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Early reports suggest ‘remote’ chance Garoppolo is traded, 49ers are targeting Lance

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Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images


That’s a pretty strong statement.

After John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan’s joint press conference this week, in which Shanahan declined to guarantee Garoppolo would be on the roster, let alone alive by this Sunday, it seemed like the 49ers were far less committed to retaining Garoppolo than they had been a month earlier. At the end of March, they stated that they believed they could still win with Garoppolo and likely wouldn’t be comfortable enough in their rookie quarterback to risk moving on from him.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, that original stance may be legitimate.

That would make a lot more sense if the 49ers go the route of Trey Lance. Lance, the standout quarterback from North Dakota State, has flashed indefatigable top-tier traits; arm talent, processing, mental acuity, and raw athleticism, but has only thrown 318 passes in his career with the Bisons, and is clearly far from a finished product.

While it seems doubtful San Francisco would sit the quarterback they draft for long, if at all, the offseason is likely to be abbreviated once again, making the learning curve steeper than usual.

If Lance is indeed the pick, retaining Garoppolo would make a whole lot more sense than if it’s, say, Mac Jones, who is in a similar mold to Garoppolo and is unlikely to display any physical traits that greatly differentiate them, which might provide for some unrest in the locker room.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Silver, there is quite a bit of buzz around Lance.

Here’s some additional, but unsubstantiated spice, because it’s going to be that sort of day.