As 49ers training camp is about to begin, everyone’s attention is focused on Jimmy Garoppolo. Here’s why second-year quarterback C.J. Beathard’s development might be more important.
The NFL is defined by its quarterbacks. Luckily, the San Francisco 49ers finally got one in Jimmy Garoppolo. The best teams, save the Jacksonville Jaguars, had at least one above-average signal-caller, and some even have two.
The point is, QBs have never been more highly valued.
And teams will do anything to acquire a QB they think can be elite. In order to finally acquire Carson Wentz, the Philadelphia Eagles made two separate trades in the 2016 NFL Draft. The first involved trading two players in their athletic prime, Byron Maxwell and Kiko Alonso, plus the 13th overall pick for the eighth overall pick. The second trade with the Cleveland Browns saw the Eagles giving up the eighth overall pick, a third-and a fourth-round pick in that draft, a 2017 first-round pick, and a 2018 second-round pick.
In short, the Eagles gave up a ton to acquire Wentz.
But guess what? It was worth it for them. They now have a franchise quarterback who’s already won a Super Bowl. The Eagles also showed why having two capable quarterbacks is the best situation to be in. They managed to flip the backup quarterback, Sam Bradford, to the Vikings for a first-round pick. They essentially recouped the biggest loss of the Wentz trade. Then, this year, they handsomely paid Nick Foles, and he won the Super Bowl MVP after Wentz was injured late in the regular season.
If there’s one thing we should have learned, backup quarterbacks are one of the most valuable assets in the NFL. Teams droll over acquiring NFL talent that won’t have to be coached to the higher level of play. Bradford was worth a first-round pick. According to Cincinnati.com (h/t David Fucillo of Niners Nation), A.J. McCarron was going to be traded for a second and third rounder.
Garoppolo could have been traded for the fouth overall pick of the 2018 draft, until the 49ers stole him for the price of a second-round pick. Even former New England Patriots third-string QB, Jacoby Brissett, was traded for a former first-round pick. Any team that has a capable backup QB is sitting pretty.
That brings us to C.J. Beathard.
Last year was an interesting one, to say the least. Widely panned as a reach as a third-round pick, Beathard started as the third-string QB entering the 2017 preseason. Surprising many, he outplayed Matt Barkley and entered the season as the backup to Brian Hoyer.
After Hoyer struggled mightily to begin the season, Beathard entered midway to try to give the team a lift. He got the 49ers their first win but played like a rookie QB usually does, which is not very well. When Jimmy G finally started for the team, Beathard went back to being the backup.
If I had one word to define Beathard’s season, it would be “meh.” Beathard averaged just over 200 yards per game and had four touchdowns against six picks. It wasn’t all Beathard’s fault. The 49er offensive line was simply atrocious. But Beathard wasn’t that great himself. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 34th QB this year, which is right about where he played. He wasn’t really great, but he wasn’t terrible.
Like I said, “meh.”
What does the future now hold for Beathard? Well, with Garoppolo’s massive contract extension, Beathard doesn’t have a path to start with the 49ers. His only option is to continue to develop and eventually sign with another team or stay with the 49ers as a career backup. Either way, he has to get better.
Here’s why that’ll matter for the 49ers.
What C.J. Beathard’s development does for the 49ers
Before we begin to get into the impact of Beathard’s development, we need to see what exactly he will be developing. What exactly does this development entail? Well, for Beathard, this year will be all about improving his weaknesses and showing growth as a player.
NFL.com’s scouting report of Beathard had this to say about his weaknesses entering the NFL:
"Hesitation is a noticeable issue. Often late to pull trigger on throws toward the sideline, forcing receivers into boundary and out of the catch. Slow field scanner who tends to lock into a single side. Too much eyeballing and not enough manipulating. Poor feel for pocket pressure. Two-year sack total of 58 is too high in play-action attack. Deep-ball accuracy has been terrible. Completed under 30 percent of throws beyond 20 yards in last two seasons at Iowa. Completed just 43 percent of throws beyond line of scrimmage to right sideline."
As you saw this last year, most of these problems were accurate. Beathard was always indecisive with his throws and struggled mightily with deep-ball accuracy. This year will be about showing how much he has learned, mentally, and how much he has advanced, physically.
The Short Term
In the immediate short term, the only reason why Beathard’s development would be important is in case of a Garoppolo injury.
That would be all our reactions. As much as we would hope that Jimmy G will never get hurt, eventually the injury bug strikes everyone. While starting for the Patriots during Brady’s four-game suspension in 2016, he got injured in the second game, eventually being out for around six weeks, so there is an injury history. If the 49ers are serious about contending this year, Beathard needs to be able to adequately fill in for Jimmy G.
He won’t have to play.
San Francisco 49ers
The Long Term
The reason why Beathard’s development is crucial to the 49ers is that he would unlock so many possibilities for the team. As I mentioned previously, there are only a few options available to Beathard. He would either be stuck with the 49ers as an overpaid backup QB, or he could try his luck elsewhere in the league, leaving the 49ers empty handed.
At its core, running a football team is like running a business. You invest in ideas or products, and you try to make a profit. This is the way legendary coaches like Bill Walsh, Bill Belichick and other coaches not named Bill thought.
Let’s think like that for a second. The 49ers essentially invested a third-round pick in Beathard. If he stays with the team, they don’t gain or lose anything, really. They break even. If Beathard leaves the team in three years, they lose on their investment. But if Beathard gets traded, like Garoppolo or the other examples listed above were, the 49ers could probably get a higher pick than the one they used. They turned a profit.
This is why Beathard’s development becomes so crucial for the 49ers. If Beathard can show how much he’s improved over the course of a year, his trade value goes sky high. Then, the 49ers hold all the cards. If they want to hold onto Beathard, they can. But teams, like how the Niners were a year ago, would come calling offering picks in order to grab Beathard.
Let’s say Beathard becomes like McCarron. That seems to be a reasonable estimate. McCarron was worth a second- and a third-round pick to the Browns. If the 49ers received a second- and third-round pick for Beathard, the Niners’ investment would have to be considered a huge success.
Next: 49ers seek improvement from Jimmy Garoppolo’s backup, C.J. Beathard
This is the NFL we now live in. Having a quarterback is the difference from being a Super Bowl contender to a bottom feeder.
Hopefully, the 49ers will be able to control which teams get one.