Jimmy Garoppolo: 3 draft-day trades potentially involving 49ers QB
By Peter Panacy
Jimmy Garoppolo NFL Draft trade partner No. 3: Houston Texans
The Houston Texans appear poised to ride things out with second-year pro quarterback Davis Mills entering 2022. And amid what still looks to be a lengthy rebuild for Houston this upcoming season, one figures general manager Nick Caserio will need each one of his 11 picks for this year’s NFL Draft, which include two in the top 15.
Those are going to be off limits to the 49ers, of course. But with a relatively high pick in Round 2, No. 37 overall, it’s not off the table to suggest the Niners look to move up from their own spot in the same round, No. 61 overall.
Caserio and Jimmy Garoppolo have a working relationship from their days together with the New England Patriots, and Caserio no doubt witnessed how Garoppolo helped transform a San Francisco squad in the first year of its own rebuild, 2017.
More importantly, with $23.5 million in available cap space, according to Over the Cap, only some minor roster jockeying would be required to free up the necessary money to take on Garoppolo’s $25.5 million post-trade salary for this season, all the while still giving Mills the chance to compete for a starting job.
Or, at the very least, have a playoff-experienced veteran in the folds as a mentor.
The 49ers probably wouldn’t settle for a mere trade-up in the round, though, meaning the Texans may have to toss in a day-three pick.
Let’s go with a Round 4 selection for this exercise.