It is not every day that an NFL MVP winning quarterback becomes available.
Baltimore’s decision to use the non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson does just that. The 2019 NFL MVP can now engage in contract talks with the other 31 teams.
Over the last 24-hours there have been several reasons thrown around why Jackson doesn’t make sense for the 49ers. I’ve seen everything from playoff failures to lack of accuracy to size of a new contract.
Here are my five reasons Lamar Jackson makes sense for San Francisco.
1.) Kyle Shanahan
Shanahan once described his perfect quarterback as being able to throw like Drew Brees and run like Lamar Jackson. Jackson would give the 49ers head coach the explosive playmaker he thought San Francisco was acquiring with the selection of Trey Lance in 2021.
2.) Offensive fit
Jackson could seamlessly slide into the 49ers offense. Take a moment and think about the designed runs Shanahan has built in for the quarterback.
In Jackson, San Francisco would get a quarterback who carries the ball like a running back. Of course he has the speed, but what makes Jackson special as a runner is his ability to set up blocks.
An underrated aspect of Jackson’s game is his ability as a passer. His career completion and touchdown percentages are higher than those of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. The two have the same interception percentage.
Going from the disjointed passing offense to Kyle Shanahan would make those questions about Jackson’s accuracy a thing of the past.
3.) Weapons
Joining the 49ers would give Jackson something he’s never had before, weapons.
When Jackson won his MVP the top wide receivers for Baltimore were Marquise Brown and Willie Snead. Yes, the same Willie Snead who spent 2022 bouncing between the 49ers practice squad and active gameday roster.
Adding Jackson to an offense consisting of Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, and Deebo Samuel would be unfair to the NFL.
4.) MVP
The last time San Francisco won the Super Bowl their offense had an NFL MVP at quarterback. That was 28 years ago.
San Francisco has been able to find a certain level of success with lesser quarterbacks. The organization reached the Super Bowl with Colin Kaepernick and Jimmy Garoppolo before falling short.
It’s time for the 49ers to realize they need to make a change, unless they are fine coming up just short year after year.
It was Jed York who famously stated, “We don’t raise NFC Championship banners, we don’t raise NFC Championship banners. We raise Super Bowl banners.” York has yet to raise a banner.
5.) Matthew Stafford
According to sources close to the team, the 49ers were interested in signing Matthew Stafford during the 2021 offseason. Instead, the veteran quarterback landed with Los Angeles, and won the Super Bowl.
San Francisco’s interest in Stafford shows the believes there is a way to fit a high priced quarterback on the roster with Nick Bosa and the rest of their top end talent.
After watching Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson get fat contracts and “light it up” with their new teams, I am pretty gun shy on this whole topic. Plus, didn’t we lose enough #1’s with the Trey Lance debacle? Finally, Lamar seems to be injury prone, which is our biggest problem at the moment…. QBs who can never get on the field.
It is not going to happen. Niners are desperate to show Trey is not the bust he looks like. Likely we have to jettison Trey after next year and take our lumps for the terrible decision of three picks.
This will never happen under the Yorks. They’re still waiting on the payback from their investment of 3 1st rounders and a 3rd in Trey Lance, as are most of us. The Yorks will not put their faith & trust in the Shanny & Lynch show again. Let’s move on from this silliness.
Silly is right. Don’t agree at all with Jack and his views on this. As someone
else already has said, seems like click bait and nothing more, a la Grant Cohn.
him and. grant Cohn are married, fyi.
Jesus Jack…you’re doubling down on this? Is Cohn secretly back and writing posts here again?
1. Shanahan. Uh…Shanahan coaching up a QB applies to any QB they go with….so not sure how that makes good reason for Jackson. Plus it’s not like Kyle has a perfect record: Brian Hoyer, CJ Beathard (not a bad backup…but just a backup)….and Lance….in what little we saw of Lance, he just didn’t look ready to take over as the starter.
2. So…yeah…by all accounts and the eye test Lamar Jackson is a zip code passer. He’s at times inaccurate and generally imprecise. The Raven’s passing game much like the 49er’s is bolstered by the run game and the heavy use of play action which allows for simplified reads and less precise throws (because play action gets the receiver open more than precise route running and precise passing). Could Shanahan plug in Lamar Jackson in to his offense and be succesful? Sure in the same way that Kaepernick was for Roman’s 49er offense. Which is as a component to the offense…a cog. An important cog but a cog none the less. The passing game will only go as far as the run game goes. But Lamar Jackson won’t be able to carry the offense as a passer when the run game gets shut down. Is that worth 2 first round draft picks and $200M+ ??? NO.
3. Again, like the Shanahan comment….the weapons will be there for whomever the 49ers choose to be their QB. So not sure how they’re a reason to spend a ton on Lamar Jackson.
4. This MVP reasoning sounds like: “we need a better QB…..any QB will do….it doesn’t matter if he’s actually a good QB for us”. A good portion of Jackson’s MVP season was his rushing as much as it was his passing. Is the running QB offense what you want? What you think can be replicated? Sustainable?
5. Stafford???? How’s Stafford doing right now? Yeah the Rams won the Superbowl. They got a PASSER to get the ball to Cooper Kup. If Josh Allen were available, I’d say sell out and get him (he’s mobile but also a pro passer).
So bottom line; you think it’s worth it to spend two 1st round draft picks (or whatever’s equivalent) AND $200M+ (mostly guaranteed) for a RUNNING QUARTERBACK??? It’s not like the guy is Steve Young; who leads the league in passing AND runs the ball. You know the team needs a bona fide PRO quarterback (bonus if he can run). You used to be a hardcore advocate for Montana over Young….and that was because you trusted Montana as a passer over Young…which was before Young became a prolific passer).
Btw. I found out Coach Murray is a well known high school baseball coach. Funny to think he was a young coach back in the day. I’m thinking of sending one of my kids to one of Murray’s baseball camps.
I am more on the side of allforfunnplay hier.
LA Rams example is a negative showcase for me. They sold all the future only for one year. And we all know the last two games of there season were pure luck. I prefer a team that is competitive over 10 years and have chances every year to win the super bowl. You cannot script a SB win, you can only optimize your percentages for winning it.
49ers model is to have a super team and add a not too expensive QB to it that is able to extend plays and run the playbook. 49ers should stick to that and not sell half the team or all the future for a QB that could be injured or not perform in the system.
I’m sure Lynch and Shanahan are kicking the tires on this one so they do on everything but it’s too big of a cost. Not only what Jackson will demand but giving up on Lance and Purdy. Jackson is asking for the moon and clearly the Ravens don’t think he’s worth that so I highly doubt that the Niners would be the high bidders.
I heard Cohn and Jesse Naylor say that trading Lance and Bosa, for Jackson, is something they’d agree with, and think it makes sense…oh, and the Ravens would have to add a late round pick from their end…..
I get what you are saying Jack, and I agree that adding Jackson would be a big boon. However, I don’t think it will happen simply due to the compensation the Ravens would probably want. The 49ers don’t have any first round picks available, so any trade package will have to include, at the least, Bosa, Aiuyuk, and Lance. Maybe even Kittle. I doubt either side could come to an agreement on a trade package.
The Ravens would have to match any teams offer to make a trade. I’m not sure they would match the offer, they wouldn’t have placed him on the sort of contract offer they did if they were all in. Jack I agree with you on Jackson’s ability there are certain QBs who automatically are saddled with the he is a runner he can’t pass label for some reason. If we replace Lamar Jackson with Josh Allen are we hearing the same argument about his inability to pass even though they have relatively the same career stats. All that being said I still don’t think they can afford him cap wise. Maybe if they were willing to trade Bosa for a 1st, 2nd and 3rd round draft pick in this years draft.
Holy lord…have you actually watched him pass???? Put Lamar’s play into CONTEXT. Look at what to what degree his passes are dependent on scheme and most importantly play action to make the play work. Sweet Jesus! Please don’t simplistically look at completion percentage comps. Use your own two eyes and watch him pass! The guy isn’t accurate. He doesn’t anticipate and throw open receivers regularly. WATCH Jackson within the context of the plays called, how they’re designed and what he’s doing. Christ…”saddled with the he is a runner he can’t pass label for some reason”….for some reason….really????
I’m not saying most teams can’t figure out a way to make Lamar an effective weapon. But for all the draft picks, trade compensation and $200M+ (mostly guaranteed) you shouldn’t have to shoe horn in a player in a limited capacity at the QB position to make him effective.
The reason they gave him the non exclusive contract is because they don’t believe he is worth what he’s asking for, not because they are Luke warm on him. Jack keeps mentioning his MVP year but he hasn’t come close since. In fact he’s barely played in 50% of his games the past 2 years. Jackson is more valuable to the Ravens than anyone else. Someone will make an offer well below what Jackson likely wants and the Ravens will match it.
That was my point. I don’t think they will match it to turn around and trade him. If a team goes above what they want to pay him they will take the 2 picks and walk away.
Jackson’s QBR in his MVP year was 113.3. Brock Purdy’s QBR as a rookie was 107.3. Jackson averages around 88 QBR in every other year. Even in his MVP year Jackson had a 62% completion rate and put up just 12 points in a first round playoff loss. I just don’t see him as being the guy for Shanahan.
I love the idea of Jackson with the offense we have we will be unstoppable. We wasted all these years with Jimmy and what we get out of it nothing. I know we gave up all that for Trey but know one knows what he can do. If Trey win us a Superbowl bowl then all of these dumb niners fans will be excited about Trey. So if Trey not the man go get Jackson and let get this six ring. Niners for life
Jack,
Appreciate your bravery, lol.
But the 49ers would need to do some major maneuvering to obtain Jackson.
What would you do if you were the 49ers GM for a day?
For my part, I only view Lamar as Michael Vick 2.0. Incredibly exciting and phenomenal athleticism. But like Vick, Jackson hasn’t won the big games and has not raised his level of play.
I’m not going to say that such a deal can’t be made, but I just don’t see a significant benefit in having him. Can Lamar win and take us into the post season? Yes. But we already a QB that can do that.
Jackson hasn’t proven enough to warrant a big payday, imo.
I agree. To me, going after Jackson makes no sense and it’s unlikely to even pull off if they did want Jackson. I think Jack’s reasons for his opinion are very weak. His contention that he is an MVP is especially weak considering that was 4 years ago and hasn’t come close since. Reminds me of Kaepernick’s one great year. Maybe he is just trying to be a little contrarian. I highly doubt Jackson will get the contract he wishes for.
Wow. On second thought, go back to obsessing over the Hassan Reddick play.
You might as well trade Deebo and Trent Williams or equivalent because Lamar Jackson needs their money to sign with 49ers. They already need another right tackle because he is unaffordable. The 49ers arguably have the lowest paid starting player in the league at QB and a stacked roster everywhere except offensive line and kicker.
This would be the best move by far which obviously means the Yorks won’t do it. I am telling you guys, Lamar Jackson would be the best QB to suit up for the 49ers since the Yorks got rid of Colin. Lamar Jackson is 100000x better than handsome Jimmy G. Maybe some day this loser organization will stick by a good QB and commit to them.
Some of you might remember another commenter on here, my ex boyfriend, ninermd. He always said Lamar Jackson would be the perfect fit in Shanahan’s offense. Maybe if Shanahan had a QB like Jackson we wouldn’t choke in big games!
100000 x better? That’s so over the top it’s beyond stupid.
C’mon Felix! Think about it…if Sackorpick had been draft eligible when Joe Montana played here, and Bill Walsh drafted him, we wouldn’t even know the name Joe Montana…or Steve Young….under Walsh’s watchful eye, Sackorpick would have blossomed into a great QB, setting all sorts of NFL records, winning multiple Super Bowls and Super Bowl MVP awards, NFL MVP and no doubt, a spot in Canton….aside from all of that 🐂💩, he was a one trick pony and is far better suited out of the NFL, than he was in the NFL…
People in here are suggesting to trade Bosa???
God save us all…
Grant Cohn, COHNZONE on YT, and Jesse Naylor both suggested that…a ridiculous suggestion, to me at least
Bosa could become one of the highest paid defensive players in league if not the highest.
I’m not an advocate of trading him by any means, but I do wonder how much a team would be willing to give the 49ers in return.
In my estimation it would bring in quite a haul. But that’s neither here nor there at the moment. Just wondering though.
AES,
I’m betting you could get a 1st, 2nd and 3rd round pick in this years draft and space to sign a very good FA. The only question is would the 49ers turn those picks into 2 instant starters and another player who could eventually start.
Coach,
That sounds about right. I don’t believe that the 49ers would make such a move unless they’re pretty sure that the players received are starter material.
Obviously, there’s no player out there that can replace Bosa, but with a 1st rd pick, they could get an above average Edge that could become a great player along with a 2nd and 3rd to fill other positions. The idea of saving enough money to target a high-end FA raises a little interest as well.
Of course, this is just some musing on my part.
Who cares? It isn’t going to happen nor should it. We need more QB sacks not less. This crazy talk.
Felix,
Like AES said we are just musing, having a little fun and killing time until the real action starts next week.
Felix,
“Who cares? It isn’t going to happen nor should it.”
Not sure when you became the PD “gate keeper” around here, but perhaps you need to be reminded that posters don’t need your approval to comment.
Slow your roll, and try not to take “musings” as gospel.
But, that said, I agree that we need more QB sacks.