Why Trading Jimmy G to Seattle Could be Tricky for 49ers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Seattle Seahawks might be doing research on Jimmy Garoppolo, but trading for the 49ers play-caller could be tricky.
On Monday ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Seattle is doing research on the veteran quarterback as San Francisco continues to look for a trade partner. The analyst shared that like John Lynch and the 49ers' front office, the Seahawks are watching film and doing their due diligence.
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Seattle coach Pete Carroll has stated previously that the club is ready to go forward with their current roster of quarterbacks, which includes Drew Lock, Geno Smith and Jacob Easton -- but that doesn’t necessarily mean that all bets are off the table.
Seattle's $15 million estimated salary cap space is a bit higher than the 49ers', who currently sit at an estimated $4 million under, according to Spotrac.com. Sharing the weight of Garoppolo’s $24.2 million salary is a possibility, but the Cleveland Browns potentially could carry even more with $51 million estimated cap space remaining for 2022.
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While the 49ers would like to hold out for a trade that would help them recoup some of the draft capital they used to select Trey Lance third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, they might have to settle for much less than they originally anticipated.
The Carolina Panthers sent only a 2024 fifth-round conditional pick to the Browns in exchange for Baker Mayfield while agreeing to pay $4.86 million of his guaranteed salary. Mayfield also accepted a pay cut, which now leaves the Browns responsible for only $10.5 million of his $18 million guaranteed money in 2022.
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How much the 49ers are willing to pay in order to complete a trade still remains to be seen. Seattle likely would want to share responsibility of Garoppolo's salary, or even wait to see if the 49ers quarterback is released in order to save money and draft picks. The club has yet to work out an extension with their star receiver D.K. Metcalf.
Releasing Garoppolo prior to the 53-man cutdown deadline would clear the club of responsibility for any of his salary. The additional cap space would give the 49ers more room to workout extensions for Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa, which both loom in the near future.
