San Francisco 49ers Get Their Franchise Quarterback
Before last Tuesday’s trade deadline, the San Francisco 49ers acquired highly sought after quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo from the New England Patriots for a second round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
The 49ers, who are in desperate need of a quarterback, tried to acquire Garoppolo during the offseason but were rejected by the Patriots.
With Garoppolo in the last year of his rookie contract, the Patriots had a choice of signing him to a long-term deal or risk losing him in free agency for nothing.
Since 40-year-old Tom Brady hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down this season, the Patriots eventually decided to part ways with the 25-year-old backup.
In the limited action Garoppolo saw as Brady’s backup, he completed 67 percent of his passes for 690 yards, 5 touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
With Garoppolo in the fold, the 49ers have a quarterback they feel can lead them back into the playoffs, which will change their approach to the upcoming draft.
Instead of using what is expected to be one of the top picks in the draft on an untested rookie, they can either use the selection to get the best player available, or trade the pick for more picks that will be used to fill the other holes on the team.
Even though the 49ers are still looking for their first win of the season, the franchise isn’t in a rush to get Garoppolo on the field. General Manger John Lynch said he wants Garoppolo to learn the offense and get comfortable in it before the team puts him on the field. Even though the quarterback position has been taken care of, the 49ers still have a lot of work to do before they can start thinking about making the playoffs.
The team needs to upgrade the offensive line and add some depth at the receiver position and that’s why Jimmy G is expected to start in Week 10. Defensively, their secondary also needs to be improved as well as their corps of linebackers.