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It feels like the NFL is waiting for one domino to drop, and then all of the coaching moves will fall into place. By the sounds of it, that domino could be Urban Meyer. If Meyer selects the Chargers, then Robert Saleh could select the Jaguars. If Meyer picks the Jags, Saleh would likely land with the Jets.
This is all me guessing and reading the tea leaves known as Twitter.
Against all odds, 49ers are again one of NFL’s top destinations
In 2017, York hired Shanahan and Lynch to lead the team and within three seasons the club fell just short of winning its sixth Lombardi Trophy. The pair was extended during the 2020 offseason, creating stability for the foreseeable future.
While the 49ers’ 6-10 record fell below expectations, the potential of their fully-healthy roster and stable leadership has players wanting to stay with the team, which is akin to the DeBartolo era.
The 49ers now are faced with the challenge of trying to maintain the caliber of their roster this offseason, with 40 players set to become free agents in conjunction with a shrinking salary cap.
Working in the team’s favor: A supportive ownership that has proven that they will do what it takes to be successful.
Here are the eight they’re slotted for:
Round 1, Pick 12
Round 2, Pick 44
Round 4, Pick 114
Round 5, Pick 153
Round 5, Pick 170 (via NO)
Round 6, Pick 191
Round 7, Pick 225 (via NYJ)
Round 7, Pick 235
Their third-round pick (No. 74) was sent to Washington in the Trent Williams trade. They picked up an additional fifth from the Saints in the deal that sent LB Kwon Alexander to New Orleans. They scooped a seventh in this year’s draft along with DE Jordan Willis in exchange for the 49ers’ 2022 sixth-round choice.
San Francisco’s number of picks could inflate by a couple by the time draft time rolls around.
Monson: It’s time for the San Francisco 49ers to move on from QB Jimmy Garoppolo
That 86.6 PFF grade is the high watermark for Garoppolo’s career. In his three seasons since, he has one complete year — a campaign in which he posted a 77.3 grade that resulted in a Super Bowl berth. Yet, he came up just short against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. I say he came up just short despite it being a team game because Garoppolo personally missed multiple key plays that were the difference in the game, yet the narrative gravitated toward Shanahan coming up empty again on the biggest stage. In the other two seasons, Garoppolo played just 503 combined snaps while earning a middling PFF grade in the 60s.
There are effectively two types of quarterbacks — those who have transcendent talent that magnifies the impact of receivers, protection and scheme, and those that don’t. Garoppolo falls into the second category, at which point the 49ers should have an eye out for alternative options.
For his 49ers career, he has seven more turnover-worthy plays than he has big-time throws. He has passed for 8.3 yards per attempt over that time period but with an average depth of target just 7.5 yards downfield and 53.1% of that yardage coming after the catch. His 8.3 yards per attempt is the best mark of the 49ers quarterbacks over that time, but it’s only marginally better than that of Nick Mullens (7.9) — and less of Mullens’ yardage has come after the catch.
6 teams with better odds than the 49ers to add Deshaun Watson before Week 1
San Francisco 49ers fans would love to see what Watson paired with head coach Kyle Shanahan would mean for opposing defenses. However, that would also mean giving up a lot in terms of compensation to acquire the young playmaker, and oddsmakers have five teams — other than the Texans — listed as more likely destinations for the disgruntled quarterback.
Below are the 10 favorites to have Watson on their rosters during Week 1 of the 2021 season, per Bovada and courtesy of Odds Shark.