The 49ers need to add a quarterback or two to their roster.
On Tuesday, general manager John Lynch talked about the need to insulate themselves at the position. The quarterback who led them to the NFC championship game, Brock Purdy, needs surgery on his throwing arm. And the quarterback they used three first round picks to acquire, Trey Lance, is still very much an unknown quantity.
San Francisco’s quarterback plans may have become a little clearer on Saturday morning.
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the 49ers could take a run at Baker Mayfield.
“I don’t, for what it’s worth, think that San Francisco’s going to break the bank. But I could absolutely see Lynch and Kyle Shanahan going in on someone like Baker Mayfield, who has experience in that type of offense and a boatload of starting experience,” said Breer. “Keep an eye on that one.”
There are a few ways I see this playing out.
First thought, they don’t believe Purdy will be able to return until late in the season. Purdy’s UCL surgery is reported to take anywhere from six months to a year to come back from depending on the type of procedure he undergoes.
Second thought, the 49ers don’t believe Trey Lance can stay healthy or be a quarterback they can win with right now. Lance has made only four starts in two seasons with the team and been sidelined with injuries twice.
Third thought, San Francisco is on the hook for a cap hit of more than $9.3 million for Lance in 2023. If they don’t believe he is the long-term solution, they can sign a player like Mayfield for less then trade Lance for a player or picks.
Robbie Gould update
Quarterback wasn’t the only 49ers news to break on Saturday morning. According to NFL Insider, Adam Schefter, Robbie Gould will test free agency and expects to be kicking for a new team in 2023.
When asked about Gould on Tuesday, Lynch told reporters San Francisco did not plan to use the franchise tag on the 40-year-old kicker.
San Francisco got a good look at draft eligible kickers at the NFL scouting combine on Friday and will also look to free agency if Gould does indeed go elsewhere.
‘We’re not done with that,” said Lynch. “Part of the whole Robbie situation is we got to do our work here, and you want to give Robbie as much time to pivot as possible. But we have to do our evaluations here.”
Seriously? Breer reports “could pursue”. You report “49ers “to pursue”. You’re a hack.
Exactly. This is click bait. And then Grant Cohn did the same.
49ers need to scout kickers that are good at this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyh447SJ5Cc during the combine.
As well as this https://www.youtube.com/shorts/B9Mls_zdS-4
B2W,
Its good to hear from you. What round pick do you think the 9ers will use to draft a K. I think if they intend on drafting Moody out of Mich they may need to use one of their 3rd round picks or they could package a couple of their 5th rounders to move up into the 4th round.
Would the 49ers test the waters with Matt Ariaza?
He’s been cleared by the San Diego, DA on rape charges. He was drafted in the 6 rd 2022, by the Buffalo Bills and cut in August when the rape charge came to light.
He could come cheap as a FA.
Araiza is a punter.
Araiza punts, kicks field goals and KOs all equally well. I bet he would come cheaper than Moody in draft capital and money.
Wake,
Araiza can do it all, even make tackles down field. He recently signed a contract to play for football team in Mexico. But I’m sure that he would love another opportunity to play in the NFL.
My gosh, im so tired of 2 things regarding Trey Lance, seriously, starting to get pissed!!!!
1. trade TL, after 4 starts, even though everyone agrees….he has impeccable character and work ethic!
2.Snooping around any FA qb means one thing………TL is a bust!!! so we will (see number 1)
As a rook, TL instantly came in and scored td’s in the red zone passing and running. Made it look very easy…especially compared to JG. He started 2 games…losing the first ( looking competitive) and won the 2nd…..looking vastly improved.
He lost his 3rd start in Chi., in a monsoon, where the only td (?), the difference in the game was a broken play by Dante freaking Petis!!!! Remember him? soft boy, bust boy. Pink hair guy. Then breaks his ankle in half, minutes into 4th start.
Let me explain something………..
IT WOULD BE GROSS NEGLIGENCE……..DERLICTION OF DUTY…….. to trade TL after 3 games!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PERIOD, end of story! The F.O would piss away all the good will they have built up over the last 6 years.
They would be mocked in NFL circles for trading 3 ones and a 3rd round pick then cutting bait after 3 freaking games. If TL was anything other than a Ryan Leaf type bust……..careers would be over.
TL might never be good, let alone great…..but after investing so much…….you have to see it through PERIOD!
The guy has the physical gifts and the mental make up to be a GREAT qb! we have to see it through.
KS has never made it through a season with 1 qb. read that sentence a few times…….This season, he technically was on his 5th string qb!!! read that again a few times…….
The 2 guys on the roster are both coming off major injuries…..both very young……both have less than 10 career starts…. at the very least…..they need camp arms.
I want a young talented reclamation project…….a guy that wont fumble a snap if called on. A guy that could resurrect his career ….maybe even net us a draft pick or two if he plays and looks good. Remember the old days? when we used to flip our back up qbs for picks seemingly every year?
“2.Snooping around any FA qb means one thing………TL is a bust!!! so we will (see number 1)”
No, it means that the 49ers will not go into the new season with two QBs. And perhaps one QB (Purdy) that may not ready to play by September.
Making an assertion that Lance is a bust after only 4 games has more to do with a person’s dislike rather than any real facts.
How many players can you name that were called a bust after 4 games?
Aes has it right. And no, TL has given no indication he was worth 3 first round picks and yes, the Niners have also been criticized for this choice. TL does NOT deserve anything. It is a business. Niners have to consider the overall best thing for the team. So, yes, Niners need a credible 3rd QB who might be the second QB..or even the September starter. Sign accordingly!
“IT WOULD BE GROSS NEGLIGENCE……..DERLICTION OF DUTY…….. to trade TL after 3 games!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PERIOD, end of story! ”
EXACTLY!!!
Baker Mayfield? At least he has experience. And he’s not the worst QB available. If they sign him, with all those weapons he would have, he might flourish in Kyle’s system and do better than he ever did in Cleveland or Carolina. As for kicker, or yes, they need a younger, cheaper guy. Robbie did great for us, but like the article said, he is starting to decline as he gets older. He missed more field goals than ever. Bill Walsh would have gotten rid of him before that happens. His style was not to let players get to old and decline in skills. They are doing the right thing because you have to keep up with the young boys if you want to compete with them. It applies to all sports.
I tend to agree that spending $5 million on a 40 year old is probably not the right decision. At some point you have to move on and this is probably the right point to do so.
As for Baker, I doubt this will happen. If Purdy’s surgery goes as planned then Baker would essentially be the #3 QB and that wouldn’t work for Baker or the Niners. There is no chance that the Niners will get rid of Lance this off season.
Why might the 9ers sign Mayfield for the vets minimum, lets see…..
Lance is our #1 QB
oops I mean Jimmy G. is our #1 QB
oops I mean B. Purdy is our #1 QB
okay okay what I really meant to say is J. Johnson is our……….oh never mind
Lance may develop on a team set to improve as he does. He’s a project that doesn’t fit a contender. He will be traded to get some picks back or a player.
Purdy is the future. Mayfield gives us an experienced backup that can come in and win games if needed. it would give us two QB’s you can keep the same offense for instead of a gimmick one
I watched the QBs at the combine yesterday and was very impressed with Anthony Richardson. Great size, speed and amazing arm strength.
No other combine QB raised his value more than Richardson. Along with impressing everyone, he ostensibly made himself some major coin with his off the charts measurements.
But, before he becomes Cam Newton 2.0, I found it a little disappointing that his college stats didn’t come close to his combine excitement.
His under 60% completion career number is a concern. And his 17 TD to 9 Int ratio is underwhelming. Was his low output due to an under-talented team or did Richardson have personal limitations on getting it done on the field?
It will interesting how this plays out leading to the draft – and beyond.
AES,
Before the combine I saw him as a 3rd round pick who could make an immediate impact as a Swiss army knife, QB/WR/TE/RB. Now I am reading that he may have moved himself all of the way to the #1 pick. Buyer beware I could easily see him as a huge bust at the very best a long term project. imho
I don’t know anything about this guy other than what is written here, but I am again surprised that people jump on the bandwagon of someone just on physical traits. There so much more to being a successful player, especially at quarterback. I don’t know why anyone would draft him as a QB If he can’t make 60% of his throws in college.
Coach /Felix,
Coach, I heard the same thing about Richardson possibly moving up to #1 pick. I absolutely agree on the buyer beware tag.
Felix,
Beastly measurements don’t always translate to the pro level.
I remember a WR named Dorial Green Beckham who blew everyone away at the Combine years ago and quickly failed in the NFL.
Perhaps the NFL found another way to make money by creating a 3 day combine event.
AES,
I think the best teams use the combine as a convenient centralized spot to hold interviews.
Makes one wonder how the NFL got along before the combine started back in 1982.
Back then teams had to fly in prospects or send coaches out to meet them.
Players like Bradshaw, Marino, Montana and even back to Deacon Jones and Dick Butkus (HOF) among many others certainly did not need any combine to showcase their talent.
My, how the game has changed.
The combine serves it’s purpose and physical traits are surely a big part of the process but there is so much more.
Felix,
Its called the combine love affair. At least 5 or 6 players of any position will find themselves jumping up 2 to 3 rounds on their combine numbers alone. Al Davis had about one every draft. Solomon Thomas may have been one for the 49ers. Other than JL loving Stanford players Thomas had a pretty Avg. college career (other than his last game at Stanford) but his combine numbers were great. We drafted him with the third pick of the draft and the rest is history.
Probably a good reason why so many coaches don’t even show up anymore. Most of the physical traits are already known or are available before hand. The combine is mostly a meet and greet function. I don’t see see how anyone would put a high draft pick on Richardsons as a QB with a 54% completion rate in college.
The wildcat is primarily a running formation in which an athletic player (usually a running back or a receiver who runs well) takes the place of the team’s usual quarterback in a shotgun formation while the quarterback lines up wide as a flanker or is replaced by another player.
Knute Rockne Notre Dame Box ? Rockne’s “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” ran the formation to perfection, earning their place in college football lore through domination of the college football universe with this formation.
When I get paid $100Million per year I always follow through on the job.
Billy Kilmer was drafted by the 49ers in 1961 after playing as a tailback for UCLA. The idea was to use him for his running skills in Red Hickey’s shotgun formation. Box, single wing, shotgun, wildcat – same song with a different meaning. There is nothing new in the universe some would say.
Born in 1993, I do not recall Kilmer. Daddy talks about Brodie sometimes and said he was a no-run but accurate passer. I missed Montana and Garcia but I do love Purdy!
My reaction to both Baker Mayfield and Robbie Gould is: Meh. I don’t like Baker Mayfield as a person. I think he’s a Delta Bravo. As a QB, he hasn’t been good in the NFL. I think he could be a decent backup if Brock isn’t ready, so if Lynch signs Baker for backup money then so be it. Many other guys can fill that role so I’ll just wait and see what happens. No one should get excited on that signing because no matter who the 49ers sign, that QB won’t be the future. They will be a stop gap solution to an unfortunate problem. As for Gould, he mostly did his job. As long as the 49ers don’t sign Captain Ahab then I’m all good.
I remember the post R. Wersching years. I also remember 1976 Steve (miss a mile) Mike-Mayer. The quickest way to destroy a good/great team is a bad FG kicker. I wanted the 9ers to sign a KO specialist and resign Gould but I guess the price is too high. I just hope we aren’t signing the Scott Norwood blues next year at this time.