With no significant changes visible at the quarterback, the 49ers’ early free agency moves have supported the confidence that head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch expressed in quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo during the off-season.
While there has been some speculation that they might bring in backup through trade or a free agency to compete with Garoppolo on some level, no such move was made. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jacoby Brissett, Cam Newton, and Jameis Winston all got deals and opportunities to start. The only rumors that San Francisco was interested was in former Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky, who signed a one-year deal with the Bills. Their only reported rapprochement with a signal caller was an in-person visit with veteran QB Joe Flacco.
Barring a trade or a major rise on the board on concept day day, it looks like Garoppolo has a stranglehold on the runway.
Rather than trying to find a player to push Garoppolo, San Francisco has taken steps to protect him and restore a defense capable of winning a championship.
They left Trent Williams tackling a record-breaking contract that makes him the highest paid offensive lineman in the league. They also added six-time Pro Bowl center Alex Mack to a three-year deal that will bolster a shoddy interior offensive line that has gotten the 49ers into trouble for the past few seasons. Keeping Garoppolo healthy is key, and keeping him afloat will go a long way towards getting there.
San Francisco has also re-signed fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who is one of the keys to unlocking the run game that makes the 49ers’ attack so dangerous. Versatility and deception allow runners to find wide open holes and run pass catchers free – both things that make life easier on a quarterback who might need a little help playing.
While they have made no other significant additions to the attack, they have re-signed cornerbacks Emmanuel Moseley and Jason Verrett, who plan to enter training camp as the outside starters. The 49ers also beefed up their pass rush with hyper-athletic edge rusher Samson Ebukam, providing depth on the edge and a possible replacement for Dee Ford should the often-injured defensive ending become unavailable.
There are a few more tweaks to do before the 49ers have a roster that can legitimately compete for a Super Bowl this year. They need better depth on a wide receiver, still need some extra help with the corner back, and more depth in the trenches wouldn’t hurt either side of the ball.
If they can tick all those boxes this off-season and stay healthy, it is not out of the question that they will compete for a championship again when Garoppolo starts below center.
The truth is, they’ve put together a squad that can win with a player like him barking those signals. It combines an explosive attack with a host of passers that are the specialty meters after the catch.
This is a team that can win, even if their quarterback has shortcomings. There will be pieces of the passing attack missing and some frustrating pockets and sales because of what Garoppolo is missing, but the organization clearly believes they can win with him this year. Everything they’ve said and every off-season move, they’ve backed that up.
On the other hand, there is still time for the club to make a splash. Texan quarterback Deshaun Watson still wants a trade, although he is now under investigation by the NFL for violating the league’s personal behavior policy. The Jets were also able to trade quarterback Sam Darnold. The concept will also tell us a lot about how the 49ers feel about Garoppolo. If they trade for a quarterback in round 1, it will cause some uncertainty about his status as a starter during the season, even if he is the starter going into the year.
San Francisco hasn’t taken any steps to commit to Garoppolo after this year, partly because of his shortcomings on the field and partly because of his inability to stay healthy in two of the past three years. However, the steps they have taken all point to confidence in him in 2021. With a talented squad building around him, how far the 49ers will go this season will be determined by what kind of play they get from the signaller they get. decisions to keep.