49ers set stage with Jimmy Garoppolo, NFL rumors and more

The San Francisco 49ers hired Kyle Shanahan, then acquired and secured Jimmy Garoppolo for the long haul, setting the stage for another golden age.

After watching the marriage of Trent Baalke and Jim Harbaugh officially disintegrate into rumble following the 2014 season, the San Franciscoo 49ers traveled a cruel road.

One of the league’s most talented rosters went through a catastrophic overhaul with Justin Smith, Aldon Smith, Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman, Michael Crabtree, Anthony Davis, Mike Iupati, Frank Gore, Alex Smith, Chris Culliver, Chris Borland, Carlos Rogers and Colin Kaepernick either leaving via trade or retirement over the following two and a half seasons.

The result was two coaches that were one-and-done, ending in a combined 7-25 with a pair of last-place finishes the NFC West.

Then, suddenly, fortunes turned. San Francisco made the surprising decision to replace Baalke with John Lynch, a first-time executive who had spent the previous nine years in the FOX broadcast booth.

So far, Lynch has proved his doubters wrong. His first impact move was to hire Kyle Shanahan, the hottest head-coaching candidate available this time last year. In November, Lynch made his second headline acquisition, trading a second-round pick to the New England Patriots for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

After watching Garoppolo win all five of his starts last season, the 49ers and Lynch made the significant commitment of five years and $137.5 million with $74 million guaranteed. In essence, the deal is a two-year pact and then a year-to-year situation afterwards, with Garoppolo counting as $57 million against the cap over that span.

It’s a brilliant move for both sides. Garoppolo is set for life, and the 49ers have a potential franchise quarterback locked in at the tender age of 26. San Francisco could have placed the franchise tag on Garoppolo, but that would have cost $22 million in 2018.

By signing him, Lynch and the 49ers are risking being tied to Garoppolo through 2019 if he flops. Conversely, if the former Eastern Illinois star succeeded, San Francisco is paying for his prime years at a price that will look better every time a quarterback signs a new contract.

The trick now is to surround Garoppolo with talent. The 49ers should be very concerned about the news on Sunday with Reuben Foster, who was arrested for the second time this year. Foster is both a young cornerstone and former first-round pick, but if the allegations are true of domestic abuse, there’s no place for him on a roster.

Lynch has more than $70 million in projected cap space to work with even with Garoppolo’s new deal, and he should use a good chunk of it. San Francisco has to find weapons at tight end and receiver, along with revamping a porous secondary. If the 49ers can get those tasks accomplished, they have a chance to compete immediately in a transitioning NFC West.

San Francisco looked listen the fog for years before the arrival of Lynch. Now, only a year later, no team has a brighter future.

Power rankings

Top 10 potential values in free agency

1. Allen Robinson, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
2. Jason Verrett, CB, Los Angeles Chargers
3. Malcolm Butler, CB, New England Patriots
4. Isaiah Crowell, RB, Cleveland Browns
5. Paul Richardson, WR, Seattle Seahawks
6. Matt Slauson, OG, Los Angeles Chargers
7. Tahir Whitehead, OLB, Detroit Lions
8. Eric Reid, SS, San Francisco 49ers
9. Johnathan Joseph, CB, Houston Texans
10. Zach Fulton, C/G, Kansas City Chiefs

Quotable

"“It is extremely difficult to dink and dunk all the way down the field,” LaFleur said, via the team’s official website. “The defenses are just too good. If you look at it, statistically the teams that are getting the chunk plays, the explosive [plays], those are the teams that are going to produce more yards, more points."

– Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur on a new-look offense in 2018

LaFleur was a terrific hire by new head coach Mike Vrabel, and a boon to Marcus Mariota. After watching Mariota struggle under Mike Mularkey, the fourth-year quarterback has an opportunity to flourish. LaFleur will need to get more out of receiver Corey Davis, who struggled with injuries and inconsistency after being the No. 5 overall pick a year ago. The Titans would also be wise to get some more speed around Mariota, giving Tennessee more big-play threats.

Podcast

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Random stat

Despite playing in 13 conference title games between them in the 1970s, the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys never faced each other in the Super Bowl.

Info learned this week

1. Kirk Cousins continues to get more expensive

When the news of Garoppolo signing a $137.5 million deal broke, Kirk Cousins had to have the biggest smile in America. Cousins, who has started three full seasons for the Washington Redskins, has a much larger body of work than Garoppolo. Additionally, Cousins has the luxury of a bidding war next month, making the 29-year-old very well-positioned to cash in.

It would be stunning of Cousins doesn’t fetch $30 million per year and at least $150 million in total value. He might also be the first player in league history to garner $100 million in guaranteed money on a single contract.

With the Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings all potentially in the running, Cousins is going to command top-dollar. Although there are other intriguing options on the market in Teddy Bridgewater, Case Keenum and Sam Bradford, the Alex Smith trade was the final domino to fall for this to be a full-scale brawl for Cousins’ services.

Come March 14 at 4 p.m. ET, Cousins will be the most coveted free agent since Peyton Manning.

2. Colts land Reich for head coach

The Indianapolis Colts were spurned at the proverbial alter by Josh McDaniels, but they rebounded quickly. On Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Indianapolis is set to hire Frank Reich, previously the Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator.

Reich, 56, is older for a first-time head coach, but his resumè is impressive. The former NFL quarterback has been coaching in the league since 2008 and has worked as an offensive coordinator since ’14 with both the Chargers and Eagles.

If Andrew Luck can finally get back on the field, the match is obvious. The Colts might have endured some embarrassment and a frantic search, but Reich is a great get.

3. Vikings tab DeFilippo as offensive coordinator

Speaking of Eagles coaches who are moving on, the Vikings announced the hiring of John DeFilippo as their new offensive coordinator, replacing Pat Shurmur. Shurmur left to be the head coach of the New York Giants, getting his second chance in the top chair.

For DeFilippo, the 39-year-old moves one step closer to a head-coaching gig, something he drew interest for over the past month. DeFilippo was the offensive coordinator with the Browns in 2015, but only lasted one year. Still, it’s hard to use that against the Ohio native for obvious reasons.

Minnesota should be thrilled to land someone the quality of DeFilippo to replace Shurmur, while Philadelphia must find a way to overcome the loss after winning its first Super Bowl.

4. Steelers create cap space with flurry of moves

The Pittsburgh Steelers have to be creative this offseason if they want to make another Super Bowl run, and general manager Kevin Colbert is off to a good start. Pittsburgh re-signed Pro Bowl fullback Roosevelt Nix to a four-year deal along with restructuring the contracts fo Stephon Tuitt and David DeCastro.

Instead of being projected to be above the cap this offseason, Pittsburgh now sits at $7.6 million in space, about half of what it needs to retain Le’Veon Bell on the franchise tag. The best situation for both parties would be a long-term deal that lowers Bell’s 2018 cap number while giving security.

5. Jarvis Landry getting attention

Even though free agency is more than a month away, the recruiting process is already underway. Recently, Eric Weddle and Tony Jefferson of the Baltimore Ravens were making their overtures to bring Jarvis Landry to Charm City via Twitter. Frankly, general manager Ozzie Newsome ought to listen after watching Baltimore’s offense in 2017.

Baltimore is going to have competition for Landry, including his current team in the Miami Dolphins. The Chicago Bears will also make a run at the league’s leader in receptions, considering they have perhaps the worst receiving corps in the NFL. With Matt Nagy and Mitchell Trubisky entering a new era, Landry would be a great fit for Chicago.

History lesson

The NFC South’s quartet have a sad history in their totality. The New Orleans Saints needed 20 years to earn their first winning season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost their first 26 regular-season games. The Atlanta Falcons didn’t reach an NFC Championship Game until 1998, 32 years after expansion.

Then there are the Carolina Panthers. Despite not winning a Super Bowl yet, the Panthers have enjoyed a good bit of success in their history, reaching the conference title game in their second year of existence. The Panthers have also made two Super Bowl appearances and have an NFL MVP to their credit, something the Saints and Buccaneers can’t claim.

Parting shot

The NFL will have a quiet few weeks before the barrage of free agency and draft news hits. The Scouting Combine starts in earnest on March 2, with the legal tampering period only 10 days later. In the meantime, look for some veterans to be cut in the pursuit of almighty cap space.

The Seahawks could move on from a legion of veterans including Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett, Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas (Thomas being a trade). The Chiefs are likely through with Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson, while the Broncos might say goodbye to Aqib Talib and one of Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders.

Jordy Nelson could also be a cap casualty of the Green Bay Packers, ending an era in Titletown. The Houston Texans may waive Lamar Miller, while the New York Jets are considering breaking ties with Muhammad Wilkerson.

Not all of those names will hit the market, but a good share will. General managers will have to figure out who has what left and how much they’re worth.

Some will be virtually finished, while others could be the missing piece.