San Francisco 49ers: Jimmy Garoppolo A Possible QB Solution

The San Francisco 49ers have all sorts of questions left unanswered at the quarterback position, and experts continue to seek out solutions.

As things stand it looks like the preseason will be a one-on-one showdown between Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert for the starting job in 2016. Kaepernick is the once up-and-coming star who led the team to the Super Bowl four years ago but has since seen his production diminish each year before bottom out last season, confounded further by injury. Gabbert was the man to replace him. A former 1st round pick, he suffered through some ugly years in Jacksonville but played better than expected in his eight starts.

He finished with 2,031 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions. On top of that, he also ran for 185 yards and another touchdown. It was certainly a strong enough performance to convince new head coach Chip Kelly he deserves prime consideration in the competition to come. However, doubts linger about whether either he or Kaepernick are really the long-term answer for this team. Perhaps it might be better to start fresh.

One name that has surfaced recently? New England Patriots backup Jimmy Garoppolo. The former 2nd round pick is getting lots of attention of late ever since Tom Brady gave up his court battles and decided to accept his four-game suspension for Deflategate. Many feel if Garoppolo can perform well as a starter in his absence, the young QB’s stock will skyrocket on the trade market.

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Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports pinpointed this 49ers team as his most likely potential landing spot.

"“Garoppolo makes a lot of sense here. The 49ers added some 2017 draft ammunition by acquiring extra picks in the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds. They also have the salary-cap room to build around a quarterback quickly. All they seem to lack is a candidate who fits into Kelly’s system. Garoppolo might be that player.When Kelly was coaching the Philadelphia Eagles, Garoppolo was a subject of internal conversations prior to the 2014 draft. At that time, he was considered a good fit for Kelly’s scheme. Indeed, Garoppolo may not need to thrive in his stint as a starter to draw Kelly’s eye. If he can showcase enough of the traits Kelly liked before the 2014 draft (quick decisions, quick delivery and enough athleticism), he could be seen as a player who will blossom with added opportunity.”"

Kelly certainly does have a reputation for stockpiling quarterbacks wherever and however he can get them. In just three years with the Eagles he had four different starters at the position. It’s not hard to imagine he’d love the chance to work with one like Garoppolo. The Eastern Illinois alum threw for over 13,156 yards in just 45 games with 118 touchdowns. He also demonstrated sneaky running ability with eight more scores on the ground.

The talent is there. What the San Francisco 49ers will want to see, assuming they do have interest is whether he can show that same ability against bigger, faster and smarter defenses in the NFL.

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