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Heading into the NFL offseason, the San Francisco 49ers have 38 players vying for unrestricted free agency. Two of them play the most crucial position in football.
Substitute quarterbacks Nick Mullens and CJ Beathard’s contracts have expired, emphasizing GM John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan adding a flagman this offseason.
We’ve heard rumors that the 49ers are already linked with a few quarterbacks, but Matthew Stafford is now with the Los Angeles Rams and Deshaun Watson is staying with the Houston Texans. The New York Jets could also drop from Sam Darnold, No. 3 overall in 2018.
Until we hear otherwise, Jimmy Garoppolo remains the San Francisco starter. The Niners have re-signed Josh Rosen and also have Josh Johnson under contract for next season.
Why is it important for the 49ers to seek to bring in another veteran to replace Garoppolo?
On the one hand, the 29-year-old’s durability has been called into question after missing the majority of two of the three previous seasons. Garoppolo tore his ACL in Week 3 of the 2018 season and suffered multiple ankle injuries that forced him to miss 10 games in 2020.
Second, we saw the results without Jimmy G in the lineup. Mullens got a big chunk of the starts with Garoppolo sidelined and ended the campaign 2-6. Mullens completed 64.7% of his passes for 2,437 yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. While his stats seem respectable, Mullens was responsible for several grueling turnovers that led to losses in San Francisco.
The 25-year-old had a tough three-game streak from Week 13 to Week 15 where he made seven turnovers that gave the opposition 34 points. Pro Football Focus gave Mullens a 56.9 rating over the season, placing 38th out of 40 qualifying quarterbacks. His adjusted yards per attempt were 6.6 and he finished the year with a QBR of 44.4.
Beathard started the last two games of the regular season, helping the 49ers beat the Arizona Cardinals in Week 16 before losing the final to the Seattle Seahawks. The third round of 2017 completed 66 of 104 passes for 787 yards, six touchdowns and zero interceptions. Beathard’s attempt adjusted yards were higher than Mullens at 8.7 and he had a QBR of 53.4.
None of the quarterbacks have done enough to show they should definitely be brought back for the 2021 season. With Garoppolo’s injury history and a healthy top-of-the-league roster, Shanahan and Lynch could be looking to propose. a veteran option as a replacement.
Here’s a look at some of the QBs that might be available on the open market:
The best QB on the market
Dak Prescott suffered a horrific leg injury in Week 5 while playing under the franchise label. Prescott will likely end up signing with the Dallas Cowboys again, and unless the Niners cut Garoppolo, his contract demands are way too rich for their blood.
Double threat options
Mitchell Trubisky’s tumultuous period with the Chicago Bears may be coming to an end. The Bears declined to pick the fifth-year option for the second overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Trubisky was benched after Week 3 in favor of Nick Foles, but reclaimed the starting position when the veteran was injured in Week 10. Trubisky has led Chicago to a 3-1 record in the last four games and helped the franchise sneak into the playoffs.
Jacoby Brissett was Phil Rivers’ replacement at Indy and could re-sign with the Colts to back up the newly acquired Carson Wentz. Brissett helped Indianapolis to a 5-2 start in 2019, but went on to lose seven of the last seven games,
Cam Newton seems to be one with the Patriots. While Newton can still play with his feet (he ran 592 yards and 12 touchdowns), his arm skills are no longer close to what they used to be. The former NFL MVP wouldn’t be a perfect fit for Shanahan’s attack and his best days are definitely behind him.
Robert Griffin III was Lamar Jackson’s replacement with the Baltimore Ravens and had a history with Shanahan. The duo spent two seasons together in Washington, where Griffin won the 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Tyrod Taylor was expected to be the Los Angeles Chargers starter until a mistake by a team coach caused veteran to lose his job to rookie Justin Herbert. The 32-year-old is 24-22-1 as a starter since 2011.
The retread veteran
Ryan Fitzpatrick helped the Miami Dolphins win five of the nine games he’s been in, but head coach Brian Flores has ultimately given the keys to 2020 first-round pick Tua Tagovailoa. The 39-year-old has shown he can still play, as we saw firsthand when he played the Niners (and cornerback Brian Allen) for 350 yards and three touchdowns in Week 5. Fitzpatrick could be an attractive option for a team looking for a bridge quarterback. He was disappointed with how things turned out in Miami and could consider becoming a starter in 2021.
Andy Dalton was put in action for the Cowboys after the fall of Prescott. The Red Rocket appeared in 11 games and finished with 2,169 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and eight picks. The 33-year-old has a career record of 74-66-2.
Some of the other names that should be available during the offseason include Joe Flacco, Matt Barkley, Mike Glennon, Blake Bortles, and Blaine Gabbert.
There is also an intriguing younger option. Brandon Allen spent the 2020 season with the Cincinnati Bengals. The 28-year-old went 1-4 after the fall of Joe Burrow, completing 63.4% of his passes for 925 yards, five touchdowns and four picks.
San Francisco is well positioned to be a contender next season with Garoppolo as a starter. The 49ers have won 72.7% of their games (including the playoffs) that Garoppolo has started since joining the squad in 2017.
But the health concerns are quite valid considering he has missed 23 games in the past three seasons. With a roster that includes high-end talent like Nick Bosa, George Kittle, Fred Warner, Deebo Samuel and potentially Trent Williams, Lynch and Shanahan would be wise to add a reliable backup.
If the Niners sign a veteran free agency QB, which available player do you think is the best choice?
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