Kyle Shanahan Can't Promise That You Won't Be Dead Tomorrow

Kyle Shanahan got existential Monday when asked if current 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garropolo would be on the roster after Thursday's draft. "I can't guarantee that anybody in the world will be alive Sunday, so I can't guarantee that anybody will be on our roster Sunday," the third year head coach said. 

Woah, excuse me. Let me step in here. Hi, I'm Conor Allen, longtime California resident and 49ers fan. I can explain what's happening here in the Bay Area. First of all Kyle is...stressed. What happened is, the 49ers did something this offseason. They traded up from the 12th overall pick to number three in a deal with Miami on 3/26. The Dolphins got the 12th pick from San Francisco, plus a third-round selection and two first-round picks in 2022. The whole thing was initially very exciting for everybody in the Bay Area and the 49ers organization. A pick in the top five! The 49ers were so close to No.1 they could smell the inside of Trever Lawrence's wristband. Shanahan and GM John Lynch knew they weren't getting Lawrence when they made the deal with the Dolphins, but Mac Jones, Trey Lance and Justin Fields were and still are there for the taking. The 49ers positioned themselves to select a potentially franchise changing, generational talent, and they didn't even have to go 1-15 to do it. Then the SPECULATION started. 

People love to speculate in the Bay Area. We're home to Stanford, UC Berkeley, Silicon Valley and Haight Street. People ask questions here. Many of them centered around Jimmy Garropolo. What would the 49ers do with him after the draft? Would they trade him? Keep him for another season and let their rookie quarterback watch and learn? This was normal, healthy speculation. Then the speculation became unhealthy. The speculation moved to Mac Jones. He's a pocket quarterback, which Shanahan loves. He throws a good deep ball. But he played at Alabama, where his receivers were always open. Can he throw into tight coverages against elite pro defenders? Is he athletic enough to make it in the NFL, where the running quarterback has become coveted? 

Then the speculation jumped to Justin Fields. He's athletic. He can make plays with his legs. But what about that Junior season when he struggled? What about his work ethic? What about potential off-field issues? 

Now the speculation was snowballing and not even centering around football. Trey Lance played at North Dakota State? Where is North Dakota State? Where is North Dakota? Relax Bay Area, it's between California and Michigan, and it's beautiful there. 

Now you see why Kyle is irritated. The Niners got the number three pick and they got all the pressure that comes with it. If you look at their trade agreement document with Miami you will actually see, "Pressure, Hype, Angst, and No. 3 pick" on official NFL letterhead. I think the Dolphins also threw in some free tickets to Disney World. 

All of this was inevitable. When you make big moves to trade up in the draft, your first pick will be under the microscope. I think once the pick is made things will get better. Kyle Shanahan can get to work developing his quarterback. Lynch can decide whether he wants to deal Garropolo or keep him for another season. They'll be too busy with football matters to worry about the existential equations. The rest of us just have to stay alive.