The San Francisco 49ers have had a quarterback linked to trade speculations in back-to-back offseasons. They kept Jimmy Garoppolo last year, which paid off well, but things seem pretty different for Trey Lance this time.
Since Brock Purdy is expected to start for the 49ers, clubs have reportedly asked about Lance’s availability, as Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported.
After Garoppolo (broken foot) was replaced by Purdy in Week 13, San Francisco advanced to the NFC Championship Game in 2022. Lance broke his ankle in Week 2, and Garoppolo started in his place.
The 49ers landed quarterback Sam Darnold in free agency the same month Purdy had successful elbow surgery.
While Purdy is out recovering from surgery, head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters at the NFL owners’ meetings that he “expects” Lance and Darnold to share first-team reps. He also mentioned that the former can get back to square one and start over.
Ironically, when the 49ers traded up to pick Trey Lance, the public wasn’t sure if the pick would be Trey Lance or Mac Jones. And recently, rumors were surfacing that Mac Jones was available for trade.
In May, Lance will turn 23; at this point in his career, he is still an unpolished talent. The 49ers’ quarterback has not only thrown for 797 yards, five scores, and three picks on a 54.9 percent completion rate, but he has also run for 235 yards and a score in eight games.
The 49ers may feel more comfortable moving ahead with Purdy after seeing him play much better than Lance in limited action. However, the latter has attracted attention, most likely due to his vast unrealized potential.
The prospective market worth of former first-round quarterback Lance, if the 49ers decide to move him, may be estimated by looking at prior deals involving clubs who traded such quarterbacks while still in their rookie contracts.
The Arizona Cardinals sent 2018’s 10th overall selection, quarterback Josh Rosen, to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for picks in the second and fifth rounds in 2019 and 2020, respectively. The Cardinals traded Rosen following a disastrous rookie season in which he threw 11 touchdown passes against 14 interceptions for a completion percentage of 55. In the 2019 NFL draft, they picked Kyler Murray first overall.
Darnold, the third overall selection in 2018, was dealt by the New York Jets to the Carolina Panthers in 2021 for a sixth-round pick in 2021 and second- and fourth-round picks in 2022. In 38 games over three seasons with Gang Green, Darnold had a completion percentage of 59.8% and threw for 45 touchdowns and 39 interceptions.
The 49ers may struggle to get a second-round pick in exchange for Lance. After the disappointing outcomes of the Rosen and Darnold trades, general managers may be more hesitant to acquire former first-round quarterbacks in future transactions.
Furthermore, remember that 2020 was Lance’s last year at North Dakota State and he only played nine games then. He is very much in his raw state.
Considering the foregoing, we’ve come up with five trade proposals that interested parties may provide to the 49ers in exchange for Lance.
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