49ers already have trade replacement in mind for Jimmy Garoppolo

The 49ers need better quarterback production if they want to win a Super Bowl. Offloading Jimmy Garoppolo in favor of Sam Darnold may be the solution. 

Most teams in search of quarterback help at this stage of the NFL offseason are focused on the draft. The 49ers are the exception to that rule. San Francisco still believes a trade is the right path to take if they want to upgrade their options at the game’s most important position.

The object of the 49ers’ current affections is Jets’ signal-caller Sam Darnold. According to Diana Russini of ESPN, San Francisco ultimately plans to trade Jimmy Garoppolo to New England which will open up the path to acquire Darnold as their new starting quarterback.

The report doesn’t specify what sort of trade compensation might be involved in the quarterback carousel. The Jets might dream of landing a first rounder for Darnold but the actual price will likely end up being something approximating a mid-round pick. That might seem like a disappointing return for Darnold, but it’s reflective of how far his stock has dropped during his uninspired tenure in New York.

In a perfect world for the 49ers, they could simply flip whatever draft compensation they get from New England in the Garoppolo deal to New York to acquire Darnold. It’s unlikely the Patriots are going to give up that much for Garoppolo though given his massive salary.

At the very least, Darnold’s performance should increase dramatically in Kyle Shanahan’s offensive system. Proponents of the former USC star point out how poor his offensive coaching has been since arriving in the NFL. It’s unclear how high Darnold’s ceiling really is at this point, but he certainly has more talent than he’s been able to show as a Jet.

The 49ers don’t necessarily need Darnold to play like an All-Pro to improve their chance of making a Super Bowl. Even securing above-average play from the quarterback position would give them a marked upgrade over Garoppolo’s efforts during the past few seasons. It would also be an added bonus for San Francisco if Darnold can manage to stay healthy for a full 16-game slate. Garoppolo’s injury issues have also blunted his effectiveness as the team’s starting quarterback.

The important takeaway here is that San Francisco still isn’t sold on Garoppolo as their starter next season. They will continue to look at every potential upgrade right up until the start of the regular season. Trading for Darnold could give the 49ers’ offense the extra juice it needs to bring a title home to fans in the Bay.