Grant Cohn: In talks with 49ers, Jimmy Garoppolo holds all the cards

SANTA CLARA - I hear the narrative when I'm in my car.

A sports talk radio host will ask his audience, “Should the 49ers sign Jimmy Garoppolo to a long-term contract now? Has he shown enough for the organization to make the commitment?”

Hmm.

I hear the narrative when fans call into the show. Someone will say, “No, we have to see Garoppolo play more games before we sign him.” Or, “Yes, now is the time. He has proven he's future of the franchise.”

Hmm.

I even hear the narrative when I'm at work. Kyle Shanahan will say he's encouraged by Garoppolo's recent performances, but they have no impact on Shanahan's desire to re-sign him. He will wait until the season is over before he decides whether to give Garoppolo a long-team extension or the franchise tag.

Hmm.

This narrative seems like backward reasoning. It assumes Garoppolo is auditioning for the 49ers. He isn't. The 49ers are auditioning for him. I repeat, the 49ers are auditioning for him.

My gut feeling, which people around the league have confirmed, tells me the 49ers would sign Garoppolo right now to a long-term deal if they could. They would have signed him a month and a half ago when they made the deal.

The 49ers are committed to him. Their evaluation period ended the minute they traded a high second-round pick - a precious commodity - to get him, and announced publicly he is their franchise quarterback.

They're all in with Jimmy.

Jimmy isn't all in with them. That's the problem. Jimmy wants to wait and see. Jimmy is undecided.

The 49ers are pretending they're undecided. They're trying to keep their pride.

Garoppolo has no allegiance to the 49ers. They didn't draft or develop him. He hardly knows anyone in the organization, from the players to the coaching staff to the front office. And he doesn't know if he can succeed in Santa Clara now and in the future, even though he won his first two starts.

Before Garoppolo agrees to a long-term extension with the 49ers, my gut tells me he will want to see the makeup of the organization next season. Who will the 49ers sign in free agency? Who will they take in the draft? Who will play running back? Who will play tight end? Will the team overhaul the offensive line? Will the team acquire a No. 1 receiver? Will the team make changes to the coaching staff or the front office? Will those changes please Garoppolo?

Look at the reality of what's going on.

Garoppolo has more power than the 49ers do. They need him more than he needs them.

The 49ers aren't in position to negotiate with him. Forget negotiations. At some point after the season, Garoppolo and his agent will come to the 49ers with a list of demands - money he wants the team to pay him, players he wants the team to sign, changes he wants the organization to make.

The 49ers have to hope the demands are reasonable. Have to hope Garoppolo doesn't take advantage of his power over them.

Recently, the 49ers naively ceded Garoppolo even more power. Both Shanahan and general manager John Lynch stated they will award Garoppolo the franchise tag if he doesn't sign a multiyear extension.

That means the 49ers are willing to pay Garoppolo franchise-tag money - $25 million next year, and almost $30 million the year after if they give him the franchise tag a second time.

So, Garoppolo's contract demands will start $55 million guaranteed, and it will go up from there. The 49ers set the baseline price for Garoppolo. He didn't have to do anything except smile.

And they keep pumping up his value. Last Friday on a radio interview, Lynch said the Tampa Bay Buccaneers teams he played for during the 1990s and early 2000s would have won five Super Bowls if they had a quarterback like Garoppolo.

That comment only gives Garoppolo more leverage. When he and his agent approach the 49ers this offseason with a list of demands, the agent can say, “Look, we were going to ask for $55 million guaranteed. We thought was a fair request, based on the market for free agent quarterbacks and my client's inexperience.

“But, John, you convinced us to ask for more. You're a great player with a keen eye for talent - if you say Garoppolo can win five rings, we believe you.

“Based on your evaluation, Garoppolo will need $70 million guaranteed, a helicopter he can fly to practice, a private jet he can fly to road games, two lockers at every stadium, a personal chef, a ball boy who carries his football equipment and laughs at his jokes, an assistant who guards his bracelets and protects his designer jeans, plus partial ownership of the team.”

Just how far are the 49ers will to go to keep Garoppolo happy?

That's the real narrative.

Grant Cohn covers the 49ers for The Santa Rosa Press Democrat and Pressdemocrat.com. You can reach him at grantcohn@gmail.com.