49ers' QB of the future could be Cal's Jared Goff

Whether Goff, or other college quarterbacks deemed worthy of first-round status such as Paxton Lynch of Memphis or Connor Cook of Michigan State, ends up with the 49ers is a slow-developing drama which will play out over the next several months.

Under general manager Trent Baalke, the 49ers have drafted 48 players since taking Kaepernick in the second round (No. 36 overall) in 2011 and none of them have been a quarterback.

There's also the possibility the 49ers could be on the lookout for a veteran quarterback to take over and search for a developmental quarterback later in the draft.

Either way, Kaepernick, the one-time quarterback of the future, is a shell of himself who carries a salary cap number of more than $16 million into 2016. The way Kaepernick's team-friendly contract through 2020 is structured, the 49ers can part ways with their quarterback with little effect on the cap.

That leaves the 49ers pondering their options at the most important position in football.

"This is an organization that is completely in transition right now, just trying to get back on track to where they were with a couple of years ago, and it's kind of a shame," former 49ers coach and NFL Network analyst Steve Mariucci said in a conference call.

Phil Savage, a former general manager for the Cleveland Browns and with an extensive background in personnel with the Baltimore Ravens, said, "I can tell you when you are not convinced you've got the right quarterback, it's something that doesn't leave your mind very often ... it's even more emotional when you think you have one, and it doesn't turn out. Now you're back to square one."

While there is no guarantee Goff, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound junior, will make himself eligible for the draft, he grew up locally in Marin, Calif., wears No. 16 in honor of Joe Montana and the thought of being the 49ers quarterback of the future could be enticing.

Like many college quarterbacks, Goff operates out of a spread, no-huddle offense which immediately puts him behind when it comes to transitioning to the NFL.

"Quarterbacks are learning how to play in systems through poster boards and signals," Savage said. "They don't have to go in the huddle, they don't have to go under center and yet they put up these prolific numbers. The expectations are way up there and there's no way for them to live up to it.

"They've not only got to learn a new language, but be the translator of that language to the other players."

According to Charley Casserly, an NFL Network analyst and a former general manager with the Washington Redskins and Houston Texans, it complicates the process.

"You're not going to find many traditional guys because more and more colleges are turning out spread quarterbacks," Casserly said.

Kaepernick was a spread quarterback at Nevada, as was Robert Griffin III at Baylor, who was the No. 2 overall pick in 2012 and is languishing on the bench with the Washington Redskins.

Goff does, however, have some support among NFL talent evaluators. In an article on NFL.com, Daniel Jeremiah asked five general managers for a comparable NFL quarterback to Goff and every one of them named Atlanta's Matt Ryan.

Ryan, the No. 2 pick in the 2007 NFL draft, has been a top level quarterback since being named offensive rookie of the year in 2008.

Rang said Goff measures up as an NFL passer.

"I think he anticipates where the defense is going to be, where openings are in his routes, and I think he's got the accuracy and arm strength to make any NFL throw," Rang said.

In that sense, Goff is nothing like Kaepernick.

"In quarterbacks where you can see some anticipation, the ability to change speeds and manipulate the ball, that obviously helps," Savage said. "One of Kaepernick's flaws is that he's a fastball thrower. He really doesn't have an alternate pitch. You can't throw it through everybody. You've got to be able to work around people and over people."

While Savage said he hasn't scouted Goff, he does remember accuracy being one of the things that stood out about another Cal quarterback whom the 49ers once considered as the top overall pick in 2005.

"When Aaron Rodgers came out of Cal, he had kind of an awkward motion and people were critical of the way he held the ball," Savage said. "But the thing you did see that carried over in the NFL is he was very accurate. He was always an accurate passer."

The 49ers and general manager Scot McCloughan made Alex Smith the No. 1 pick that season, with Rodgers sliding all the way to No. 24 and the Green Bay Packers.

Rang's top-rated quarterback is Lynch, another spread quarterback out of Memphis who is 6-foot-7, 230 pounds, still developing as a passer and is "closer to Kaepernick in that he is a pretty remarkable athlete."

As difficult as it is to identify pro prospect quarterbacks in college, the pickings are slim among those already on NFL rosters. The biggest-name free agent in 2016 will be Philadelphia's Sam Bradford, with other potential quarterbacks including backup Chase Daniel of Kansas City and Washington starter Kirk Cousins.

One name to keep an eye on is Matt Stafford, the former No. 1 pick in 2009 who was benched temporarily this season in favor of Dan Orlovsky by a Detroit Lions team which is restructuring its front office.

Stafford is due $33.5 million over the next two seasons under his current contract, slightly more than Kaepernick was scheduled to make over the same period on his non-guaranteed deal.

"Free agency or trades seldom solve your major problem," Casserly said. "It's rare you pick up someone like Carson Palmer in a trade, or a Drew Brees in free agency. Right now there's nothing you can do about it. You play with what you have then deal with it in the offseason."