Thought Jimmy Garoppolo being traded this offseason was a foregone conclusion? Think again, according to Adam Schefter.
The ESPN news breaker made a surprising series of comments as a guest on “The Ari Meirov NFL Show” podcast, indicating that Garoppolo being traded this offseason is far from a certainty.
“I’m just telling you that Trey Lance was probably further behind than people realized,” Schefter told Meirov of Pro Football Focus. “Trey Lance is greener than people realized. Trey Lance is going to need more work than people realized. And they have a roster that can win now.”
If Garoppolo is indeed going to stay, he sure didn’t seem aware of it during his end of season press conference. Jimmy G thanked the 49ers and said good bye, one day after tearing up when reminiscing about the season at the postgame podium.
Still, Schefter thinks when it comes to value, there’s a strong case to be made that the 49ers are better off next year with Garoppolo instead of a few draft picks.
“OK, so let’s say they get a two, four, and a six (not necessarily all in this year’s draft),” Schefter continued. “Now, you’re San Francisco. Now you can say, ‘Jimmy Garoppolo is unquestionably one of the most popular and respected players in our locker room. Players love playing with him. We have him under contract this year at a very friendly $25 million cap number. And if we play with him this year, and we lose him after this year, we’re going to get a third-round comp pick back in return.’
“So, are you better, then, playing the season with Jimmy while getting Trey the training that he still needs? Or are you better trading him for—let’s just call it a two, four, and a six? What’s the better alternative?”
Schefter made clear that Lance isn’t behind schedule per say, but is just still raw after playing only one full year of college ball.
“Let me say this: He’s developing the right way,” Schefter said. “They are happy with him. But I go back to my initial statement, that he did not play college football at all two years ago. He’s coming from a small school, to begin with. And there is a steep learning curve for a quarterback like that who’s blessed with a lot of talent, who they still are very high on.
“It’s not a reflection of whether they think he’s going to make it. … I’m just giving you the other side, that I don’t think it’s a lock [Garoppolo] is going to be traded. He very well might, but it’s not a lock.”
(H/T 49ers Webzone for transcription)