© Joe Camporeale | 2020 Dec 26
Here’s to the 49ers and their smash-hit off-season of 2021.
That is, except they didn’t address the biggest thing of all.
Sure, sure, re-signing offensive tackle Trent Williams was a gargantuan thing. And bringing back fullback Kyle Juszczyk and cornerback Jason Verrett were super important. Adding veteran center Alex Mack was savvy. The off-season bonanza even included underrated gems like DL D.J. Jones, and slot corner K’Waun Williams.
So how come they haven’t addressed the biggest thing of all?
I’m looking at you, QB depth chart.
And when I poke my head in that QB room and see Jimmy (I’ve Started 25 Of The Last 48 Games) Garoppolo at one desk, Josh (I’m On My Fourth Team And I’m Only 24 Years Old) Rosen at another desk and Josh (I’m 1-7 In Eight Starts Since 2009) Johnson at another desk, and the rest of the room empty, I gotta channel my old Wendy’s TV commercials and ask:
Where’s the beef?
You could legitimately argue in a Jock Blog — and I believe I have — that the 49ers’ No. 1 job in the off-season was to bulk up the QB depth chart.
Not only have they done nothing about it, they’ve actually seen legitimate opportunities flutter away.
Let’s go through all the names linked to the 49ers since January:
Matt Stafford? Traded to the Rams. Carson Wentz? Traded to the Colts. Andy Dalton? Signed with the Bears. Mitch Trubisky? He’s a Buffalo Bill. Cam Newton? Re-signed in New England. Matt Ryan? Yeah, turns out the Falcons are keeping him.
Even falling back on the old plan is gone, as CJ Beathard signed a two-year deal in Jacksonville.
Jacoby Brissett went to Miami. Dak Prescott was never an option. Marcus Mariota briefly became a possibility, until he wasn’t.
As for the gold-plated treasure that is DeShaun Watson? Ooh, boy. That’s a whole ‘nother story.
The final blow came when Joe Flacco, whom the 49ers courted on a trip to Santa Clara, opted to back up Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia.
When you’ve lost Flacco, you know it’s a crisis.
This isn’t to give up on the 49ers. They still could make something out of this. After all, Sam Darnold remains an intriguing trade option from the Jets. There was that report about 49ers interest in QB Teddy Bridgewater.
There remains this weird, bizarre scenario where the 49ers truly believe Josh Rosen can find love and happiness in his native Golden State, backing up Jimmy G and providing the ability to win games if needed.
Yeah, probably not.
And the flavor of the month is a trade for Jags sometime-starter/full-time disco mustache QB Gardner Minshew, who quite frankly is an intriguing option, if only for the low interception rate, the decent mobility and the cutoff shorts straight from a Hamm’s Beer ad.
Here’s the positive spin: All signs point to the team drafting a QB. That’s exciting.
It’s exciting if they lay back and snag a potential-heavy non-first-rounder like Stanford’s Davis Mills, Florida’s Kyle Trask or Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond. Each of those gents, under the tutelage of Kyle Shanahan and Rich Scangarello, could be a find and the QB of the future.
It’s bounce-off-the-walls exciting if the 49ers trade up from No. 12 and select a talent like Ohio State’s Justin Fields, or the kid outta North Dakota State, Trey Lance. And if BYU’s Zach Wilson somehow falls past No. 3, watch the 49ers move heaven and earth to jump up and get him.
Those moves would be Chris-Matthews-tingle-down-the-leg-Obama-speech exciting, for you political junkies out there.
So this Jock Blog is not to condemn the 49ers and their QB decisions.
It’s merely to drum the fingers on the table top, and point to the watch on our wrist. This is a Twitter world, 49ers. You’re asking us to be patient and play the long game here. Don’t you know we have SADD — sports attention deficit disorder?
The options are dwindling. But you can save this thing.
Entertain us, front office! That’s what we’re here for, right?
