Few NFLers have been involved in more trade rumors over the past several months than Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, but “there’s a persistent belief within league circles” that the team wants to retain Tom Brady‘s backup, a high-level employee of an AFC team told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
While Garoppolo would likely fetch a haul in a trade, perhaps from the draft-pick rich Browns, the Patriots are cognizant of the fact that Brady isn’t immortal, notes Florio. As excellent as the five-time Super Bowl champion still is, 2017 will be his age-40 season, so there’s some question as to how much longer he’ll play. By keeping the 25-year-old Garoppolo, the Pats would protect themselves against a sudden retirement or decline from Brady.
Garoppolo will only take up $1.1MM-plus of New England’s spending space next season, his fourth in the league, meaning his presence wouldn’t be onerous to the club’s cap in 2017. Then, if Brady’s still in the fold next winter, the Pats could attempt to re-sign Garoppolo – it seems unlikely they’d succeed, granted, given that he’d be able to find a starting job and more money elsewhere – or even place the franchise tag on him.
In the opinion of head coach Bill Belichick, Patriots third-string quarterback Jacoby Brissett isn’t the long-term answer, suggests Florio, making it all the more realistic that Garoppolo will stay in their plans. Like Brissett, Garoppolo has limited NFL experience, but the latter made good on his first two career starts last year. Garoppolo began the season as New England’s starter because of Brady’s four-game Deflategate ban, and he completed 42 of 59 passes for 496 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in wins over the Cardinals and Dolphins. The second game was Garoppolo’s final start of the year – and perhaps his last for a while, if the Pats keep him – as he suffered a sprained AC joint on a hit from Miami linebacker Kiko Alonso and sat out for the remainder of Brady’s suspension.
They should deal him now with the weak FA QB class and an even weaker QB draft class trade him while you can get the most for him, we already have Brisett on the roster so trading him shouldn’t be a hard choice at all
Garoppolo should sign a extension that gives a pay bump this year and next year for something in the 2/25 range, or whatever the tag is. After that, he gets the job, and is paid accordingly. He’s not really doing himself any wrong, because I believe NE will tag him anyway, but this way they can space out the cap hit and he still gets the job. Basically, they say we can keep you the easy way, or the hard way, and he picks.
New England is going to tag him and pay him $23 million?
Exactly. They do it with coaches all the time who could go out and get better jobs. They give them some “stay here a little longer” money. Give him some more or get some picks for him. He’s not the future either. As soon as Brady is done so is BB. Their future qb isn’t on that roster yet.
BB may wanna show everyone he can do it without Tom
Garopollo is an interesting one. Pats need him – Brady is closing in on 40 and the wear and tear has to be a concern. At the same time, he’s only started two games, which doesn’t equate to star status, yet it seems teams like the Browns may be willing to overpay for his services due to a quality shortage at the position.
BB has a tough decision ahead of him. Maximize with a trade while Brady is still able to perform at top level, or hold on to ‘potential’ that may or may not play out as hoped.
“…yet it seems teams like the Browns may be willing to overpay for his services…”
Wrong
It doesn’t make sense for Cleveland to take him. Think about it, if that was the case they could’ve dished out the couple million to Terrell Pryor to keep him so jimmy g has a talented receiving core. If they’re not willing to pay out a couple extra mill for him, who says they are ready to pay an unproven hot commodity a boatload of cash. I think their an is in this years draft (even though it may take a couple years to get him ready). Hence the name (Brock). He or Cody Kessler being the bridge until then. Who knows. But the pats might wanna hang onto jimmy. He’s shown he can play within the system polished or not. The organization will find a way to keep him happy til Brady hangs it up.
It’s scary the way bb is going all in this off season handing out the largest contract ever to a player not named Tom Brady. Trading away draft picks when he has always traded for them. If you ask me I’d say this is his walk off season and he wants to go back to back and leave his successor with a proven roster . And let him manage the future. It will be a sad day but what a season it like to be shaping into.
The browns have non reason to part with the #1 pick nor the #12 pick in the 1st round now that NE gave up the #32 pick. Chances were new england could get the #12 pick by trading garapollo the 32nd and like a 4th this year. But with the 32nd pick gone the patriots only hope for the 33rd pick, 1st pick in 2nd round, at best from the browns.
The browns have no reason to trade for 1 year of garapollo and then franchise tag him next off season. They can just wait to sign him next off season, no way the patriots tag him at 23 mil, and pay him 18 mill a year for 5 years if they want him.
They can get garapollo, keep the picks, and bolster a bad team come 2018 with picks this year, picks next year, and garapollo.
If the Browns want him and NE doesn’t want his contract in 2018, they’ll do another late season Jamie Collins trade.
The Browns suck this year with or without a QB.