Switching from Garapolo to Lance is the best offseason move ever
We don’t know much about Trey Lance, but we do know everything we need to know about Jimmy Garopolo.
Garopolo is a game manager who can’t manage games. He made 18 starts and 18 turnovers with the playoffs last season. Terrible. Plus he did just 25 touchdowns. Terrible proof.
Garopolo may be a good leader and a good teammate, but he’s a bad quarterback. Surrounded by Trent Williams, Debo Samuel, George Kittle, Brandon Ayuk, Elijah Mitchell and Kyle Shanahan, any quality start should put the Cubs in a much better position than Garopolo last season.
We don’t know if Lance is a quarterback starting quality – he’s only played 2.5 games in the NFL. But I can say with confidence that it is a bigger upgrade than Garopolo for the following reasons:
- Lance will expand the field.
Garopolo plays football on the tennis court. Almost all of his throws are small and medium. Lance can score deep and out in addition to short and over middle, meaning the 49ers will take advantage of the entire field for the first time in offense years and make everyone’s job easier.
- Lance will reduce the crime estimate.
Everyone knows what Garopolo can and can’t do and how the 49ers plan around his limits. A book has been published on him. Not so with Lance, since he is a huge unknown. It provides an element of surprise to 49 people.
- Lance Run will improve the game.
Only the threat of running alone will create large lanes in the back of the runner, as well as the risk of the lance making a handoff and throwing it deep, so that the 49 runners in the back will not have to constantly break through the box of eight people – the main part of the Garopolo offense.
- Lance third-down offense will improve.
Despite all the skill the 49ers have skill positions and tackle to the left, their offense ranks just 14th in the third-down-conversion percentage. Why? Because Garopolo can’t scramble to pick up the first down, he’s afraid to throw deep, he’s afraid to throw to the side, and he’s not particularly accurate – he finished 63.9 percent in third place last season. Lance should improve third-down performance by taking advantage of the numbers outside of Brandon Iyuk and Joan Jennings and scrambling when a lane introduces itself.
- Lance will create explosive plays.
Garopolo could not do this because he would not move or throw down. He relied on others to create explosive plays for him. Lance with his hands and feet – an advantage of 40 yards or more – will create huge plays.
- Lance will reduce sack and turnover.
He will do this by avoiding pass rushers and throwing the ball away – two things Garoppo finds incapable. How many times have you seen him throw a late interception when he just wanted to throw the ball out of bounds? Lance will throw twice as much as Garopolo, because Lance has a high football IQ and not Garopolo.
- Lance will improve and close the script.
Kyle Shanahan needs a similar quarterback, as his scripts deteriorate in the fourth quarter of the Close Conference Championship Games and Super Bowl. He needs someone who can overcome the errors in his decision, which Garopolo cannot do.
Lance has the least chance.
