Rumors of Sam Darnold’s availability in the commercial market will grow as the new league year and the NFL draft approach. The 49ers have been linked to a potential Darnold transaction in various hypothetical transactions, but nothing substantial has been reported about San Francisco’s interest in the quarterback.
If he thought of making such a move, it would not be cheap.
Peter King, from NBC Sports, wrote in the Football Morning in America column that there is a league-level interest in Darnold that would cost at least a big pick in the second round.
From the King:
No team in the next 14 months has a better draft situation than the Jets. Currently they own a decent piece of real estate in Sam Darnold. He deserves, at least, a high selection in the second round in this draft – 39 overall for Carolina, maybe 40 for Denver or 43 for San Francisco. (49ers are my personal favorite.)
The 49ers make sense as a landing point for Darnold, as much of the former no. 3 in the last three years with the Jets can be attributed to the organizational failures around him. San Francisco has an infrastructure at its disposal, along with the offensive scheme of head coach Kyle Shanahan, which could raise Darnold to a higher level of play than he has achieved so far in his career.
On the other hand, moving a second-round pick to him means the team would likely be aiming to get him started this season as he is in the final year of his rookie offer. Using a second-round selection on a backup that could go to the free agency next year is probably not a prudent use of a premium choice for a team with as many holes as 49ers.
We theorized that the club could move a middle choice for Darnold to bring him to the building as a backup and see what he can do in practice before offering an extra-season extension. It would be worth a mid-range selection to find out what Darnold looks like in Shanahan’s offense. A choice in the second round presents a much higher risk.
Finally, the 49ers need to identify a player who can be their long-term answer if Garoppolo doesn’t pick up his game or stay healthy in 2021. If Darnold is that player, then it makes sense to get him – even for a second round picks. If there is any question about him, however, the choice would be better used on a rookie without a poor performance history in 38 NFL starts.