Matthew Stafford is on the cusp of becoming available, and several quarterback-needy teams could express interest. Could that include Kyle Shanahan, John Lynch, and the San Francisco 49ers? Is Stafford enough of an upgrade over Jimmy Garoppolo for the 49ers to make the switch and give up draft capital in the process?

"I'm not convinced the 49ers are definitely moving on from Jimmy Garoppolo, who is well-liked and 24-9 (including playoffs) as the starter in San Francisco," wrote ESPN's Jeremy Fowler while examining nine potential destinations for Stafford. "But when you ask people around the league for potential fits for Stafford, San Francisco almost always comes up. Stafford's arm would add a dimension to Kyle Shanahan's multitier attack."

Of course, the 49ers have been linked to almost every potentially available quarterback. As soon as it sounded like Aaron Rodgers was contemplating his future with the Green Bay Packers, some immediately started drawing a dotted line from the quarterback to the 49ers, the team for which he grew up cheering.

Then you have the Deshaun Watson speculation, and many dreaming of what a quarterback with his elite skill set would look like in a Shanahan offense.


Shanahan and Lynch have expressed confidence in Garoppolo being the 49ers' Week 1 starter in 2021 but haven't dismissed the possibility that a move — at any position — might be made if it is viewed as an upgrade.

Is Stafford the answer, though?

"He has the arm and is an underrated athlete, so he's scheme-versatile," one NFC exec told Fowler. "They could do a lot of different things with him [in San Francisco]."

So, what would it cost to acquire Stafford? Fowler believes it would be costly, but not nearly as outrageous as the haul Houston will likely pull in for Watson. The ESPN writer is hearing that those around the league feel a first- and second-rounder could get a deal done.

The 49ers have the advantage of owning a quarterback with at least some trade value in Garoppolo, too. That, coupled with the No. 12 overall pick, could make for a nice package for Detroit, assuming Garoppolo approves the move. He has a no-trade clause for this year.


Added Fowler: "San Francisco has $11.2 million in cap space and might need roster concessions to make it work: Slashing a few veteran salaries or parting with left tackle Trent Williams, who's eager to hit free agency. All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner needs a new deal, too."
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