🏈 The NFL’s Most ‘Refreshing’ Blockbuster Trade

The 49ers’ recent trade removes the smoke-and-mirrors that typically surround QBs. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS]( In today’s FOX Sports Insider with Martin Rogers: The San Francisco 49ers are taking a big swing at their future, and current QB Jimmy Garoppolo knows where he stands with all of it ... we take a look inside a secret Gonzaga alumni tradition created by John Stockton that bonds the Zags’ past with their present ... and Bruce Arians shows why he is a man of his word. The San Francisco 49ers gave away a lot to draft higher but can’t be totally sure who they’re drafting. They have a disgruntled quarterback who they say they really want, but only for now. They are coming off a 6-10 season that should be better this time, but, well, it should have been better last time, too. Looked at one way, it could all come across as a bit of a mess. Don’t be so sure. The more you look into what the 49ers are doing - with a detailed trade involving the Miami Dolphins, the Philadelphia Eagles and a bunch of future picks - the more it makes sense. In truth, it is actually somewhat refreshing, the way it removes much of the smoke-and-mirrors that typically surround so many QB/team relationships. The 49ers have set their stall out. They are going to get a QB in the upcoming draft. They want that guy to be their leading light long into the future. And, for this season, they want Jimmy Garoppolo to take charge and spur the team to a campaign that looks more like their run to Super Bowl LIV than their most recent struggles. [STORY IMAGE 1] The downside is the best place to start, given that this is the National Football League and you’re not a real fan if you don’t play armchair general manager from time to time. The biggest knock on the move is such dealings come with an inherent likelihood of annoying your current quarterback. Let’s remove the mystery there right away, Garoppolo’s feelings on the matter have already been confirmed. He doesn’t like it, but then again, who would? “I’m sure Jimmy was a little pissed off from it,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said this week. “Like I’d be too.” NFL teams spend a lot of time thinking about how to make sure their signal-caller is not peeved. That specific desire has a telling influence on so many of a team’s dealings, from trades, to personnel hires, to contract moves and much more. But the 49ers are taking a different approach, and it has some logic behind it. Sure, Garoppolo is mad, yet what does it really mean to have a QB that’s mad? That’s he’s not going to try hard? That he’s guaranteed to play poorly? Perhaps quite the opposite. There was a QB last season who might have gone into the campaign madder at his organization than virtually every other player in the league. His name is Aaron Rodgers. He ended up winning the MVP. [STORY IMAGE 2]( “Shanahan and (GM John Lynch) know what they’re doing,” [former All Pro Brandon Marshall said, on FS1’s First Things First](. “Why wouldn’t you keep Jimmy G in for another year while you develop a Mac Jones?” By cutting through the subterfuge, the 49ers are actually being fairer to Garoppolo than anyone is likely to give them credit for. Once they take Jones, or Justin Fields or Zach Wilson, there will be no doubt as to where the franchise is planning to head, and, truthfully, that they don’t see Garoppolo as their top guy in 2022 and beyond. Yet two things result from that. Garoppolo now has all the motivation in the world to go out and prove them wrong, in the full knowledge that a strong season could have one of two effects – or maybe even both. That possibly the 49ers change their mind, at least for another year. Or, more likely, that a series of other teams like what they see enough to come after him with open arms once the season is done. Garoppolo is slated to make $26.4 million this coming season, and $27 million in 2022. “Knowing Jimmy, he’ll be fired up to come in and work his butt off,” Shanahan added. “The more mad Jimmy gets, usually the better he gets. This is going to be a good thing for Jimmy, too.” [STORY IMAGE 3] San Francisco have some extra benefits to their newly-engineered situation. They have now gained a significant amount of control on what might go down on draft night. At the No. 12 slot, there were a ton of variables in what promises to be an unpredictable draft that is shaping towards being historically laden with early QB picks. Given that the Jacksonville Jaguars have all but put up a Trevor Lawrence welcome billboard already, the 49ers can operate with a degree of confidence that they’ll get who they have their eye on, which many believe is Jones, a Heisman finalist out of Alabama. Wilson, from BYU, is thought to be the New York Jets’ probable No. 2 pick. A higher selection adds control, and control gives you the ability to cut through some of the pre-draft trickery. Thus, Shanahan made no secret of his upcoming trip to Fields’ pro day. They’re in the mix. [STORY IMAGE 4] The 49ers are swinging for the fences, and they’re letting everyone know about it. The recent trade-up wasn’t made with the intention of being good, it was so that if the QB they choose is as accomplished as they think he is, they’ll soon be in contention for a championship. “Shanahan and Lynch don’t always come off like high-stakes gamblers,” [wrote The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami](. “But believe me, they are. It should not be shocking that they’ve bet the entire rest of their tenures on a single massive trade.” San Francisco is going for it. Garoppolo knows where he stands. Their incoming pick will know they rate him high enough to maneuver into a blockbuster. And, through it all, the 49ers aren’t burdening themselves with egos and sensibilities. They’re trying to win. [STORY IMAGE 5]( Here’s what others have said ... Nick Wagoner, ESPN: “It's a move that would make character Mike Ehrmantraut of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul fame proud: no more half measures. The Niners are all-in on acquiring a franchise quarterback for the future” Steve Young, 49ers Hall of Fame Quarterback: “This is a decade-defining trade for the 49ers. And it's clear that Kyle Shanahan has not been satisfied with the quarterback position. It has been eating at him for some time and we've talked about it, around it, tried to be more aggressive about it but the truth is this is now the proof in the pudding that they are now going to get their quarterback.” John Lynch, San Francisco 49ers General Manager: “We went to ownership and said, 'Hey, things are looking good, we'd like to make this move but we also don't want to say goodbye to Jimmy.' We've shown we can get to a Super Bowl with him. We can play at a high level, and we don't think those two things have to be mutually exclusive." SPONSORED Looking for pants that have the feel of sweatpants with the look of jeans? DUER makes it easier for people to get dressed, so they can get on with the good stuff in their lives - the healthy, adventurous, meaningful stuff. With five times the stretch of traditional denim, DUER features technical fabric that keeps you cool when it’s hot, and warm when it’s cool. Plus, DUER denim is made with sustainable fibers from wood chips, plants and recycled plastic bottles. [Explore DUER's denim made for movement](. [IN OTHER WORDS] - After a shortened 60-game schedule in 2020, Major League Baseball returns to a full 162-game season in 2021. [The ESPN.com staff]( provides everything you need to get up to speed for the 2021 season. - The Miami Dolphins need a wide receiver, while the Dallas Cowboys need help on defense. [The Ringer’s Danny Heifetz]( takes a look at the biggest needs for all 32 teams entering the NFL Draft. - The first rule of Sunday ball is: You do not talk about Sunday ball. [Sports Illustrated’s Greg Bishop]( takes us inside the secret Gonzaga alumni tradition created by John Stockton that bonds the Zags’ past with their present. [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians is a man of his word, and he made sure that was known. Check out this tweet from Arians, which shows off his brand new Super Bowl LV Champions tattoo, which he promised he would get if the Bucs won the Super Bowl. This is awesome to see, and it’s great that Arians kept his word and followed through with it. We can’t wait to see what the Bucs’ head coach has in store if they win back-to-back Super Bowls. [VIEWER'S GUIDE] USC vs. Gonzaga (CBS, 7:15 p.m. ET) Evan Mobley and the No. 6 seed USC Trojans take on Jalen Suggs and the No. 1 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs. Louisville vs. Stanford (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET) Dana Evans and the Louisville Cardinals go up against Kiana Williams and the No. 1 seed Stanford Cardinal. UCLA vs. Michigan (CBS, 9:57 p.m. ET) Tyger Campbell and the No. 11 seed UCLA Bruins battle Hunter Dickinson and the No. 1 seed Michigan Wolverines. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( FOX Sports Betting Analyst Jason McIntyre went 31-24 in the opening three rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Here’s a look at J-Mac’s Elite Eight pick in the West Region: No. 6 USC (+9) vs. No. 1 Gonzaga Dominant Gonzaga has covered in all three games in the tournament, winning 26 games in a row by double digits. But USC will be the best team Gonzaga has faced since December. On Dec. 2, West Virginia kept it close with Gonzaga until the end thanks to offensive rebounds (14) and getting to the foul line (27-of-33). USC ranks 327th in free throw shooting, and in three tourney games, Gonzaga opponents have taken a total of 36 free throws. But the Trojans also rank 12th best at grabbing offensive rebounds. I can see Gonzaga struggling – remember, Mark Few has only been to one Final Four in his career despite having some very good teams – but USC could see some 3-point regression after going 10-for-17 from deep against Oregon and 11-for-18 against Kansas. My favorite stat of this round: Gonzaga is the No. 1 2-point offense in the country. USC is the No. 1 2-point defensive team in the nation. This is, truly, the best against the best. Pick: USC +9 [WHAT THEY SAID] “For me, winning isn’t something that happens suddenly on the field when the whistle blows and the crowd roars. Winning is something that builds physically and mentally every day that you train and every night that you dream.” — Emmitt Smith [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download FOX Sports App: [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [Google Play]( [App Store]( [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [App Store]( [Google Play]( Also available on these devices: [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2021 Fox Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Please do not reply to this message. If you do not wish to receive emails like this in the future, please [unsubscribe](. FOX Sports respects your privacy. Click [here]( to view our Privacy Policy. Fox.com Business & Legal Affairs - Manager Digital Media P.O. Box 900 Beverly Hills, California 90213-0900