Every year the same thing happens in the NFL. An unhappy player. An unwanted player. Could just be an unaffordable player. No matter the situation, sometimes a trade is the only way out.
Now, by NFL standards, why would they take any less than they could possibly get? It’s just another extension of what I like to call “Lying season.”
When you take a player that costs so much more than just a single draft pick, for instance, San Francisco’s golden boy, Trey Lance.
Four draft picks changed hands from the Niners to the Dolphins for the number three overall draft pick. The picks exchanged were:
2021- first, #12 overall
2022- first, #29 overall
2022- third, #102 overall
2023- first, #29 overall
Those picks were parlayed with others, into EDGE Bradley Chubb, WR Jaylen Waddle, and WR Tyreek Hill. Those happen to be three franchise players. All to take a risk on a small school prospect with some atrocious mechanics.
Anymore in the NFL, a quarterback drafted that high is immediately thrust into the starting lineup. However, over the last two seasons, Lance has compiled a 2-2 win/loss record and has played in six total games. A serious ankle injury ended his 2022 season the problem is that he wasn’t starting before that.
-The beginning of the end-
Now, with the emergence of Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy things have become a bit clearer. The fan base is also split right down the middle. Although the sports media might have a bit to do with that.
Despite Purdy and Lance being at the opposite ends of the draft, it appears that Purdy has the inside track to continue as the starting QB. That is even after tearing the UCL in his throwing arm in the NFC Championship game last January.
When free agency started in March, the Niners signed QB Sam Darnold, a 2019 first round selection. Not exactly a vote of confidence for Lance.
As a Draft Analyst, I can tell you that I find it a mystery as to why Lance was drafted #3 overall. Lance is an unpolished, run first QB. He possesses poor body and throwing mechanics, while lacking field vision and football IQ. He uses his athletic ability to bail him out of sticky situations.
I really do not see any value for him as a QB, outside of a few Taysom Hill-type packages near the goal line.
Now, despite reportedly being third on the depth chart, all of the sudden his mechanics are better. His improvement is night and day difference over years past.
Blah, blah, blah.
The rumors have even started flying like Atlanta being interested in trading a second round pick for him. All that is, is the Niners trying to schmooze other teams into believing that there is a trade market for Lance.
It’s about time that GM John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan admit their mistake and ship Lance down the road. He has been with the team for over two years, if the Niners say that they don’t know what they have in him, they are lying.
The bottom line is that a trade will not matter. Trey Lance will go down as one of the all-time worst draft picks in NFL history.
I remember all the talk was that the Niners were going to take Mac at three, which I thought would have been a huge mistake. In hindsight, staying put and taking Mac without trading all those assets might not have been the worst move.