49ers' options for Jimmy G trade slim after Ryan, Jameis deals

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The Indianapolis Colts, once widely viewed as the most logical landing spot for Jimmy Garoppolo, are out of the picture for making a deal with the 49ers.

The Colts on Monday acquired veteran quarterback Matt Ryan in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons for a third-round draft pick.

So, now, put a red line through “Colts” and add “Falcons” to the list of teams in need of a quarterback.

Seattle, Carolina, Atlanta and, possibly, Houston are teams without a quarterback.

Garoppolo, Baker Mayfield, and Marcus Mariota are the top quarterbacks without a team, now that Jameis Winston reportedly is going back to New Orleans.

Mariota has a long history with Falcons head coach Arthur Smith, who previously served as a Tennessee Titans offensive assistant.

It seems likely any team that would have interest in Garoppolo would be a team convinced it has a strong defense and enough offensive players to make a move for a quarterback who has proven he can win with a championship-caliber supporting cast.

Indianapolis would have been the best scenario for Garoppolo.

But, clearly, the Colts did not believe Garoppolo in his current condition was the best option for them.

As the days spin off the calendar it seems more and more likely the 49ers will not be able to trade Garoppolo. After all, he is a quarterback who is months away from being able to throw a football.

That is never a good thing.

Garoppolo hoped to avoid surgery when the season ended. After determining he would not need a procedure to fix his thumb, Garoppolo’s right shoulder did not improve as hoped for a month after the season.

He sustained what was described as a shoulder sprain in the 49ers’ Jan. 16 playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys. He underwent surgery on March 8 to repair the capsule on his right shoulder. The surgery comes with an anticipated four-month recovery time.

The 49ers’ top priority remains to trade Garoppolo.

Obviously, if a team is going to send draft capital to a team for a quarterback, they want that quarterback on the field for the offseason program. That would not be the case with Garoppolo.

What happens if general manager John Lynch is unable to get something in return for Garoppolo?

The 49ers do not yet need the $25 million in cap savings that Garoppolo will give the team once he is no longer on the roster. The 49ers do not figure to invest big money in any remaining free agents.

The next big expenditures will come as they budget for lucrative long-term extensions for Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa. If the 49ers are able to make those deals, they are likely to come much closer to training camp when the urgency increases to get them under contract on multi-year contracts.

The 49ers appear committed to going with Trey Lance as the starter in 2022. After all, the 49ers envision big things from Lance. That’s why they traded up to No. 3 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft to select him.

The club made their intentions known when they devoted $2 million in fully guaranteed money to Nate Sudfeld to serve as their backup.

If no trade offer is out there, the 49ers can afford to be patient with Garoppolo.

They can wait for him to get healthy and pass a physical, then see if any team is fully unsatisfied with their quarterback situation to the point where they consider Garoppolo as a better option.

RELATED: Report: Lynch saying 49ers have offer of two seconds for Jimmy G

But if the 49ers are never able to get anything in return, they have two options: Get him to accept a dramatic pay cut or release him outright.

Lance is the future at quarterback, and that future is expected to begin when the team meets as part of their offseason program for the first time in mid-April.

And as for the rest of the team, it is imperative the 49ers redistribute Garoppolo’s contract to their top players who figure to be around for a while.

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