The 49ers might have a new head coach lined up, but the question of who is going to be the team’s starting quarterback in 2017 is still anybody’s guess.
With a cap hit of $14.5 million next season, conventional wisdom suggests the 49ers will move on from Colin Kaepernick in 2017, and attempt to improve the position through free agency, trade and/or the draft. 49ers color analyst Tim Ryan joined Gary and Larry on Wednesday morning, and argued that the 49ers best option would be to target impressive young New England quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo via trade.
“I think the (Colin) Kaepernick ship has sailed in terms of him being back here with the 49ers,” Ryan began. “There’s the Brian Hoyer’s and these guys on the list that could be a stop gap. Ultimately, it comes down to how they feel about the class and the draft class and I don’t think there’s gonna be a guy in the top five they’ll get when you know where they’re picking.”
“I would love – and everybody is for sale if the price is right – I’d like to see Garropolo over Kirk Cousins just in terms of the money. I think the money would make more sense. Whoever they plug in next year it’s not going to be a 10, 11, 12 win football team, this is a full blown rebuild.”
Garropolo is due to earn just over $800,000 next season under his current contract, while Cousins is slated to hit the free agent market and is expected to command a multi-year offer well over $100 million. The Patriots are reportedly looking for a first and fourth round pick in exchange for Garropolo.
That price is not cheap for a quarterback that has made just two career NFL starts. Garoppolo was excellent in that small sample size, however, completing 71.2 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and no interceptions, while filling in for the suspended Tom Brady.
“You’re gonna have to pay (Cousins) $20-million-plus per year,” Ryan continued. “The team’s not ready for that right now. Go get a stopgap, go draft a guy, get a guy that can come in and play. I don’t think the future is right now at the quarterback position there’s just so many question marks.”
Cousins played under Shanahan when he was the Redskins offensive coordinator in 2012-2013, but spent most of that time as a back-up to Robert Griffin III.
What about Tony Romo?
“Two (injured) backs, two collarbones, he’s gonna want a fat paycheck. That’s not gonna happen.”
Listen to the full interview below.