Jaguars can scratch 49ers off Gardner Minshew’s list of trade partners

The Jacksonville Jaguars recently added C.J. Beathard to their quarterback room and although head coach Urban Meyer says the team isn’t interested in trading Gardner Minshew II for the moment, things could change at any time. For the time being, the Jags now scratch the San Francisco 49ers off potential trade partners after pulling a blockbuster trade.

The 49ers recently acquired the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for the 12th overall this year, a third-round selection this year, and first-round picks in both 2022 and 2023. It’s unlikely San Francisco moved up to draft Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell or Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith, and it seems like they are interested in getting a quarterback.

The Jags will most likely take Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick. On the other hand, the New York Jets already have Sam Darnold but could take Justin Fields or Zach Wilson with the second overall pick. This would leave the Niners with at least one of the best three signal-callers in this year’s draft, which would in turn reduce their interest in trading for someone like Minshew.

49ers head coach Kyle Shannahan coached Minshew in the Senior Bowl, so there’s a connection but if San Francisco takes a quarterback with the third overall pick, there would be no use for the Washington State product. Also, they already parted ways with a big amount of draft selections, so it’s unlikely they will want to keep trading picks.

Should the Jacksonville Jaguars still trade Gardner Minshew?

Minshew isn’t a top-caliber quarterback but can be a good backup, having played in 23 games with 20 starts and going 501-of797 for 5,530 starts with 37 passing touchdowns and 11 in the last two years. Also, he’s still on his rookie contract and is set to make less than $2 million over the next two years, so he’s an affordable option when you take into account Ryan Fitzpatrick and Andy Dalton will both be making $10 million in 2021.

The Jags could still trade Minshew this offseason. Let’s say he battles Beathard for the backup quarterback job and loses. At that point, it wouldn’t make sense for Jacksonville to keep him around and would be better off trading him. In the meantime, it’s too early to tell how things will unfold and the Jaguars should be open to any potential outcomes, including one in which Minshew isn’t longer part of the team’s plans.