The San Francisco 49ers have 15 potential unrestricted free agents who would hit the market when the new league year begins on March 10. Let’s continue our countdown with a look at a backup quarterback.
Quarterback Blaine Gabbert
The No. 10 overall pick in the 2011 draft out of Missouri by the Jacksonville Jaguars, Gabbert fell out of favor in compiling a record of 5-22 as a starting quarterback. He lost his job and the 49ers took a flier by trading a sixth-round draft pick for him last March to back up Colin Kaepernick.
49ers career: 49ers fans scratched their heads at giving up not only the sixth-rounder last year, but also a conditional pick in the 2015 draft for a guy with a completely different skill set than Kaepernick. No matter, Gabbert, who struggled mightily in the preseason, appeared in just one game for the 49ers -- their 42-17 blowout loss at Denver in Week 7. He completed three of seven passes for 38 yards and a 20-yard TD pass to Bruce Ellington with one minute to play.
Argument for keeping Gabbert: Having been in Santa Clara last season, he already knows the lay of the land. And with Geep Chryst getting promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator, that would only help lessen a learning curve for Gabbert should Kapernick get hurt, no?
Argument for letting Gabbert walk: The 49ers have promised to go back to their roots -- the power-running game with more zone-read out of Kaepernick. So how, exactly, would Gabbert fit in that mix? Exactly.
A bold prediction: Gabbert adds the zone-read to his repertoire, gets faster feet and more accurate with his arm, and rehabilitates his shaken confidence to give Kaepernick a quality backup. Otherwise: Gabbert? He gone.
