor Siemian or Brock Osweiler, anyone?

Prior to last season, Keenum was little more than a perennial backup quarterback. A good one, but his 2017 “breakout” campaign could just as easily be a proverbial “flash in the pan.” Denver is banking on the opposite, of course, but that still might not deter general manager John Elway from looking quarterback first in Round 1.

Cardinals Land Sam Bradford

In a way, the Vikings’ stockpile of free-agent QBs flooded the market this offseason. None — including Keenum, Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford — should be viewed as “sure things.” But each does give other QB-needy teams options.

Such was the case for the quarterback-less Cardinals, who’ll ink Bradford to a one-year deal, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Bradford’s injury history makes this deal a stop-gap option, most likely. And it isn’t as if the Cardinals are without concerns up front along the offensive line.

All you need to know is this:

The Cardinals, who own the No. 15 pick in the draft — six spots behind the 49ers — may not be as pressured to move up to grab the prospect they want. But if they fall in love with a quarterback, a move is certainly possible.

Acquiring Bradford just lessens the likelihood of it happening.