Tag: NFL trades

Some necessary facts to remember about 49ers QB situation

The #49ers QB saga has been clouded by speculation, so let’s look at some facts:

Speculation and questions have dominated the 49ers quarterback conversation since the minute they traded up to No. 3 in the 2021 draft. Those questions didn’t stop when they drafted Trey Lance, and now they’re still roaring as the club gets ready to transition to their new signal caller.

A lot of those questions are driven by rumors and ‘what ifs.’ It’s understandable that the conversation about an NFL team’s uncertain quarterback situation has gotten loud after more than a year to talk about it. The volume and the length of the discussion has led to some of its basic facts to get buried. What should be driving the conversation is instead relegated to silence in a media cycle that thrives on takes.

So let’s look at what we know about the 49ers’ QB situation, and get to the basics to see if we can make a projection about how this all finally concludes:

Carolina Panthers trade for QB Baker Mayfield

The Carolina Panthers trade for QB Baker Mayfield. The Lions play at the Panthers on Christmas Eve.

When the Detroit Lions visit the Carolina Panthers on Christmas Eve, they’re likely to be facing a different starting quarterback than what has been the expectation. The Panthers have traded for former Cleveland Browns starter Baker Mayfield.

Adding Mayfield for a conditional Day 3 pick in the 2024 NFL draft means that the Lions will be facing a more familiar adversary. Mayfield led the Browns to a 13-10 win against the visiting Lions in Week 11 last year. There is also experience against Mayfield from the annual preseason matchup between the two Great Lakes rivals. Mayfield, who was playing injured when he faced Detroit, completed 15-of-29 passes for 176 yards and a touchdown against the then-winless Lions.

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Carolina still has Sam Darnold on the roster for a second season. The Panthers also traded up in the 2022 NFL draft to select Ole Miss QB Matt Corral. Darnold and Mayfield are each making $18.9 million on the fifth-year option of their rookie contracts as the top two picks of the 2018 draft.

 

Albert Breer expects Jimmy Garoppolo trade talks to ramp up soon

Albert Breer expects Jimmy Garoppolo trade talks to ramp up in next two weeks. #49ers

Shoulder surgery for Jimmy Garoppolo put a halt on trade talks for the 49ers’ quarterback. Interest in Garoppolo could be ramping up soon though as teams wrap up their mandatory minicamps.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer on Tuesday in an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show said he expects interest for Garoppolo and Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield to climb as we move into the middle of June.

While the talks may ramp up, the surgically repaired throwing shoulder will still be the key to any market that forms for Garoppolo.

“Then with Jimmy it’s just about getting him to the point where he can throw again,” Breer said. “So if he can demonstrate he can throw at the end of the month, which is sort of the target, then I think the dynamic could change with him a little bit too.”

The problem that arises for the 49ers is most of the quarterback movement happened months ago prior to free agency. Teams signed and traded a slew of big-name QBs, leaving Garoppolo floating in the wind with his banged up shoulder.

With so much movement via trade, free agency and the draft, the market may have dried up. Breer did offer a few potential solutions for San Francisco though.

“We want to get a look at Sam Darnold in Ben McAdoo’s offense. We want to get a look at Matt Corral, how he comes along coming from a simplistic college offense, then we’re gonna reassess after we’re done with the offseason program,” Breer said describing the Panthers’ mindset. “So that’s why I’m saying in about a week and a half Carolina, Seattle, those teams I think are going to have probably a better idea overall of where they are at quarterback. And that’s when I think those talks resume .. whether it’s San Francisco and Carolina, Cleveland and Carolina, Seattle and San Francisco – whatever it is … I think some of those talks get rekindled at the end of next week.”

The 49ers have hung on to Garoppolo through the offseason in hopes of finding a trade partner for him. They could’ve cut him with big cap savings at any time during the offseason. San Francisco still believes there’s value in Garoppolo, and their bet may be right depending on how the QB depth charts shake out in Carolina, Seattle and Cleveland heading into July.

If a team is going to trade for a signal caller at this point they’ll want to do so as soon as possible to get that player in the building and learning the playbook. Then they can hit the ground running in training camp.

Regardless of what conclusion the Garoppolo saga has, it sounds like the end of the road is coming sooner rather than later.

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Falcons trade for Bryan Edwards: Twitter reactions, fan grades

Falcons fans are feeling good after the team acquired 6-foot-3 WR Bryan Edwards in a trade with the Raiders on Friday.

Sometimes you just have to give credit where it’s due, and Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot deserves credit for pulling off what appears to be a steal of a trade with the Raiders to acquire 23-year-old wide receiver Bryan Edwards.

Atlanta sent a 2023 fifth-round pick to Las Vegas for Edwards and a 2023 seventh-rounder. So for very little, Fontenot got a starting-caliber wideout to play on the outside. Edwards is coming off a career-best 34 catches for 571 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 2021. Plus, at 6-foot-3, he provides Atlanta with another big target on offense.

Check out the best Twitter reactions and make sure to grade the trade in our fan poll below.

Rapoport: Lions made an offer to the 49ers for WR Deebo Samuel

The Lions and Jets made offers to the 49ers but San Francisco still wasn’t interested in dealing Deebo

It’s a moot point now that Jameson Williams is in the den, but the Detroit Lions did indeed try and upgrade the receiving corps by making a trade offer to the San Francisco 49ers for All-Pro Deebo Samuel. NFL insider Ian Rapoport confirmed those rumors in an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.

Samuel has demanded a trade from the 49ers, but the team is sticking to its guns and not even considering offers for him. They didn’t even listen to offers from the Lions and the New York Jets, according to Rapoport.

After Rapoport details the Jets offer (No. 10 overall and a pick swap), he adds this about the Lions interest in Samuel,

“The Lions had an offer on the table,” Rapoport said. “The Lions ended up moving up for Jameson Williams so they got their guy … the 49ers just wouldn’t engage.”

Rapoport did not say any specifics on what the Lions offer was to acquire Samuel. Detroit packaged three picks (32, 34, 66) to move up to No. 12 overall to draft Williams, also receiving the No. 46 picking return from the Minnesota Vikings.

Falcons named as logical landing spot for QB Kyler Murray

CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin listed the Falcons as one of 10 potential landing spots for Murray if the Cardinals were to trade the star QB.

Just when it seemed like things were looking up for the Cardinals and disgruntled quarterback Kyler Murrray, the former No. 1 pick’s agent has reportedly pulled his contract proposal to the team.

Murray, 24, likely doesn’t want to play on a fifth-year option and has been pushing to work out an extension with the franchise he led to the playoffs in 2021. Even though it appears Arizona has every intention of keeping Murray, people are already speculating about different trade scenarios.

CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin listed the Falcons as one of 10 potential landing spots for Murray if the Cardinals were to trade him.

49ers GM John Lynch doesn’t foresee releasing Jimmy Garoppolo

John Lynch seems content with keeping Jimmy Garoppolo on the #49ers … for now.

The 49ers, at least outwardly, look poised to keep quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for the 2022 season if they’re unable to find a trade partner. General manager John Lynch on Monday at the NFL owners meetings in Florida told reporters outright releasing Garoppolo and his sizable salary cap hit aren’t among the club’s options.

“I don’t foresee that,” Lynch said via NBC Sports Bay Area. “He’s too good a player. So, I don’t foresee that. I think Jimmy will be playing for us or he’ll be playing for someone else. He’s too good a player not to be.”

This is the right line of thinking to have for a GM aiming to maximize the value of an asset. If teams know the 49ers are content releasing Garoppolo they’ll be less willing to come to the table in trade talks.

The problem now is the starting jobs around the league are drying up and the 49ers may be forced come training camp to either release Garoppolo or roll forward with a full-blown QB battle in camp. While San Francisco would surely like to avoid another year with question marks hovering around the most important position, Lynch said he doesn’t anticipate it being a problem if Garoppolo sticks around.

“I don’t think it ever was awkward last year,” Lynch said. “I don’t want to speak for those guys. I think Jimmy at the end when he was saying his farewell, he may have indicated that. But it never felt awkward. I think I give both those guys credit for that. I give the lines of communication between (head coach) Kyle (Shanahan), and Rich Scangarello who was the quarterback coach, all that credit for – I don’t think it ever felt awkward. Like I said, I think when you have strength at that position it’s a good thing for your team.”

Lynch’s point is a good one that having more good QBs in the building is better than having fewer good QBs, but in the instance where Garoppolo is the backup signal caller it means San Francisco is paying him $26.95 million to be the QB2.

The issue there is one of the advantages of drafting a quarterback is getting him on a rookie contract. The 49ers burned Year 1 of Lance’s rookie deal by not playing him. Keeping Garoppolo’s massive contract on the books for another year virtually eliminates another year of the rookie contract advantage under center.

San Francisco may not necessarily need the cap space, but there are a ton of obstacles that come with keeping Garoppolo in the building while trying to hand the reins over to Lance in his second season.

The 49ers seem content with holding onto their veteran signal caller for now, but as he gets healthier post-shoulder surgery and the season draws closer, it’ll be a surprise if their tune doesn’t change when it comes to keeping Garoppolo in a 49ers uniform.

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Chiefs trade All Pro WR Tyreek Hill to Dolphins for five draft picks

Chiefs break up that ‘pick-your-poison’ offense by sending WR Tyreek Hill to Miami for five draft picks

A day after the Raiders introduced their new All Pro receiver who they acquired in trade, the Chiefs have traded away their All Pro receiver.

Tyreek Hill — who has been a thorn in the side of the Chiefs’ AFC West rivals for the past six seasons — is now headed for Miami in a blockbuster trade.

As Schefter notes, the deal sends five draft picks to Kansas City in exchange for the 28-year-old speedster. Only one of those picks is a first round pick, that being the Dolphins’ pick at 29 overall which they acquired from the 49ers.

They also give up their picks in the second round (50) and fourth round in this draft along with picks in the fourth and sixth round next year.

For what it’s worth, the Raiders got the 29-year-old Davante Adams for their first and second round picks in this draft.

Both receivers were traded rather than get the big payday they wanted from their previous club.

It’s ironic really considering literally just yesterday Davante Adams was saying the Raiders offense could be like the Chiefs ‘pick-your-poison‘ offense, and mentioned Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce by name.

Now the Chiefs will be hoping Mecole Hardman and JuJu Smith-Schuster can fill the void left by Hill’s departure.

The Lions unexpectedly get involved in the Deshaun Watson trade

One of the draft picks on the move from Cleveland to Houston originally belonged to the Lions

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No, the Detroit Lions are not a key player in the trade between the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans that sent quarterback Deshaun Watson to Cleveland. But a change in the trade terms from what was originally reported does rope the Lions into the transaction — indirectly.

When the NFL revealed the official trade transaction, the picks included in the deal from Cleveland were different than what was expected. An extra draft pick was included, the No. 107 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

That’s the pick that the Lions traded to the Browns during the draft last year. Detroit dealt the future pick to Cleveland to move up and select LB Derrick Barnes. The Lions packaged a fifth-round pick last year and the fourth-rounder in 2022 to snag the Purdue standout. Detroit also received the seventh-round pick that became RB Jermar Jefferson in the deal.

From the NFL’s official transaction log:

Raiders trade for Packers WR Davante Adams

Breaking: Raiders acquire WR Davante Adams in trade with Packers

The move that many were hoping might happen, but thought it was pipe dreams is now beoming a reality. The Raiders are acquiring Davante Adams from the Packers according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Raiders are expected to give Adams a huge five-year, $141.25 million deal upon acquisition according to NFL media’s Ian Rapoport.

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