Something’s not adding up.
Hours after a report from Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio that 49ers general manager John Lynch has received an offer of two second-round picks for Jimmy Garoppolo, the Colts reportedly sent a third-rounder to the Falcons in exchange for quarterback Matt Ryan.
The Colts were considered one of the few remaining teams that would be interested in trading for Garoppolo. Now they have a QB, and it would seem that Jimmy G’s market is even smaller than before.
There’s also the question of compensation. How could there be a team offering Lynch two second-rounders if Ryan, a four-time Pro Bowler and former NFL MVP, just went for a third. What’s more, why wouldn’t Lynch have pulled the trigger if that was the case? If that deal was indeed on the table, it would seem hard to believe that it still is following the Ryan news.
At this point, it’s getting harder to figure which teams would trade for Garoppolo. The Steelers are out after signing Mitchell Trubisky to a two-year deal. The Broncos traded for Russell Wilson and Washington traded for Carson Wentz.
New Orleans is believed to be interested in bringing back Jameis Winston as their starter. That leaves the Panthers and maybe the Seahawks. The Panthers situation is complicated by the $18-plus million of guaranteed money earmarked for Sam Darnold in 2022. Seattle seems like a stretch considering they appear to be in a rebuilding phase. They have also been heavily linked to Baker Mayfield.
It’s possible that there are no longer any suitors for Garoppolo and he will be cut. Less likely is that he will be retained, considering his $26.9 million cap hit would make it near impossible for the 49ers to extend the likes of Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa.
Perhaps the 49ers have something up their sleeve, and Florio’s report was accurate. As time goes on, however, it’s getting harder to see how this works out well for San Francisco.
