The San Francisco 49ers were reportedly interested in signing Andy Dalton this offseason. The former Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys quarterback ended up signing a one-year, $10 million deal with the Chicago Bears, where he will help mentor rookie Justin Fields.
That was too pricey for the 49ers, apparently,
According to analyst Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network, head coach Kyle Shanahan really wanted to add Dalton and wasn’t happy when the veteran quarterback slipped through the 49ers’ fingertips.
“They wanted to sign Andy Dalton in free agency as their veteran quarterback and then trade (Jimmy) Garoppolo and draft Lance,” Pauline wrote in a recent mailbag. “I’m told Shanahan was pretty upset when they did not land Dalton.”
Who knows what might have happened, had San Francisco been able to sign Dalton? If Pauline’s report is accurate, Shanahan obviously thought highly of the 33-year-old veteran quarterback. Ten days after Chicago added Dalton, the 49ers traded up nine spots in the draft to the No. 3 overall spot.
What would the quarterback room look like right now with Dalton on the roster? Would Garoppolo even be on the roster right now? Would it have been Dalton, Lance, and another quarterback?
When San Francisco was looking into acquiring a veteran quarterback — Joe Flacco was another — it was largely assumed the team wanted a reliable backup for Garoppolo, should the quarterback miss more time. Maybe they had a different plan in mind.
Garoppolo remains a part of the roster and is slated to be the starter when Week 1 of the 2021 season arrives. There is no hurry for Lance to get onto the football field. He will be able to sit and learn behind Garoppolo.
“I stated all along Lance was the best fit for the Shanahan offense,” Pauline added. “He processes information quicker than Fields, and his arm strength and physical skills are light years ahead of (Mac) Jones.”
More San Francisco 49ers News
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By David Bonilla
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Aaron Rodgers reportedly does not want to return to the Green Bay Packers. According to Pro Football Talk, the quarterback wanted the Packers to take the San Francisco 49ers’ offer when the Bay Area team came calling on Wednesday. The Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders are also on Rodgers’ list of desired destinations.
From unimpeachable source: As of last night, Aaron Rodgers’ wish list was 49ers, Broncos, Raiders (not necessarily in that order). He wanted Packers to take the 49ers’ offer. Next move by Rodgers is TBD.— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk)
John Lynch on 49ers’ draft secrecy: “We just wanted to see how far it could go”
By David Bonilla
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It was maddening for San Francisco 49ers fans. It was maddening for all NFL fans and even much of the media. Social media has not been a fun place since the team traded up to the No. 3 overall pick on March 26. There was so much rampant speculation surrounding what the 49ers might do, and the team’s brass was playing it close to the vest, refusing to offer any hints.
There were reports that even those inside the building, like coaches and some front-office personnel, didn’t even know which direction head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch were leaning. Even CEO Jed York joked on Thursday that he had no idea. That, of course, turned out to be a lie as York proceeded to further mess with the fanbase with some cryptic tweets.
“We were in the bunker,”
QB Mac Jones says he “secretly” wanted to get picked by Patriots
By Kirk Larrabee
Apr 29, 2021
After weeks of reports saying it would likely happen, quarterback Mac Jones won’t be joining the San Francisco 49ers. And that seems to be just fine by him.
Jones was mentioned by a number of reporters as the likely choice of the 49ers ever since they traded up from pick 12 to pick 3 in March. But when the time came for the 49ers to make their selection at pick 3 Thursday night, Jones was left at the altar while the 49ers decided to hitch their wagon to Trey Lance.
Jones fell to pick 15 in the first round, where he was scooped up by the New England Patriots. Not long after the Patriots made him their selection, Jones told reporters that New England was where he was hoping to wind up from the beginning.
“At the end of the day, you just kind of want to
49ers’ Kyle Shanahan says parting with Jimmy Garoppolo would be hard now that a rookie QB is on the way
By Kirk Larrabee
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When the question arose during 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch’s predraft press conference of whether or not quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo would still be on the 49ers roster at the end of this week, Shanahan at first gave a very unusual and cryptic answer.
Shanahan and Lynch were asked directly early in Monday’s press conference if they could guarantee Garoppolo would remain with the team through Sunday, given the fact they intend to draft his eventual replacement with the third overall pick in this week’s NFL Draft. Shanahan answered in the negative — in his own, unique way.
“I can’t guarantee that anybody in the world will be alive Sunday, so I can’t guarantee who will be on our roster on Sunday,” Shanahan said. “So that goes for