In a stunning move a month out from the draft — normally these moves coming in the week or two prior — the 49ers moved up from the 12th overall pick to 3rd with a blockbuster trade with the Dolphins.
The deal:
49ers get:
3rd overall pick
Dolphins get:
12th overall pick
2022 first-round pick
2023 first-round pick
2022 third-round pick
(The Dolphins then traded back to No. 6 with the Eagles ... but that's not germane to this discussion for now).
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1375501638564110339
The only thing the Patriots care about right now is what does this mean for 49ers starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo?
BSJ ANALYSIS
Schefter has also reported the following:
- "49ers now square in the QB mix, but are holding on to Jimmy Garoppolo and have no plans to trade him, per sources."
- 49ers' source today: "Jimmy is here to stay. He's our guy this year."
Do I think the 49ers have it in their mind that Garoppolo could be their starter this season? Yes, and we talked about why this morning, along with drafting a young QB:
Another league source cautioned that Shanahan may be unwilling to risk dealing Garoppolo because Shanahan may not survive another sub-.500 season. Yes, the 49ers were close to winning a Super Bowl two years ago. But another losing season in a tough division — the Rams and Cardinals have improved in the offseason, and the Seahawks are always there — would leave Shanahan with four losing seasons in his five years as a head coach. Other coaches have been fired for less (Shanahan’s former boss in Atlanta, Dan Quinn, was fired midway through his third losing season).
“He’s only won once, and that was with a healthy Garoppolo,” the source said. “Why would he risk that? Can he risk that?”
Of course, the first chapter in the book “How To Give Yourself A Few More Years Of NFL Job Security,” is dedicated to convincing the owner that drafting a young QB high is the only way to go, even though it might not work for a year or two.