As the start of the 2023 NFL season rapidly approaches, the San Francisco 49ers, like every team, are looking for ways to get better moving forward. They’ll examine the market, evaluate what deals are potentially doable, and in the end, John Lynch and company will do what they think is best for the franchise.
Could that list include trading for Lamar Jackson, the one-time NFL MVP who was just given the non-exclusive franchise tag by the Baltimore Ravens? According to the evaluation of Ben Barnwell of ESPN, the 49ers are one of the teams who could realistically be in the market for Jackson and even proposed a trade package that might turn a few heads in the Charm City.
What would a deal look like? Trey Lance would have to head back to the Ravens, but would Baltimore feel the same way about him as Shanahan & Co. did two years ago? These two teams would have to get creative. What about Lance, Aiyuk and a 2024 first-round pick to the Ravens for Jackson and a 2024 fourth-round selection? I believe the 49ers are more likely to stay put at quarterback outside of adding a veteran backup such as Matt Ryan.
Unsurprisingly, the package Barnwell suggested has already gone semi-viral on Twitter, with fans of multiple franchises discussing if such a deal is just compensation. Fortunately, or not, depending on which side of the aisle you fall on, even Barnwell acknowledges that such a deal is unlikely as the 49ers just don’t have the assets necessary to make such a big swing.
Would they be willing to trade two first-round picks? I’m not sure they have the picks to deal. The 49ers sent their 2023 first-rounder to the Dolphins to move up for Lance and used their second- and third-round picks to trade for McCaffrey. They have three compensatory picks at the end of the third round, but they don’t have meaningful draft capital this year.
How the 49ers handle their backup quarterback situation is one of the more interesting storylines for fans to follow heading into the start of the 2023 NFL calendar year. With roughly $7.5 million in cap space remaining, according to Spotrac, and only two quarterbacks under contract in Lance and Brock Purdy, it’s realistic to assume San Francisco will acquire someone to fill out the position grouping. Who that is, however, will depend on what Lynch and company are looking for and if the cost of acquiring a player like Jackson is worth the assets required to add him.
Lamar Jackson is the QB the San Francisco 49ers Wanted to Draft in 2021
Why would the Niners even consider trading for Jackson? Well, because according to Barnwell, the former first-round draft pick is the exact sort of quarterback San Francisco hoped they drafted in 2021 when they traded up to select Lance out of North Dakota State.
“When coach Kyle Shanahan traded up to draft Trey Lance in the first round in 2021, he was picking a player capable of fitting into the league’s most diverse set of playmakers,” Barnwell wrote. “Every back and receiver the 49ers use regularly on offense is capable of lining up anywhere before the snap and touching the ball as a rusher or pass-catcher afterward. It’s an offense of hybrids.”
Coming out of North Dakota State, Lance was actually compared to Jackson by Matt Miller of ESPN, as his combination of elite collegiate rushing and his massive arms flashed similar explosivity to the pride of Louisville University. Though Lance hasn’t lived up to that comp just yet, even Barnwell suggested in his column that giving up on the 22-year-old so early in his professional career could prove as risky as trading away a 26-year-old former league MVP in his prime.
The San Francisco 49ers Would Struggle to fit Lamar Jackson under the Salary Cap
Besides the understandable desire to want to give Lance another shot under center, Barnwell noted another hurdle that could prevent the 49ers from pursuing Jackson: the potentially exorbitant price tag of his next contract.
“Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Trent Williams, and Fred Warner are already among the league’s highest-paid players at their respective positions,” Barnwell wrote. “Nick Bosa and Brandon Aiyuk become eligible for extensions this offseason, and Talanoa Hufanga will follow next year. Can the 49ers really throw $50 million per year more into the mix with Jackson?”
With roughly $7.5 million in cap space heading into 2023 and multiple players lining up for massive paydays in the not-too-distant future, the 49ers would really have to change their team-building philosophy to accommodate a player like Jackson. Throw that all together, and Barnwell’s assertion that a deal might not be feasible is probably the correct assertion.
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ESPN Suggests Eye-Opening 49ers Trade Package for Lamar Jackson