49ers mailbag: Time to worry about Trent Williams? Is a QB coming in Round 1 of the draft?
Tuesday afternoon’s deadline to give players the franchise tag came and went with the 49ers standing pat and not tagging anyone.
That was hardly a surprise, given the only tag candidate they have, left tackle Trent Williams, has a clause in his contract preventing him from getting the tag, so he’ll hit the open market.
With that, let’s get into this week’s mailbag ahead of next week’s free agency extravaganza when the new league year begins March 17.
(Note: Questions were edited for grammar and clarity.)
@SanFranSoon asks: I get the feeling that if the 49ers can’t re-sign Williams, it changes everything. The draft, free agency, Jimmy Garoppolo’s status with the team — I just don’t see an offensive tackle that coach Kyle Shanahan will fall in love with in free agency and therefore will be less aggressive in looking for his QB of the future. Am I overreacting?
You make a good point. Last month I wrote about Williams being the biggest domino of the team’s offseason.
Whatever happens with Williams dictates what the 49ers are going to do in free agency and the draft in a big way. If they don’t sign him, they’ll have the money to dip into free agency at other positions, like pass rusher, cornerback and center (Green Bay Packers All-Pro Corey Linsley comes to mind), on top of trying to find Williams’ replacement.
But I don’t think it will have a significant impact on the team’s quarterback situation, other than to say the 49ers would be a more appealing destination for Deshaun Watson, should he exert his leverage and force a trade to Santa Clara. That could be an advantage the 49ers have over other Watson destinations.
So, yes, I think you’re overreacting. Shanahan’s decision on quarterback won’t be impacted by Williams’ status. If you’re looking for a silver lining to Williams leaving, it’s that the team will have money to spend elsewhere.
@gonzo7v asks: Thanks for always doing these! My question is, who would you predict to fill the quarterback room (three QBs) at the beginning of the season?
You’re very welcome. Always happy to see how well these mailbags are received.
I’m going to say Jimmy Garoppolo, quarterback Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen.
There’s been a lot of smoke about Darnold recently and he would make sense as a backup to Garoppolo with a chance at developing into a starter in 2022. But I would cap the trade at a third-round pick. Otherwise, I’d rather draft a quarterback in Round 2 than trade a second-round pick for Darnold, who was the NFL’s lowest rated quarterback last season with the New York Jets.
And no, I don’t think it would make sense to trade for Darnold and then get rid of Garoppolo. That’s far from an upgrade for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. Darnold as a backup is the best of both worlds: he’s young enough to develop, but has also played in enough games that you wouldn’t be terrified of him having to play if Garoppolo got hurt.
Then in 2022 you can make a decision about which guy to keep around.
@jcousins_video asks: The way George Kittle’s contract took some time to finalize the details, are you “worried” that a deal isn’t done yet with Williams? I feel he’s the biggest signing this offseason since no matter who’s QB, it’s gonna be rough if Trent isn’t there. The NFC West is gonna be a war.
I think this is playing out just as everyone expected. Williams said after the season he was looking forward to seeing what the market holds, given left tackles of his caliber rarely, if ever, hit the open market.
The legal tampering period begins March 15, two days before deals can officially get signed. So I’m expecting him to agree to a deal after he sees what other teams are offering.
I still believe the 49ers are the favorites to re-sign him, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if a team like the Indianapolis Colts, who have $44 million in cap space, offer Williams more than San Francisco does.
@EvrettDaze asks: Do you think the Shanahan/John Lynch non-hot seat window was extended by the coronavirus pandemic season?
They both received contract extensions last offseason, with Shanahan under contract through 2025 and Lynch through 2024. So barring a healthy season, unlike 2020, when the team failed to reach the postseason, it’s hard to imagine either of them getting put on the hot seat anytime soon.
That said, there’s serious potential to bungle the quarterback situation this year. So never say never.
@Bronze0206 asks: What do you think is better: Pay Williams $20 million if that or draft Rashawn Slater to have more cap money.
Here’s an idea: How about both?
The 49ers could bring back Williams and draft Slater to play right guard or center. And Slater could eventually move to right tackle if Mike McGlinchey is unable to rebound from last season. Either way, bringing back Williams and adding Slater would give San Francisco the potential to have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. That would be a big boost to the running game and whoever plays quarterback.
But if I had to choose between paying Williams and drafting Slater (or another prospect), I’d rather pay Williams. The 49ers are going to have to protect their quarterback if they have eyes on getting back to the Super Bowl and it’s no guarantee Slater would be anywhere near Williams’ level as a rookie.
Plus, Slater might be long gone by the time the 49ers pick at No. 12.
I think the best plan is to pay Williams and trade back to get as many second- and third-round picks as possible. The 49ers have a ton of needs and landing high-end prospects early in the draft is the best way to fill them. They could use a cornerback, pass rusher, interior offensive lineman and potentially a backup quarterback. Another pass catcher wouldn’t be a bad addition, either.
@katisu_Sempai asks: What are the chances the Niners draft a QB in the first round? Seeing as they have Jimmy G under contract, would it be wild to see Kyle drafting a QB to be mentored by Jimmy?
I think it’s possible, especially if someone like Trey Lance or Mac Jones were to fall to No. 12.
However, I think the 49ers would likely have to trade up to get a quarterback, given how many teams have needs under center. And I just can’t picture San Francisco offering up what it would take to get one of the top names in the class. I’d think Shanahan would prefer to give those kind of assets for Watson.
Keep in mind, there’s not a great track record for quarterbacks teams trade up for recently. The success stories of Patrick Mahomes, Watson and Josh Allen are accompanied by the failings of Blaine Gabbert, Johnny Manziel, Paxton Lynch, Mitchell Trubisky, Darnold and Rosen. The Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams also traded the farm for Carson Wentz and Jared Goff, respectively, and we’ve seen how that worked out.
I wouldn’t be shocked if the team wound up with Jones. But if he were available at 12, and the New England Patriots held their pick at 15, I’d have to think the 49ers wouldn’t mind trading back three spots for a package including a Day 2 pick.
On the other hand, if Daniel Jones can go sixth overall in 2019, why couldn’t Jones go in the top 10 this year? He seems like a much more polished prospect with a lot more momentum going into the draft.
Point being, there might not be any quarterbacks available when San Francisco goes on the clock.
