Matt Williamson is a former scout for the Cleveland Browns and spent 10 years at ESPN as a scout and co-host of "The Football Today Podcast." Find him on Twitter @WilliamsonNFL.
The San Francisco 49ers didn't just upgrade their quarterback position - they likely found their next franchise signal-caller.
The 49ers sent their second-round pick in the 2018 draft to New England for Jimmy Garoppolo on Monday. Because you can often land a first-round-caliber player in the second without paying him first-round money, Patriots coach Bill Belichick has coveted those early second-round choices over the years. It's certainly a valuable pick. But nonetheless, this is a terrific franchise-altering trade for San Francisco.
There had been plenty of speculation that the 49ers would do everything possible to land Kirk Cousins in free agency during the upcoming offseason. That sounds wonderful, and it very well could have worked out, but it certainly wasn't a sure thing. And needless to say, although he wouldn’t have cost San Francisco a premium draft pick, Cousins would have been extremely expensive.
Of course, the trade makes little sense if the 49ers can’t lock up Garoppolo for the long term. At 0-8, they didn’t give up a great draft pick to rent a soon-to-be 26-year-old quarterback for the remainder of a losing season. But rest assured, San Francisco will sign Garoppolo long term (or use the franchise tag if need be) - and while he won’t be cheap, he certainly won't get the money Cousins will be asking for.
Just as importantly, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan gets his franchise quarterback in the building now rather than later. While Garoppolo won't start immediately, the rest of this regular season and the upcoming offseason will be valuable for him to get up speed and to better understand the system and his new teammates, such as Pierre Garcon and George Kittle.
That stability is very important. We saw Matt Ryan take a while to fully acclimate to Shanahan’s scheme, and now Garoppolo is set up well for his new education. And it sure looks like Shanahan has excellent job security. This relationship should flourish.
Another benefit of making this move now is that San Francisco won't be in the market to draft a quarterback with its early first-rounder. Therefore, the team can either take an elite prospect at another position (Saquon Barkley, perhaps?), or ransom that selection off to the highest bidder for a plethora of picks.
Yet, while that's all great news on the surface, it's most important to determine just what Garoppolo brings as a player. And that might be the best news of all; not only does he have the potential to become a Cousins-level starting quarterback, he could easily wind up being even better.
It's no accident that Garoppolo ended up in the NFC, where Belichick will only see him once every four years (unless they meet in a Super Bowl, of course). Unlike Matt Cassel and a litany of other Tom Brady backups over the years, Garoppolo can become a star. He can turn his new franchise around and his fit with Shanahan is outstanding.
Sure, we don’t have much to go off in terms of game film on Garoppolo, but we know he isn’t an overwhelming physical specimen. He's a decent athlete and throws well on the move - something that's very important in his new system - but he isn’t an extreme playmaker with his legs. The best comparison in this regard is probably Tony Romo.
But quickness is very much a strength for this young man. Garoppolo possesses an extremely fast release and he's a very quick processor of information. He should have no problem orchestrating Shanahan’s offense before the snap with all the motion and movement, while quickly identifying the coverage and a favorable matchup to exploit.
Then, Garoppolo shows very good accuracy and precise timing with that quick release to get the ball where it needs to be in order for his receivers to excel after the catch - another huge component in Shanahan's system.
While Garoppolo could stand to improve his feel for the pass-rush - and that should come with more playing time - he certainly isn’t bashful about standing in the pocket to wait for his target to separate, even if it means taking a big hit for his team. It's a small sample size to go off of, but he keeps his eyes downfield, which has allowed him to perform well under pressure, excelling both early and late in downs.
It's also been reported that Garoppolo is well-respected by his teammates, both on and off the field. Hanging around Brady the last several years surely had a positive effect on him in this regard - and on his work ethic, too - so expect the 49ers to play hard for their new leader.
This is a huge move for San Francisco. But it's also the right move at a very manageable cost. The acquisition of Garoppolo gives Shanahan an awful lot to work with. Expect it to pay off huge for both the quarterback and his new team. This is a turning point in 49ers history.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
