NFL Rumors: Kyle Shanahan Targeting Jimmy Garoppolo, Matt Schaub for 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers are in need of a new quarterback, and Kyle Shanahan unsurprisingly has his eyes on Jimmy Garoppolo, but also Matt Schaub.

A new era is in the works for the San Francisco 49ers, and fans can only hope that Kyle Shanahan lasts longer than either Jim Tomsula or Chip Kelly, both of whom were doomed to fail under Trent Baalke and owner Jed York.

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Shanahan will work with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety John Lynch, who basically pitched himself as the team’s new general manager. That makes it clear that Shanahan will make the vast majority of the decisions, seeing as how Lynch played under his father, Mike, on the Denver Broncos.

The first priority for Shanahan will be acquiring a new franchise quarterback, and it looks like the 49ers will avoid targeting one in this year’s draft. Per the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, if Shanahan cannot reunite with Kirk Cousins, he will turn his attention to Jimmy Garoppolo and Matt Schaub.

So let’s get this out of the way. Yes, Schaub is indeed one of Shanahan’s targets. Garoppolo and Schaub are the backup quarterbacks in Super Bowl 51, and it’s clear that Garoppolo is the more desirable (and expensive) of the two.

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Since the Cleveland Browns and other teams could be interested in prying Garoppolo from the Patriots, the Pats asking price for the promising signal-caller could be a first-round pick. That’s risky, and it could be a risk that Shanahan is unwilling to take. Some of those same risks apply with Cousins, who is more expensive, but at least Cousins has put together two consecutive seasons of above-average film. Garoppolo, on the other hand, has only put together two consecutive starts of quality tape.

As for Schaub, I think his inclusion on the list speaks volumes to how aggressively Shanahan will charge after Cousins and Garoppolo. It doesn’t seem like he is interested in hedging his bets and draft capital on  a rookie, whereas he could be high on either Cousins or Garoppolo. That could make him willing to spend big on one of them in a trade, because Schaub isn’t exactly a great “Plan C” on the table.

Schaub and Shanahan worked together on the Houston Texans in 2008 and 2009, and those were arguably the best seasons of Schaub’s career. In 2009, Schaub led the league with 4,770 passing yards, completing 67.9 percent of his passes with 29 touchdowns.

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I can’t see Schaub starting for the 49ers, because that just sounds ridiculous. However, I would expect him to be a backup regardless of who the 49ers trade for or draft. Schaub is an impending free agent who would be dirt cheap, and Shanahan already signed him last offseason with the Falcons after the quarterback left the Baltimore Ravens.