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Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the San Francisco 49ers have struck a trade deal with the Miami Dolphins for the 3rd overall pick in the upcoming 2021 draft.
In return, the Dolphins will receive the 49ers 12th overall pick in the 2021 draft, as well as San Francisco’s 2022 third-round pick (Schefter initially said that it would be 2021’s third-round pick, but this has since been proved wrong) and two future first-round picks, one in 2022 and one in 2023.
Free agency fallout
All the moves the 49ers made in free agency signified the team’s intentions to ‘win now’.
Future Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams was re-signed for six years, but outside of the Williams deal, the 49ers made a litany of short-term moves focused around one-year contracts with the clear intent to win a Super Bowl this season.
For example, the 49ers recently re-signed nickel cornerback K’Waun Williams to a one-year deal. Moreover, the 49ers brought back strong safety Jaquiski Tartt cornerback Jason Verrett defensive tackle D.J. Jones and pass-rushing linebacker Jordan Willis, all to one-year deals.
It’s safe to say that the 49ers navigated the tight 2021 salary cap by bringing back key defensive players on short-term one-year contracts.
With the 49ers in ‘win now’ mode, it was unlikely that the team was going to go all-in to draft a rookie quarterback this year. Never in the history of the NFL has a rookie led their team to a Super Bowl – and even now, after news of the deal has broken, I don’t think a rookie will win a Super Bowl in San Francisco.
The Garoppolo conundrum
Per Adam Schefter, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told media that Jimmy Garoppolo is still the 49ers guy this year.
While a lot of hot air is put into the atmosphere this time of year from NFL clubhouses, there’s reason to believe that Shanahan will stay true to his word.
As mentioned before, the 49ers roster is very much in ‘win now’ mode. On the offensive side of the ball, veteran centre Alex Mack was recently brought in on a one-year deal. Full-back Kyle Juczcsyk was re-signed to a contract extension.
Continuity was the name of the game for general manager John Lynch and Shanahan.
The 49ers are 22-8 with Garoppolo versus being 7-26 without him. Garoppolo is one overthrow to Emmanuel Sanders away from being a Super Bowl champion with the Niners. Injury wrecked his 2020 campaign and, when healthy, Garoppolo was one of the main contributors on a team that stormed their way to the Super Bowl and was 10 points on top of the Chiefs entering the fourth quarter.
The plan of attack for the 49ers brain trust is going to be to draft one of either Zach Wilson out of BYU, Justin Fields out of Ohio State or Trey Lance out of North Dakota State. Once the rookie is in the building, they will sit and learn behind Garoppolo, and most importantly, get acclimated to Shanahan’s offence.
The most exciting outcome of this trade is the realisation that Kyle Shanahan will now, finally, have a top rookie quarterback prospect to nurture and develop.
Now it’s time for 49ers fan everywhere to do their research on one of Lance, Fields or Wilson, because one of them will be wearing the red and gold come draft night.
