The 49ers missed out on their first opportunity to trade Jimmy Garoppolo at the start of the league new year, but the 2022 NFL Draft could present another chance to do so.
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have to feel at least a bit frustrated they weren’t able to engineer a trade for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo ahead of the 2022 league new year on March 16.
According to Lynch, there were talks with other teams. Yet no actual offer for the Niners’ veteran signal-caller materialized. And as the swarm of quarterbacking dominos began to fall across the rest of the NFL, many teams turning to other plans, San Francisco was effectively stuck with Garoppolo.
For the time being.
Sure, there’s a notion the 49ers will hold onto Jimmy G (and his near-$27 million salary) for the entirety of 2022 despite the need to foster second-year pro quarterback Trey Lance‘s maturation process.
That’s probably folly, though.
Nevertheless, and in spite of the fact few teams would want to issue top returns for a 30-year-old middle-of-the-road and oft-injured quarterback, the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft does present an opportunity for the Niners to try again.
This year’s quarterbacking class isn’t overly talented or deep, yet a number of teams could potentially seek quarterback help, assuming they’re in a position to land one.
If not, however, San Francisco might consider using Garoppolo as part of a draft-day trade package. He might not get a top pick in return outright, but moving Garoppolo on the day of the draft could potentially assist Lynch and Co. with any draft-day maneuvering.
Here are three scenarios in which that could take place.
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.
Jimmy Garoppolo NFL Draft trade partner No. 2: Atlanta Falcons
Considering how tough the AFC is going to be this season and for the foreseeable future, a stopgap option like Jimmy Garoppolo may not appease the Texans. They may instead look at a foundational rebuild first, then worry about a signal-caller later.
The NFC, meanwhile, is a much easier conference to compete in, and the NFC South is wide open aside from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers getting quarterback Tom Brady out of retirement after only a few short weeks.
Sure, the Atlanta Falcons engineered two major transactions here, sending quarterback Matt Ryan away to the Indianapolis Colts while eating $40.5 million in dead money to do so. This was followed by a free-agent pickup of former Las Vegas Raiders backup Marcus Mariota, which at least seems to signal the Falcons are no longer on the quarterback market.
In an ideal world, Atlanta would use its top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft on a prospect quarterback, perhaps the likes of Liberty’s Malik Willis. At No. 8 overall, though, it’s just as possible Willis doesn’t fall that far, and some of the other backup plans fall through, too, meaning the Falcons are stuck with Mariota for 2022.
That’s not terrible in itself, aside from the fact Mariota has quite the extensive injury history.
The Niners may have to absorb some of Garoppolo’s contract, or the Falcons may have to immediately restructure a deal to take on Jimmy G’s deal because of cap issues.
Either way, Atlanta can’t be solely content on Mariota, meaning a Garoppolo deal involving San Francisco trading up from Round 5 into Round 3 should be on the discussion table.
Jimmy Garoppolo NFL Draft trade partner No. 1: Carolina Panthers
Go bold, right?
The Carolina Panthers are arguably the last suitor for Jimmy Garoppolo’s services entering NFL Draft season. Armed with the No. 6 overall pick in the draft, though, they can afford to wait and see how Round 1 plays out.
However, the same X-factor potentially impacting the Falcons applies here. What if a prospect like Malik Willis doesn’t fall that far? And with no other likable options aside from incumbent quarterback Sam Darnold, could Carolina head coach Matt Rhule act out of desperation if there aren’t any other workable possibilities in a weak quarterbacking draft class?
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Perhaps. But with zero picks between No. 6 overall and the Panthers’ next selection, late in Round 4, Rhule has to focus on quantity more than quality to reboost a roster that largely unimpressed a season ago.
The 49ers, meanwhile, have the opposite focus: quality over quantity. John Lynch wouldn’t mind at all sending away the Niners’ first three picks of the draft, plus Garoppolo, to Carolina to net a top-10 selection.
The Panthers would get an upgrade over Darnold and some additional much-needed draft capital, while San Francisco would get a dream shot of a top pick in Round 1.
Likely? No. But it won’t mean Lynch avoids making the phone call.