How the 49ers offseason would have gone without Jimmy Garoppolo
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers managed the steal of 2017, landing quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for a second-round NFL Draft pick. But what if he never arrived? What would the Niners’ offseason look like then?
Ready for some revisionist San Francisco 49ers history? And not of the good variety?
It’s a scary thought, one that would involve the thought quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo never found his way to Santa Clara.
We know the reports. New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick apparently texted 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan about the eventual Garoppolo deal — one that involved merely a second-round draft pick.
San Francisco 49ers
In hindsight, a steal.
But what if it never happened? What if Belichick, perhaps sticking to his plan to push Garoppolo into a Pats starting role, stayed true? Or, by other accounts, the Cleveland Browns were willing to offer way more and get involved in the Jimmy G sweepstakes?
OK, that’s frightening. And thank goodness San Francisco fans don’t have to worry about that being the case.
Yet if it was the case, what would have the Niners’ 2018 offseason looked like?
A 49ers Push for Kirk Cousins
Hindsight also tells us Shanahan was, indeed, on the hunt for now-Minnesota Vikings quarterback c.
All through general manager John Lynch who, via CBS Sports, stated such on ESPN’s Golic and Wingo show:
"We made the [Garoppolo] trade, but then there were some days when Kyle Shanahan was, like, in mourning, because I think everybody knows his master plan was to have Kirk Cousins come in eventually. I was proud of Kyle, because I think he knew this was the right thing for our franchise. And he didn’t hesitate. But then, even then, Jimmy had to really prove himself."
Well, there you go.
Shanahan and the 49ers would have been all in on acquiring Cousins this offseason. And it likely would have taken more than the $28 million, annually, Cousins received from the Vikings. Why? Because the Niners would have been a bad team after 2017, whereas Minnesota was fresh off an appearance in the NFC Championship game.
Bad teams often have to overpay in free agency. Cousins to San Francisco wouldn’t have been much different.
2018 Free Agency
Cousins got $28 million, annually, whereas Garoppolo ended up with slightly less at $27.5 million per.
The Niners, who had more cap space heading into the offseason than anyone else (roughly $111 million), would have been in a similar position, financially, if they landed Cousins. Yet they wouldn’t have been seen as a destination team, for sure.
With Garoppolo aboard, NFL.com’s Adam Schein wrote:
"The Niners possess a true franchise quarterback to build around, and a superb offensive mind to maximize the talents of said signal-caller.49ers Faithful endured some rough play following Jim Harbaugh’s ouster, but this team is back in the spotlight heading into next season. Free agents, especially on offense, should flock to the beautiful City by the Bay."
Sans Garoppolo — even with Cousins aboard — scratch the aforementioned thought.
The Niners would have been active on the market, for sure. But they would have had to overpay more and wouldn’t have landed some big names, likely someone like cornerback Richard Sherman, who indicated the desire to go to a contender.
High Picks and the 2018 NFL Draft
If there would have been a bonus from the 49ers not grabbing Garoppolo, it would have been higher picks in the 2018 NFL Draft.
San Francisco was a one-win team before Garoppolo took over in Week 12. It finished 5-11. Do the math.
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With that complex math, though, the Niners dropped from a likely top-three pick down to No. 9 overall in Round 1. OK, so better draft picks automatically means better players, right? Well, not exactly. For every Peyton Manning or Andrew Luck out there, there’s a JaMarcus Russell or Ryan Leaf. Sure, a team’s chances of getting a better player increase the higher the pick, but it’s no exact science.
It’s a craps shoot. And the Niners would be under more pressure to hit a home run.
Speaking of quarterbacks, what if Cousins elected to deny San Francisco and go directly to a contender? Then what?
Well, Lynch and Shanahan would have been in this discussion — a flurry of QB-needy teams on the hunt for a signal-caller early. And who knows how that would have gone?
Simply put, the general consensus about the 49ers would have been they had taken a step, or two, towards being a contender. But just a step or two. Nothing more.
Instead, San Francisco is now on the brink of elongated success… a destination team and playoff hopeful.
Next: 5 quarterbacks who could be drafted before the 49ers pick at No. 9
All because of Garoppolo.