Some dominos are falling. A lot in fact.
A day after Aaron Rodgers re-signed with the Green Bay Packers and Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos, the Washington Commanders filled their QB vacancy by trading two third-round draft picks to the Indianapolis Colts for Carson Wentz.
The trade leaves 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as arguably the top QB available on the trading block / free agency. The trade also didn’t change the number of teams in need of a QB, since the Colts are now without one.
How will that affect Garoppolo’s market? 49ers beat writer Matt Barrows believes that the price that Washington paid for Wentz is probably around what San Francisco will get for Jimmy.
“I think it’s right around the Wentz price point, which is basically two [third-round picks],” Barrows told Murph and Mac. “I know there were some other things kind of thrown in there, but that seemed to be what it was. Remember that’s sort of what Alex Smith was back in 2012 — he was two [second-rounders] and the second time he was traded from Kansas City to Washington he was 3 and a player.
“That’s what we’re talking about here. Obviously there was more demand for Wentz than for Jimmy Garoppolo. That’s what I think it’s going to be. I’ve said all along that the over-under is a 3. I’m sticking to my guns on that. It could be one of those ones where based on playing time it could move to a 2. But I think that’s the ballpark that we’re talking about.”
So why hasn’t Jimmy been traded yet? Barrows believes other teams are taking advantage of the March 16 deadline, the day the 49ers will need to trade Garoppolo by to open up $25.5 cap space for the beginning of free agency. Other teams know this, and want to make the 49ers sweat.
“They move Jimmy Garoppolo, and that’s not an issue. He goes away and [frees up] $25 million in cap space. … My point is I just wonder whether teams are using that deadline as leverage against the 49ers.
“This is maybe one of the reasons—the shoulder being another reason—to sort of drag this out and sort of get them to agree to a deal that doesn’t give them quite as much compensation.
“The 49ers can do lots of other things—restructure [tight end] George Kittle. They can extend [safety] Jimmie Ward. They can cut this guy, cut that guy to get under that limit. But they have to be under it by [next] Wednesday, so they have to do a few things that they wouldn’t normally want to do, I think, unless they trade Jimmy Garoppolo.
“I have to believe that’s part of the equation here. A smart team, looking at the situation, will say, ‘Hey, let’s just kind of string them along until Monday and Tuesday, and see if we can’t get them to agree to a more favorable deal for us.”
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