The Rams’ trade ups the ante for everyone in the NFC West
Now that the Rams have once again jumped into the deep end of the pool with a high-end acquisition, the pressure is on the 49ers, Cardinals and Seahawks to respond in kind. More than maybe any other NFC West team, San Francisco is walking a tightrope.
The NFC West is a strange division. The Seahawks have basically had their way with the 49ers in the Pete Carroll era. The 49ers have basically controlled the Rams under Sean McVay, and the Rams have given the Seahawks issues for years. Now that Matthew Stafford will be in Los Angeles, can the 49ers risk potentially struggling with another team in the division if they don’t upgrade at quarterback?
If the Niners’ braintrust chooses to stand pat, stick with Jimmy Garoppolo, and use their draft picks to bolster the team around him for 2021, they may come out smelling like a rose- if Garoppolo plays well in 16 healthy games.
If Garoppolo doesn’t play well, or can’t play a whole season, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch are going to have something all over their faces – and it will be a lot worse than egg. There’s a fine line between not exceeding your value on a player and trying to outsmart the room. It’s certainly way too early in the offseason to accuse the 49ers of doing that, but many in the fanbase will see it that way should we see another repeat of last season.
In uneasy times, sometimes circumstances dictate action. Time will tell if the 49ers’ front office views things the same way.
You can hear more on this as well as some other options for the Niners now that Stafford is off the table in today’s Stats & Eggs Podcast, which is waiting for you below and on every major podcast platform on planet Earth.
Other topics in today’s episode
-Tim Kawakami’s potential QB options
-One former NFL QB that could help Deshaun Watson land in San Francisco
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