By now, you’ve heard plenty of rumors. The San Francisco 49ers are now starting anew. A new face at general manager (John Lynch), at head coach (Kyle Shanahan) and despite what those rumors illustrate, a new face should come at quarterback as well.
If you haven’t heard the rumors, the 49ers have been tied to quarterbacks Kirk Cousins, Jay Cutler, Matt Schaub, and even current quarterback, Colin Kaepernick. I am here to say that none of those names should be under center in the Bay Area when the Niners kick off their 2017 season.
A new GM and a new head coach plus a roster that needs considerable fixing should be capped with a fresh face at quarterback. A rookie more specifically. In late April, the Niners will have their share of talent to choose from. North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, and Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer are the first round headliners at QB. Some feel that bringing in a veteran quarterback via trade or free agency will help the 49ers offense immensely. That for one will not be the case. Granted, the 49ers are looking at a projected cap space of $82 million dollars this offseason. Which is enough to buy almost half-a-team. I expect San Francisco to be shopping with an open mind this offseason. Hopefully, the rookie general manager in John Lynch does not get wide-eyed in free agency.
History has shown that in many cases, it has been smart to pair up a first time/new head coach with a first time/rookie quarterback. Look at the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999 for example. Pairing up then-rookie head coach Andy Reid with rookie draft pick Donovan McNabb led the Eagles to success. To the tune of nine double-digit win seasons, five NFC Championship game berths, and a Super Bowl berth. Things have fared solidly for the Joe Flacco/John Harbaugh pairing in Baltimore with a Super Bowl title in hand.
Throwing a $100 million dollar contract to Cousins will not win games in San Francisco. Trusting the future in the hands of a quarterback with 94 career passes (Garoppolo) may also not equal to wins. Mortgaging crucial assets such as draft picks to get him will not equate to wins. At the same time, it will also be a considerable risk. Especially with the team not having an armory of weapons at the skill positions on offense.
Thinking that the presence of Jay Cutler will put the 49ers over the hump is a failure waiting to happen also. Someone who has been mildly inconsistent during his career to say the least. The 49ers offense needs a couple of offseasons of work. Mixing that facet with a QB such as Cutler seems like a bad recipe. It is important to point out the familiarity between Cutler and Shanahan. The QB played for the Denver Broncos between 2006-2008, while Shanahan was an assistant coach. Cutler has been known for not being the easiest teammate to get along with. Can we really say that a 33-year-old QB with a hefty contract will be a model citizen on a talent-depleted offense?
This is a storied franchise that has fallen on hard times. The ending of the Harbaugh era brought on Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly as head coaches since the beginning of the 2014 season. Of course neither one has produced stellar results. Now the franchise turns to a first-time young head coach. They also turn to a brand spanking new general manager. For a team that has already extensively stabilized roots within the front office and head coach, it may be best to build the team from the ground up, starting at the quarterback spot.
