San Francisco's offseason to-do list is topped by one painfully obvious task: Find a way to keep Jimmy Garoppolo around for years to come.
Set to become a free agent, the traded-for quarterback transformed the 49ers down the stretch, guiding a floundering squad to five straight wins while shining as a rare talent under center.
While the 49ers hold the option to slap Garoppolo with the franchise tag, second-year general manager John Lynch made it clear that a long-term deal looms as the franchise-wide goal:
"When you find the right guy at that position, it's really good for your franchise. We believe we've found the right guy," Lynch told NFL Network's Alex Flanagan from the Senior Bowl. "Now the challenge is getting Jimmy signed. We're working hard toward that. We'll see. I think he wants to be with us and we want him there. I think it makes too much sense not to happen. So, it's just a matter of getting it done."
Lynch opened his remarks by calling Garoppolo a "great addition to our team" and a "game changer," making it clear San Francisco isn't about to let this gem of a passer get away.
The contract will be tricky, but Lynch went out of his way to suggest that Garoppolo wants to stick around -- and why not? Paired with mastermind head coach Kyle Shanahan, the ceiling in San Francisco has been blown to bits.
Yes, it was just five starts -- five marvelous starts -- but Garoppolo's presence served as a raging quickening agent for Lynch's team-building process. Instead of having to spend a sky-high draft pick on a college quarterback, the 49ers can simply build around Jimmy G, who was nabbed from New England for nothing more than a second-round pick.
Barring a massive and unexpected downswing in Garoppolo's production, Lynch's trade for Tom Brady's backup looms as one of the biggest bargains in recent league history.
Look for the Niners to do whatever it takes to get their newly minted franchise arm under contract as soon as possible.
