49ers depth chart: Analyzing the landscape at quarterback

The quarterback market (if 49ers trade Trey Lance)

If Trey Lance is traded and the Niners either miss out on Tom Brady or decide to pass on him, then the question is which veteran quarterback will the team target.

It’s unlikely (though not impossible) San Francisco will invest draft picks on one, either in the draft or via trade, so the free-agent market is likely the place to look.

The 49ers aren’t exactly contenders to go after the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson if he does make it to the market, so the question is what quarterbacks are available who are dependable backups and can also safely “hold down the fort” if called upon.

And let’s face it, the team has had to call on backups to hold the fort a lot more than most teams.

There are three names on the free-agent list that fit this mold and could be a source of interest if the team goes down this route. Specifically, Gardner Minshew, Jacoby Brissett and Cooper Rush.

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All three quarterbacks aren’t talented enough to be full-time starters in this league, but they’ve done good jobs on talented teams when called upon, recently, and could be a perfect fit for San Francisco.

Even better, they’re not going to be prohibitively expensive either, making it a much more attractive proposition for a team that needs to make sure its own players get paid.

The quarterback landscape is an interesting one for San Francisco, and there’s certainly going to be no shortage of rumors surrounding the team for a while.