The NFL offseason roller coaster of quarterbacks has given the 49ers a particularly wild ride.
Trades, re-signings, the NFL combine and Deshaun Watson likely entering the fray has left even more uncertainty around Jimmy Garoppolo’s future than there was going into the offseason.
Garoppolo at one point figured to be the most prominent quarterback to move in the offseason. Now the new league year hasn’t opened and a slew of QB moves have limited a market that might’ve already been thin. However, it isn’t all bad for San Francisco with a handful of teams still in need of an upgrade under center.
Let’s take a look at each QB move and how it affects Garoppolo’s trade market:
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This one helped the 49ers since Rodgers didn’t go to a team that needed a QB. Instead of demanding a trade he signed a long-term deal to stay in Green Bay.
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This move was bittersweet for San Francisco. It’s undeniably a good thing that Wilson is no longer in their division. On the other hand, the Broncos scooped a quarterback to erase one potential Garoppolo destination. While it seemed unlikely Denver would’ve been the team to acquire the 49ers’ QB, fewer teams needing a quarterback isn’t good for San Francisco.
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The Wentz trade was another move that carried some good and bad for the 49ers. Washington was a team that made sense for Garoppolo. Their acquisition of Wentz takes them off the table. While Washington isn’t in the sweepstakes anymore, the Colts entered their name into the ring by removing Wentz from their roster. Indianapolis is now a team to watch very closely.
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Watson on Friday was cleared of charges in nine criminal cases involving sexual misconduct. He’s not out of the woods legally, and the NFL’s investigation into the allegations of sexual assault against him is ongoing. With criminal charges off the table, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport said on NFL Network that the trade market for Watson will begin to heat up. Watson in the last season he played completed 70.2 percent of his throws, led the NFL in passing yards with 4,823 and tossed 33 touchdowns with seven interceptions for a 4-12 Texans team. He’d be the new biggest name on the market if teams are still willing to trade for him even with more than 20 civil cases for sexual assault and sexual misconduct still open.
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While Liberty’s Malik Willis had a good week at the combine, there wasn’t any buzz indicating any QBs are flying up draft boards. If teams are still low on this year’s draft class that’s good news for the 49ers and Garoppolo.
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Some good news for the 49ers is that plenty of teams could still be in the running for Garoppolo’s services. Here’s a list of teams that either need a starting QB or could look to upgrade:
New Orleans
Indianapolis
Seattle
Pittsburgh
New York Giants
MiamiTampa Bay