SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Two days after the 2017 regular season, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch left no doubt about the plan the organization has for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's pending unrestricted free agency and its hopes of signing him to a long-term contract.

"We want Jimmy to be a Niner for a long, long time," Lynch said. "That process is going to take place here. We're eager to get that done, to have the opportunity. But I think one thing that we really believe is that those things should take place between us and his representatives and not occur and transpire in the public. That's the way we're going to treat that. You have our assurances, and the fans do, that we'd like nothing more than to make him a Niner for a long, long time."

Those assurances came as no surprise to anyone paying attention, but also left one pressing question that will linger until Garoppolo signs on the dotted line: When will the Niners and Garoppolo strike an agreement?

Nothing has materialized yet, but anytime you're talking about a deal that figures to include as much money as this one (not to mention the complications of paying big money to a player who has started only seven games in the NFL), it's going to take time.

Technically, the 49ers could sign Garoppolo right now, but chances are it's going to take a bit longer to hammer out the details. Of course, if the 49ers and Garoppolo's representatives can't make it happen soon, there are some other things that would have to take place to ensure Garoppolo stays with the franchise until a long-term deal can be reached.

With that in mind, here are some of the key dates and events to monitor over the next few months as the Niners continue their efforts to keep Garoppolo for a "long, long time":

Feb. 20: First day for clubs to designate franchise or transition players.

Teams expecting to use either tag traditionally don't do it right away, and it's unlikely the 49ers would, either. Still, this is the start of the window in which the Niners could tag Garoppolo, and the haste with which they do it could offer a glimpse into how negotiations on a long-term deal are going.

Feb. 27-March 5: NFL scouting combine.

What does the annual meeting of the top college prospects have to do with Garoppolo? Well, the entire NFL world converges on Indianapolis for that week, and it's a great opportunity for teams to sit down with agents and hammer things out. This also comes right before the final day teams can use the franchise tag. It would be a logical time to get a deal done or, at minimum, put the framework of one in place.

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March 6: Prior to 1 p.m. PT, deadline for clubs to designate franchise or transition players.

This is the final day teams can use the franchise or transition tag. If a deal isn't done by this time, it's certain the Niners will use the tag on Garoppolo to ensure he remains with the organization and to buy more time to negotiate.

March 12-14: Clubs are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents upon the expiration of their 2017 contracts. However, a contract cannot be executed with a new club until 1 p.m. PT on March 14.

March 14: The 2018 league year and free-agency period begin at 1 p.m. PT.

It would take something unforeseen or crazy for the start of free agency to mean much when it comes to Garoppolo, since the Niners don't intend to let him test the market. There is one exception to note, just in case. If the 49ers use the non-exclusive franchise tag on Garoppolo, other teams would be able to begin discussing contract terms with the 26-year-old on this day. It's unlikely that would happen, but even if it did, San Francisco would simply match an outside contract offer, thus allowing another team to handle the negotiating of it.

Perhaps more pertinent, this would be a good date for the Niners to target to have a Garoppolo deal done. Not only would it allow them to know how much they have left to spend on other players, but having a franchise quarterback under contract for the long haul would also make them a more attractive option to outside free agents as the market opens (though money will always be most important in free-agent bidding).

April 16: Clubs with returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs.

The Niners can begin their offseason conditioning program on this day and, one way or another, they'd like to have Garoppolo there to take part in it. It's not mandatory, but having him involved would be good for all parties in his first offseason with the team.

July 16: The deadline for any club that designated a franchise player is 1 p.m. PT to sign him to a multiyear contract or extension. After this date, the player is allowed to sign only a one-year contract with his prior club for 2018, and that contract cannot be extended until after the club's final regular-season game.

This is the drop-dead date when the Niners could sign Garoppolo to a long-term deal if they used the franchise tag on him. If he hasn't signed a longer-term deal by this date, he would then play on the one-year franchise tender contract and the two sides would have to table contract talks until after the 2018 season.