2021 NFL Draft: 3 Team fits for Senior Bowl QB Jamie Newman
San Francisco 49ers
Some may see a 49ers divorce from Jimmy Garoppolo as inevitable given his poor performances and problems staying on the field, but publicly San Francisco has been supportive of its starting quarterback.
The 49ers can save over $24 million by parting with Garoppolo in the offseason, according to Spotrac. However, general manager John Lynch recently told KNBR, per The San Francisco Chronicle, that the 49ers have “a lot of belief” in the former Patriot.
That could just be San Francisco’s personnel chief keeping his cards close to his chest but, if the Niners do elect to give Garoppolo another season, then they are a clear candidate to spend a day-two or day-three pick on Newman.
Indeed, backups Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard have done little to suggest they can be viable long-term alternatives to Garoppolo, who would benefit from having competition from a rookie with superior physical tools.
Newman may not yet process at the level required to run Kyle Shanahan’s offense, but his physical tools give him the ceiling to elevate it to another level were he to be selected by San Francisco.
Because of his apparent desire to have quarterbacks who operate within the structure of his offense, dual-threat signal-callers are seen as an awkward fit for the Shanahan scheme.
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However, Newman’s Wake Forest tape was not that of a quarterback who looks likely to consistently freelance and, should San Francisco keep Garoppolo around, the 49ers would be wise to try to acquire and develop the former Demon Deacon to give them a backup with the potential to make the offense more explosive than it has been with Garoppolo under center.