Shanahan: 49ers Comfortable With 3 Quarterbacks In Draft
The 49ers spent the past three weeks trying to trade up in the draft, finally securing a deal with the Dolphins to climb to No. 3 overall. Kyle Shanahan addressed the trade, confirming it was indeed to draft a quarterback.
“We looked at how our four years have gone and we looked at how we want the next four years to go and we looked at where we’re at in the draft and the options that are there,’ Shanahan said, via NFL.com. “And that’s why sitting there looking at this stuff since January and going all the way through the process, we felt pretty strongly we were gonna be left at the altar sitting there at 12.”
This move comes despite the Jets’ plans not being fully known. While Urban Meyer essentially confirmed the Jaguars will draft Trevor Lawrence first overall, the Jets will either trade the pick or trade Sam Darnold. Increased noise on option B, with the Jets then taking BYU’s Zach Wilson, has emerged in recent days.
[RELATED: Who will 49ers draft at No. 3 overall?]
The 49ers appear to be fine with selecting the third quarterback in this draft. Shanahan said the team is comfortable with three of the quarterback prospects being the long-term answer, adding that the Nos. 4 and 5 options would also have potential to elevate the team (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner). Shanahan expects the draft’s top five QBs to be drafted earlier than most currently anticipate. No draft has begun with four straight passers being chosen, but that possibility is live this year. Picking in the top five for the first time since they drafted Matt Ryan, the Falcons have a chance to select the 35-year-old’s heir apparent at No. 4.
With Lawrence and Wilson expected to be gone by the time the 49ers pick, they are likely going to draft either Justin Fields, Trey Lance or Mac Jones. Interestingly, Jones and Fields’ pro days are both Tuesday. Shanahan and John Lynch will attend Jones’, with the 49ers sending other staffers to Fields’, Peter King of NBC Sports notes. Assistant GM Adam Peters will be in Columbus for Fields’ pro day, per Wagoner, who adds that Shanahan plans to meet with the ex-Buckeyes standout at some point. Shanahan and Lynch did not attend Wilson’s or Lance’s, with the 49ers not wanting to arouse suspicion of their plans (Twitter link via SI.com’s Albert Breer). Shanahan also plans to meet with Lance.
While Shanahan said anyone on the 49ers could be traded, the team thus far wants to keep Jimmy Garoppolo around this season. The 49ers have become the latest team to mention the Chiefs’ Alex Smith-to-Patrick Mahomes transition. Shanahan said it will be difficult for the 49ers to find a quarterback better equipped to lead the team to wins this season, per Wagoner (on Twitter).
“We went to ownership and said, ‘Hey, things are looking good. We’d like to make this move, but we also don’t want to say goodbye to Jimmy,” Lynch said. “We’ve shown we can get to a Super Bowl with him. We can play at a high level and we don’t think those two things have to be mutually exclusive.”
Two years remain on Garoppolo’s contract. He is set to count $26.4MM against San Francisco’s cap this season. The 49ers could trade their incumbent starter and incur less than $3MM in dead money. The Patriots, who sent Garoppolo to the 49ers in 2017, may be interested.
Latest On 49ers’ Trade, QB Plans
The 49ers pulled off a stunner this past week when they traded with the Dolphins to move up to the third overall pick in next month’s draft. It was a move with significant implications that will have a domino effect around the rest of the league.
Now we’ve got some more details on how exactly the blockbuster went down and San Francisco’s plans moving forward, courtesy of Albert Breer of SI.com. Interestingly, although we heard the 49ers and Jets didn’t have talks about a trade for the second overall pick, the 49ers “did have some internal discussion” about Sam Darnold, Breer writes. It’s confirmation that after missing out on Matthew Stafford, San Francisco still was mulling other veteran options before ultimately opting to roll with a rookie.
Breer also writes that the 49ers’ scouts gave management a “bleak” picture of the 2022 quarterback class, reinforcing the need to make a move in this draft cycle rather than next. The 49ers and Dolphins started talking trade “about three weeks ago,” and the talks were kept a tight secret.
Other teams inquired about trading for the third pick, and those other teams “were told only that Miami had a strong offer for it,” but not from whom. Breer confirms the Patriots inquired about Jimmy Garoppolo earlier this offseason, but still says that Garoppolo isn’t available in a trade.
That’s in large part because San Francisco “believes it has a championship roster,” and doesn’t want to give the keys over to a rookie blindly before even seeing them in practice. It sounds like if whatever quarterback the 49ers draft at three comes in and looks great during OTAs and training camp, then Garoppolo could be moved over the summer, which Breer speculates about as well.
No matter what happens next, it was a bold move by Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch. We won’t know the full scope of the fallout for quite some time.
49ers DL Kevin Givens Charged With Assault
49ers defensive lineman Kevin Givens is facing an assault charge arising from an alleged incident that took place in Baltimore on February 21, as Michael Williams of the San Francisco Chronicle writes.
According to an affidavit signed by the alleged victim, Hayden Bosley, Givens and Bosley were at a Sheraton hotel in Baltimore with several other friends. Bosley says that Givens became upset with the other members of the group, and ultimately the two men got into an altercation that culminated with Givens tackling Bosley, resulting in black eyes, scrapes, and four hours in the emergency room.
The details are a bit fuzzy, but court records indicate that a trial date is set for April 26. The 49ers have said that they are gathering facts and will continue to monitor the situation.
Givens, a 2019 UDFA out of Penn State, appeared in just one game in his rookie campaign after spending most of the year on the practice squad. But he played a much larger role last season, seeing time in 13 games (one start) while accumulating 19 tackles and a sack. He served as the primary backup to D.J. Jones, who recently re-signed with the 49ers and who offered some high praise for Givens.
“I look up to Kevin Givens,” Jones said. “Nobody’s talking about him, but they will be soon.”
As a recent UDFA who has yet to truly establish himself in the league, Givens can ill-afford a criminal charge of any kind. If the accusations have any veracity, his spot on the 49ers, and perhaps even his playing career, could be in jeopardy.
Poll: Who Will 49ers Draft At No. 3?
Trevor Lawrence has been expected to lead off the draft for a while now, while the Jets’ connection to BYU’s Zach Wilson continues to gain steam. Although the Jets are not a lock to move on from Sam Darnold and take Wilson, they appear to be on the doorstep of such a consensus. The draft suspense may, then, begin with the 49ers.
Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have each endorsed Jimmy Garoppolo as the planned 2021 starter, and the 49ers are sending out signals they do not expect to trade their incumbent passer. But the team parted with tremendous future draft capital to climb nine spots to No. 3 overall. The 49ers should be widely expected to draft a quarterback in the first round for the first time since they chose Alex Smith first overall in 2005. Which one will they select?
Only two drafts — 1971 and 1999 — have begun with three consecutive teams taking quarterbacks. With the Falcons connected to choosing a Matt Ryan heir apparent, this draft could be the first to start with four straight QBs. Should Lawrence and Wilson head to the Jaguars and Jets, the 49ers will have their pick of seemingly Justin Fields, Trey Lance or Mac Jones. With a Garoppolo trade seemingly now in play, one of these three could have the keys to the San Francisco’s offense as soon as this coming season.
Fields has resided on this tier the longest, being the 1B option to Lawrence going into the 2020 season. Dwayne Haskins‘ Ohio State successor did not do too much to ding his stock, even though multiple choppy performances did occur this past season. Fields boasted a 41-3 TD-INT ratio in 2019 and dominated in the Buckeyes’ rout of Clemson in the College Football Playoff this past season. That said, Hall of Fame scout Gil Brandt does not expect the 49ers to go with Fields, whom some teams have well outside the top 10 on their respective boards.
Fields’ final college QB opponent, Jones has received glowing endorsements from soon-to-be first-round picks DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle. The ex-Crimson Tide pass catchers preferred Jones to the Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa, and the former completed a stunning 77% of his passes, averaged 11.2 yards per attempt and finished a 13-game season with 41 touchdown passes. Scouts Inc., however, has the less mobile Jones well below Fields and Lance, slotting the one-year Alabama starter 28th overall.
Scouts Inc. rates Lance as this draft’s third-best QB prospect, placing him 12th (to Fields’ 13th position). The North Dakota State prodigy profiles as one of the strangest prospects to ever land on the top-10 radar. Division I-FCS players typically do not enter drafts early; Lance put his name in this year’s draft after one full season as the Bison’s starter. While that season featured eye-popping production (28 TD passes, no INTs, 1,100 rushing yards) and resulted in North Dakota State’s latest title, a team using a top-five pick on an FCS prospect with one season of experience and no Scouting Combine to further judge him would be a historic move.
Where will the 49ers go at No. 3? How will they proceed with Garoppolo and his $26.4MM cap number? Vote in PFR’s latest poll (link for app users) and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
Who will the 49ers draft at No. 3 overall?
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Justin Fields 34% (2,054)
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Trey Lance 33% (1,976)
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Mac Jones 15% (911)
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Zach Wilson 14% (858)
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A non-quarterback (specify in comments) 5% (274)
Total votes: 6,073
49ers To Sign LB Nathan Gerry
Nathan Gerry is heading west. The veteran linebacker is signing with the 49ers, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes (subscription required). John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia was first with the news (via Twitter).
The 2017 fifth-round pick out of Nebraska had spent his entire career with the Eagles, appearing in 46 regular-season games and six postseason games (including three during Philly’s 2017 run to a Super Bowl championship). After serving as mostly a backup during his first two years in the pros, Gerry started 12 of his 16 contests in 2019, finishing with 78 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions (including a pick-six), and five QB hits.
The 26-year-old started each of his seven games in 2020, collecting 57 tackles, one sack, and four tackles for loss. He was placed on injured reserve in late October with an ankle injury, ending his season.
The 49ers seem set at linebacker with Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw and Azeez Al-Shaair, so Gerry will likely have to settle into a backup role on defense. He’ll probably play a bigger role on special teams; he logged 834 special teams snaps for the Eagles over his four years with the team.
49ers To Sign WR Mohamed Sanu
Mohamed Sanu is heading back to San Francisco. The veteran wide receiver is signing a one-year deal with the 49ers, agent Mike McCartney announced on Twitter.
Sanu played in three games for the 49ers during the 2020 campaign, hauling in a single nine-yard catch. He was released in early October and ultimately caught on with the Lions. After earning a promotion from the practice squad in late November, Sanu proceeded to appear in seven games (four starts) for Detroit, catching 16 passes for 178 yards and one score.
While the veteran will be 32 by the start of the 2021 campaign, he’s still only two years removed from a career year in Atlanta. During that 2018 season, Sanu finished with 66 receptions for 838 yards and four touchdowns. He was traded to the Patriots for a second-rounder during the 2019 season, but did little during his half-season stint in New England.
Following the 49ers blockbuster trade yesterday, it’s uncertain whether a rookie or Jimmy Garoppolo will be under center for the 49ers next season. Regardless, Sanu should provide the team with some nice depth at receiver behind 2020 first-rounder Brandon Aiyuk and 2019 second-rounder Deebo Samuel. Sanu will compete with the likes of Richie James Jr., Jalen Hurd, Jauan Jennings, and veteran Travis Benjamin for playing time.
NFL Contract Details: Fuller, Ford, Barr, Pats
As free agency’s second wave continues, here are the latest contract details from around the league:
- 49ers DE Dee Ford: Two years, $24MM. $11.6MM guaranteed, with $4.6MM of that sum due in 2022, David Lombardi and Matt Barrows of The Athletic note (subscription required). Ford’s 2021 guarantees ($7MM) include a $4MM base salary. Ford’s contract also includes a void year (2023).
- Dolphins WR Will Fuller: One year, $10.63MM. Contract maxes out at $13.63MM, with $3MM available in performance-based incentives, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Fuller will receive a $9.6MM signing bonus and is due a $990K base salary.
- Vikings LB Anthony Barr: One year, fully guaranteed $9.4MM. $8.4MM signing bonus, $1MM base salary. Barr’s cap number will drop to $6.1MM. Contract includes $3MM in sack-based incentives and features two void years, per the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling (all Twitter links).
- Patriots T Trent Brown: Fully guaranteed $6.5MM base salary, up to $2MM in per-game roster bonuses, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Contract can climb to $11MM based on the roster bonuses, $1MM for 90% playing time, $1MM for a Pro Bowl nod and $500K in weight incentives. Brown must stay under 380 pounds, Vic Tafur of The Athletic tweets.
- Bills DE Mario Addison: $4.1MM base salary in 2021, $3.25MM of that is guaranteed, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic tweets. Addison is also due a $1.9MM roster bonus. His contract will now void after 2021.
- Colts T Sam Tevi: One year, $2.51MM. $1MM guaranteed, $1.5MM base salary. The deal also includes $1MM in playing-time incentives, Wilson tweets.
49ers, Jets Did Not Discuss No. 2 Pick
The 49ers’ decision to trade multiple future first-round picks to move up to No. 3 overall concluded a weekslong process, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that San Francisco held trade talks with both Atlanta and Cincinnati for their respective top-five selections (Nos. 4 and 5 overall, respectively).
However, the Jets and 49ers did not discuss the No. 2 overall pick, according to Schefter. Despite the high cost, the 49ers opted to move as high as they could in this draft. Having turned to ex-49ers coaches to help ignite a rebuild, the Jets have been connected to BYU quarterback Zach Wilson with that choice. The Jets attended Wilson’s pro day Friday, and Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area notes John Lynch was present at the Provo, Utah, showcase as well. (Interestingly, Jaguars HC Urban Meyer did not, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets.)
While GM Joe Douglas may still trade the pick and go with Sam Darnold, the reality Corey Davis said he signed up for, quarterbacks are a near-certainty to go first and second overall. With the 49ers making this move, QBs should be expected to go first, second and third for the first time since 1999 (Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb, Akili Smith).
The Jets chose Darnold third overall in 2018 but saw the once-coveted quarterback regress last season, and the team has not seen the USC product justify the previous regime’s investment. Douglas not being with the Jets when they chose Darnold figures to be important here. The 49ers trading up points to the team believing the Jets will draft Wilson second, Brian Costello of the New York Post writes, leaving Justin Fields, Trey Lance or Mac Jones — among QBs — on the board after the Jaguars and Jets make their respective picks.
Douglas keeping Darnold and trading out of that draft slot would open the door to another team trading up to No. 2 and potentially leaving Wilson on the board, should the trading-up franchise prefer one of the other QBs. However, Wilson-to-New York has become the most likely scenario after the Jags begin the draft with Trevor Lawrence.
Regardless of where Wilson goes in the draft, the Dolphins trading out of the No. 3 slot almost certainly means the rest of the non-Jags/Jets/49ers contingent will be down to two of these passers. The Falcons have been connected to quarterbacks as well. No draft has started with four straight QBs going off the board.
49ers To Host S Tony Jefferson On Visit
Tony Jefferson has not played in a game since October 2019, when an ACL tear sidetracked his career. But after missing the entire 2020 season, the veteran safety is planning to play in 2021.
The 49ers will meet with Jefferson about a comeback, with veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson tweeting the sides will visit at some point within the next three weeks. The former Cardinals and Ravens defender is arranging visits, per Anderson.
Regarded as one of the league’s better safeties prior to his knee injury, Jefferson was not permitted to make visits during the 2020 offseason. The Ravens released him in February 2020. While he did end up meeting with the Colts during the season, nothing materialized from that summit. Jefferson is unlikely to come close to the value of the four-year, $34MM deal he inked with the Ravens in 2017, but he is still just 29 and has five-plus seasons’ worth of starting experience.
A fit with San Francisco would point Jefferson to a depth role. The 49ers have Jimmie Ward signed long-term, and the team just reached an agreement to re-sign Jaquiski Tartt.
Dolphins Trade No. 3 Pick To 49ers, Send No. 12 To Eagles
The Dolphins have agreed to trade the No. 3 overall pick to the 49ers for the No. 12 pick, a 2021 third-rounder, and first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). The Niners may use the choice to select their next quarterback, though sources tell Schefter that Jimmy Garoppolo will be staying put. 
Meanwhile, the Dolphins quickly pivoted towards another blockbuster of their own, dealing that No. 12 overall choice, No. 123, and a 2022 first-round pick to the Eagles in exchange for Nos. 6 and 156. In effect, the Dolphins secured future first-round ammo in exchange for moving from No. 3 to No. 6. From here, the can use their bevy of picks to build around Tua Tagovailoa — or swing another blockbuster for a veteran QB.
The 49ers are moving to No. 3 with the expectation that the Jaguars will take Trevor Lawrence first overall. At No. 2, many believe the Jets will go QB as well — perhaps BYU’s Zach Wilson or Ohio State’s Justin Fields. After that, the Niners would have their pick of the litter. Even if Garoppolo remains, they could weigh Wilson or Fields (depending on which is still available), North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, or Alabama’s Mac Jones.
At No. 12, the Eagles are unlikely to have most of those QBs on the table. By dropping six spots, it appears that the Eagles are ready to move forward with Jalen Hurts in 2021. They also have a 2022 first-round pick — the Dolphins’ original choice – that they can use to fill other gaps. The Birds have been connected to Wilson for a while. But, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport explains (Twitter link), GM Howie Roseman ultimately felt that adding a future first-rounder would be better for the team in the long run.