49ers free agency: Team should steer clear of Andy Dalton

A report from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo linked the 49ers to free-agent quarterback Andy Dalton, yet that’s not exactly the best idea.

Veteran quarterback Andy Dalton in a San Francisco 49ers uniform in 2021?

It seems like that’s possible. At least according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, who reported the Niners were one of the teams in the hunt for the 33 year old who spent last season with the Dallas Cowboys.

NFL.com reported the following about San Francisco’s interest:

"The market for Andy Dalton is active on the second day of negotiating. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported the Chicago Bears “are in on” the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and the San Francisco 49ers are a “strong contender” to land him. In his first season in Dallas, and away from the Cincinnati Bengals, Dalton started nine of 11 games played, completing 64.9 percent of his passes and throwing for 2,170 yards, 14 TDs and 8 INTs."

49ers general manager John Lynch stressed the need to bulk up the depth behind his team’s current starting quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, this offseason in the wake of Jimmy G missing all but six games last year because of high-ankle sprains as well as the bulk of 2018 with a torn ACL.

And while it’s true, Dalton would have been an upgrade over the Niners’ two backup QBs last season, Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard, getting involved in any kind of bidding war for Dalton’s services in 2021 isn’t exactly productive.

According to Over the Cap, San Francisco has just over $20 million in cap space, which doesn’t include the restructuring of EDGE Dee Ford’s contract. OTC pegged Dalton’s 2020 contract valuation at $9.95 million, meaning he could look to command a number around that figure on a would-be free-agent deal.

And while a team like the 49ers or Bears could sign him for a two-year contract, mostly backloaded to account for the diminished salary cap this season, spending that kind of money on a merely so-so quarterback poised for a backup role doesn’t make much sense in terms of the annual average value.

49ers should invest in quarterbacks via the NFL Draft instead

The Niners seem committed to Garoppolo for 2021. That much is apparent, at least right now. But it doesn’t mean Lynch and Co. should merely hand over the reins to Garoppolo without some competition.

Currently, the only other signal-callers inked into the new league year are Josh Johnson and Josh Rosen. But a rookie grabbed in April’s NFL Draft, particularly one taken over the first three rounds, could put some pressure on Garoppolo to hold the starting spot. And with San Francisco not exactly committed to Jimmy G beyond 2022 when his contract runs out, that could be valuable development for any rookie this season.

More importantly, it makes sense from the financial vantage point, too.

The one problem going with a high-priced veteran, which Dalton is assumed to be, is the 49ers spending roughly $9 million or $10 million on an average annual value for a backup while also committing over $26 million to Garoppolo in 2021.

Even if the Niners could stand for a competent backup, dishing out that kind of cash for Dalton wouldn’t be a wise move from the Niners’ vantage point.