Jimmy Garoppolo

More Jimmy Garoppolo Fallout

November 5th, 2017 at 9:58am CST by Rory Parks

Since the 49ers traded a 2018 second-round pick to the Patriots in exchange for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, it has been widely assumed that San Francisco views Garoppolo as its quarterback of the future. However, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com suggests that isn’t necessarily the case.

As Schefter observes, the 49ers could end up with one of the top two picks in the 2018 draft, and they could choose to draft their future QB with that pick, or they could use some of their vast amount of cap space to sign a free agent signal-caller (read: Kirk Cousins). If they decide against moving forward with Garoppolo, who will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, they could put the franchise tag on him and trade him. And, according to Schefter’s sources, San Francisco could get more than the second-round pick it dealt to New England if it were to go that route.

Even if what Schefter says is technically true, it is still difficult to envision Garoppolo somewhere other than San Francisco in 2018, and other writers do not mention the possibility that Tom Brady‘s former backup could be on the move again this offseason. For instance, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that contract talks between Garoppolo and the 49ers will begin soon, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says the 49ers’ acquisition of Garoppolo completely forecloses the chance they pursue Cousins. Rapoport adds that, while San Francisco brass does like Cousins, it chose to take the “sure thing” in Garoppolo now, rather than wait for the possibility Cousins that could be available.

Rapoport writes that Garoppolo and his former club could not come close in their negotiations on a new contract. Those talks were broached last spring, but Garoppolo would not accept a “backup-plus” contract then, and it does not sound as if he wavered from that stance in the subsequent months. As such, New England felt it had no other choice but to trade him and get a higher return that a 2019 compensatory selection, which is what it would have likely received if Garoppolo had simply signed elsewhere as an unrestricted free agent next offseason.

Rapoport also writes that the Patriots chose to keep Garoppolo for the first half of the season rather than trade him for an even larger return before the season began because they wanted insurance in case Brady should suffer a decline in play. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, though, isn’t buying it. Volin says the notion that Brady’s play could have sharply fallen off over the first eight games of this season is nonsense, and “if the Patriots wanted to keep Garoppolo as insurance in case Brady got hurt, that should especially apply over the next eight games and playoffs. But it didn’t.”

Volin believes New England head coach Bill Belichick had every intention of keeping Garoppolo into 2018 and fully expected he would. However, it would have cost the Patriots about $23MM to keep Garoppolo via the franchise tag, and it would have been a clear sign to Brady that 2018 was his final year (and, as Rapoport says, the team will not tell Brady when to move on). Volin writes that trading Garoppolo was simply a case of business trumping football, though he is in agreement with other reports that New England did everything it could to steer Garoppolo towards a franchise that has a bright future as opposed to a team like the Browns, who have coveted Garoppolo for some time.

Trade Notes: Garoppolo, Benjamin, Dareus

November 4th, 2017 at 9:33am CST by Ben Levine

With the trade deadline behind us, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero provided some insight into the completed deals. Notably, the writer discussed the 49ers–Patriots trade involving quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. While he initially opined that New England should have gotten a bigger return for the signal-caller, he started to see the logic after talking to league executives.

As Pelissero explains, the team surely would have gotten a lesser return had they franchised Garoppolo and then traded him. Alternatively, had the quarterback departed via free agency, the team would have simply acquired a compensatory pick in the third round.

“They kept the insurance policy,” said an NFL executive. “The risk was greater back in April. It’s less now. And it’s also the deadline. This was their last chance to get the best that they can. … Now, they’re halfway through the season. They know they’re going to lose the player. If they lose the player, even if it’s one of the most outrageous contracts in history, the best they can get is a compensatory third.”

Of course, these executives also touted the 49ers for prying the young quarterback away from New England.

“I give credit to San Francisco,” said one GM, “because in the offseason, four or five teams called (the Patriots) and they said, ‘Absolutely not. No way.’ “

Let’s take a look at some more notes from Pelissero regarding the trade deadline…

The Chargers had been shopping wideout Dontrelle Inman since training camp, but they couldn’t find a partner before completing a deal with the Bears.
The Marcell Dareus trade was simply a cap dump, with Pelissero noting that the defensive tackle had worn out his welcome among Bills teammates and the coaching staff. However, the Jaguars were seemingly willing to take the risk since his former coach, Doug Marrone, “could vouch for him.”
Interim GM Marty Hurney only talked to the Bills before dealing wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin. The Panthers were looking to get more speed on the field, and they weren’t planning on extending Benjamin.
A.J. McCarron‘s future will depend on a pending grievance regarding his free agency status. The Bengals backup quarterback is arguing that he should be an unrestricted free agent, but time spent on the NFI list could earn him the restricted tag. Cincinnati had a deal in place with the Browns for the quarterback, but the trade was rejected by the NFL.

West Notes: Garoppolo, Chiefs, Raiders

November 3rd, 2017 at 10:20pm CST by GregGoldstein

Even with the trade deadline being one of the most active in years, whenever a quarterback gets traded, that deal takes center stage. After years of will they or won’t they, the Patriots finally gave in and dealt backup Jimmy Garoppolo to San Francisco for a 2018 second round pick a few months before the signal caller was about to hit free agency. Now given some time to digest the move, NFL coaches and execs are starting to express their thoughts. Albert Breer of the MMQB, has relayed some of those opinions from anonymous personnel throughout the league in his column yesterday. The overall sentiment from the coaches and front office members from the article loved the deal for the 49ers given Garoppolo’s talent and the general lack of starting caliber QB’s throughout the league. But there was also a general understanding about the Patriots rationale for making the move given how unlikely it was they were going to use the franchise tag on their backup QB. Obviously it’s far too early to declare winners and losers, but the opinions from actual NFL coaches and front office people are definitely worth the read.

The Chiefs will be without some solid contributors in linebacker Dee Ford and wideout Albert Wilson on Sunday, reports Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star. Wilson is currently the second leading wide receiver in terms of catches and yards, while Ford racked up 13 combined tackles and 2.0 sacks. Kerkhoff also notes that pass rush specialist Tamba Hali‘s status was a little more up in the air according to head coach Andy Reid. “He’s literally just knocking the rust off,” Reid said. “We’re literally taking it day by day and seeing; let’s just see what happens.” The veteran just started practicing this week after just being activated from the PUP list yesterday.
Another AFC West team is dealing with the injury bug, particularly to the secondary. The Raiders will be without defensive backs David Amerson, Gareon Conley and Demetrius McCray this Sunday, according to Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. However, he does also point out that the team will get some much needed help as rookie safety Obi Melifonwu is set to make his NFL debut after being activated from the injured reserve this week. Oakland’s pass defense has been a weakness all year and they’ll be searching for answers in new places when they take on the Dolphins in Week 9.
In off the field Raiders news, it was announced today that the target date for the completion of the team’s Vegas Stadium will be July 31, 2020, according to Steve Sisolak, who is a candidate for Nevada Governor (Twitter link).

Poll: Who’s the Best Backup QB Right Now?

November 3rd, 2017 at 7:45pm CST by GregGoldstein

Right now there’s a lot of news about the guys holding the clipboard over the past few weeks. Injuries to starting quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, Andrew Luck, Jay Cutler, Carson Palmer, Sam Bradford have forced backup quarterbacks into long-term starting action.

But unfortunately, injuries have become commonplace in the game, it’s what has transpired with the trade news and other stories that have sort of set this season apart from years past in terms of the number two’s on the QB depth chart.

The trade deadline showed one of the league’s brightest backups backups get moved in Jimmy Garoppolo and another almost get dealt (A.J. McCarron) if not for some poor timing at the the hands of the Cleveland Browns.

Speaking of Cleveland, they’ve been going back and forth with their two main QB options in DeShone Kizer and Kevin Hogan. The Vikings are down to their third string too in Case Keenum, who has of course led them to a 6-2 record thus far.

Denver is in the midst of a signal caller fiasco too as the team has officially replaced incumbent starter Trevor Siemian with former starter then backup and now starter again Brock Osweiler. Throw in injury scares to Joe Flacco, Jameis Winston and yes even Jay Cutler and you have your eye on who’s your team’s backup more than ever before.

In all, 15 backup quarterbacks have seen the field this season and that number will most certainly increase before the year is through. So with league’s clipboard holders in the news more than ever, I pose the question…of all the backups in the game the today who would you feel most confident in leading you to a win right now?

It should be noted that this list excludes the likes of Garoppolo and Siemian because while these two are currently number two’s on the depth chart, neither is really classified as a typical long-term backup.

49ers Officially Announce Garoppolo As Their Backup QB

November 3rd, 2017 at 5:44pm CST by GregGoldstein

The Jimmy Garoppolo era has started in San Francisco, but he won’t be named the starter right away. Instead, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that the former Tom Brady backup will shift to bench duties behind rookie third round pick, C.J. Beathard, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Gate.

While the news may be a little bit of a downer for 49ers fans trying to get a look at their new signal caller, the move actually is a sign that Garoppolo is learning the playbook rather quickly.

The first-year head coach explained that the youngster’s ability to quickly grasp the offense influenced his decision to make him the primary backup. If Garoppolo had not picked up the offense, Nick Mullens would have been elevated from the practice squad.

“He’s worked real hard at it and I think he’s gotten more comfortable each day,” Shanaahn said. “He’s definitely not there yet, but if that situation presents itself we’ll have a plan to go with him so he (Garoppolo) can function.”

While this is encouraging news about the future prospects of the former Patriots backup getting playing time sooner rather than later, the Niners still won’t guarantee that Garoppolo will actually see the field this season.

Regardless, the team invested a high draft pick in the quarterback with the hope that the recently turned 26 year-old can become the face of their franchise for many years to come.

The former 2014 second round pick was one of the more intriguing options on the QB market over the past few seasons, despite him only appearing in limited action since being drafted over three years ago. Garoppolo has accumulated a 106.2 quarterback rating when on the field, throwing for 5 touchdowns and no interceptions, while also completing a more than solid 67 percent of his passes.

49ers Won’t Guarantee Jimmy Garoppolo Plays This Season

November 1st, 2017 at 7:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jimmy Garoppolo‘s contract expires at season’s end, but it doesn’t sound like the 49ers are planning to exclusively use his in-game work for this year’s team as an audition. In fact, the team isn’t certain its prized trade acquisition will play this season.

Prefacing his statement by noting it can take until quarterbacks’ second years in his system for them to learn it, Kyle Shanahan said he can’t promise Garoppolo will play in 2017. C.J. Beathard has been announced as San Francisco’s Week 9 starter, but Garoppolo — as the only other quarterback on the active roster — will be the backup.

“I know it’s going to take some time before he has an opportunity to play,” Shanahan said, via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. “We didn’t bring Jimmy here to save our season. We brought Jimmy here to improve this organization.

“I can’t promise you guys that he won’t play this week. I can’t promise you guys that he’ll play this year. I know we have a guy that we’re excited about and I know he has the ability to really help us and help the team in the future. …I’m not going to put someone out there who I don’t think has a chance to be successful.”

The 49ers face the Giants in Week 10 and have a Week 11 bye. A somewhat logical Garoppolo debut date exists in Week 12, when the 49ers host the Seahawks. But Shanahan made it clear that Garoppolo is not a short-term fix.

Garoppolo is not tied to the 49ers after this season, but he can be franchise-tagged at a reasonable price (for a team projected to hold more than $61MM in cap space before any roster moves are made) of around $23MM. The 49ers certainly sound like this is a long-term arrangement, and while it would be a surprise if he didn’t debut for the team this season, it would stand to reason they’re hesitant about deploying their new quarterback on a winless outfit.

“Regardless of what happens [should Garoppolo play this season], I know it’s not the finished product,” Shanahan said.

Deadline Fallout: Browns, Bills, Pats, Cards

October 31st, 2017 at 7:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns made “small offers” for ex-Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo this season, but weren’t involved in talks for the New England backup before Bill Belichick & Co. traded him to the 49ers, tweets Michael Lombardi of the Ringer. Cleveland head coach Hue Jackson reportedly “pushed hard” for a quarterback addition during the offseason, but the Browns never offered anything close to the (likely early) second-round pick San Francisco sent to the Patriots, per Lombardi. Meanwhile, Belichick may have been reticent to “help” the Browns given his history with the club, sources tell Daniel Jerermiah of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Here’s more fallout from the extremely active trade deadline:

Before acquiring wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin from the Panthers, the Bills had interest in fellow pass-catcher Martavis Bryant, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). However, the Steelers never seemed to express any serious interest in dealing Bryant despite his off-field question marks. Ultimately, Buffalo shipped third- and seventh-round picks to Carolina for Benjamin, whom Bills general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott are familiar with given the pair’s time with the Panthers.
The Patriots made and received calls on offensive tackle Cameron Fleming prior to today’s deadline, tweets Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. New England was known to be “open for business,” so it come as no surprise that the club would entertain offers for Fleming, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2018. Given the dearth of offensive line talent around the league, the Patriots may have believed they could wrangle a pick package for their swing tackle. Fleming, 25, has played only seven snaps in 2017.
Every Cardinals defensive back aside from rookie Budda Baker was available today, per Lombardi (Twitter link), who is presumably referring to safeties given that Arizona isn’t going to trade cornerback Patrick Peterson. Veterans Antoine Bethea and Tyvon Branch — each of whom are over the age of 30 — would have made sense as trade candidates, while the Cardinals may have also attempted to rid themselves of Tyrann Mathieu‘s contract, although that’s entirely speculation.

49ers Tried To Trade For Jimmy Garoppolo This Offseason

October 31st, 2017 at 1:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers made a seismic move on Monday night in trading for Jimmy Garoppolo, but the franchise attempted to make this trade earlier this offseason.

John Lynch said he pursued a Garoppolo swap earlier this year, but the 49ers and Patriots evidently couldn’t agree on terms.

“We studied him hard,” Lynch said, via 49ers.com (video link). “We studied him hard this offseason. We tried to do a deal this offseason. It didn’t come to fruition. It presented itself now and we felt like it was an opportunity we had to jump at.”

The 49ers made multiple moves to bring in new quarterbacks this offseason, only Lynch continued to say the team was monitoring the situation regarding the acquisition of a franchise quarterback. The team’s Brian Hoyer and C.J. Beathard transactions did not move the needle in this area, as expected, and Lynch said Tuesday that Beathard will now move into a situation where he can learn from Garoppolo long-term. The 49ers do not have a contract with Garoppolo yet, but that or a franchise tag would seem logical now that he’s under team control.

The Browns joined the 49ers in pursuing Garoppolo, being far more closely connected to the then-Patriots backup than the 49ers were, and made an offer during the draft. But there may have been a disconnect among the Browns about that potential move.

As for the Patriots, they are now without a Tom Brady successor. Bill Belichick said this choice was looming the past couple of years. Brady is signed through the 2019 season, and while there aren’t many parallels of quarterbacks playing well into their 40s, he’s defied age norms to this point. Belichick added today he views the 40-year-old passer as a year-to-year proposition, but in making this trade, it’s fairly clear the 18th-year Patriots coach believes Brady will be around for the foreseeable future.

“As [Garoppolo’s] career moves forward, we have to look at our team, both this year and beyond. We probably had, in my opinion, the best QB situation in the league for the last, call it, 2½ years,” Belichick said, via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “It is just not sustainable given the way that things are set up.

“[The Brady-Garoppolo setup is] definitely not something we wanted to walk away from, and I felt we rode it out as long as we could. We’ve, over a period of time, explored every option possible to sustain it but, at this point, it felt like we had to make a decision. It’s a very complex situation on multiple levels. This is really the last window that we had and we did what we felt was best for the team.”

New England could look to add former Brady backup Brian Hoyer, whom the 49ers released on Monday night, as the post-Garoppolo insurance policy.

Hue Jackson “Pushed Hard” For QB Trade This Offseason?

October 31st, 2017 at 11:50am CST by Sam Robinson

Prior to the 49ers snagging Jimmy Garoppolo for a second-round pick that’s likely to fall at the top of Day 2, the Browns were the team most connected with the former Patriots backup this offseason. And Hue Jackson may have been a key driver behind that Garoppolo-to-Cleveland buzz.

The second-year Browns coach “pushed hard” this offseason for the team to trade for Garoppolo or former Bengals charge A.J. McCarron, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. Jackson felt Garoppolo could be a big part of a turnaround from Cleveland’s 1-15 season, Cabot reports, and made Tom Brady‘s then-backup his primary offseason target.

Cabot adds the Patriots would have traded Garoppolo to the Browns for “the right offer,” which the longtime Browns reporter notes would have had to include at least one first-round pick. The Browns had two of those going into the draft and ended up with three first-round selections while also carrying multiple second-round picks in April after making the Brock Osweiler trade.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported the Browns offered a second-round pick for Garoppolo, with Cabot adding the team did not go further on Day 2 of this draft to make the necessary offer to the Pats. Browns executive VP Sashi Brown said going into the draft the team was not interested in trading for a veteran quarterback.

Kyle Shanahan and Garoppolo spent time together when the current 49ers coach worked as the Browns’ OC in 2014, and Shanahan told cleveland.com at this year’s Super Bowl he had Garoppolo ranked high among the draftable 2014 passers during his one-year stay in northeast Ohio. Shanahan did not want Johnny Manziel, whom the Browns drafted, nor did he prefer Teddy Bridgewater. However, the short-term Browns play-caller did like Derek Carr and Tom Savage, per Cabot.

When the Patriots and Browns could not agree on terms for Garoppolo, Jackson pivoted to McCarron, Cabot reports. But Jackson viewed the current Bengals backup, whom he coached for two seasons in Cincinnati, as a stopgap until the Browns could land their long-term solution.

Cabot wonders if McCarron would be in play by today’s 3pm CT deadline but reports it would have likely taken at least two second-round picks to pry him from the Bengals this offseason. McCarron is under contract through the 2018 season.

Trade Rumors: Colts, Dolphins, Bears, Pats

October 30th, 2017 at 10:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Colts wideout T.Y. Hilton is indeed on the trade block, and while Indianapolis is receiving calls on their top offensive weapon, general manager Chris Ballard & Co. hold Hilton in “high regard,” tweets Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. As such, a deal involving Hilton remains “highly unlikely.” That notion doesn’t come as a complete surprise, given that Hilton has still been productive even without quarterback Andrew Luck available, and remains under team control for several seasons at reasonable rates.

Let’s take a look at more surrounding the NFL’s trade deadline, which hits Tuesday at 4pm Eastern:

The Dolphins are focusing on improving their offense via trade, and are more willing to exchange players than draft picks, sources tell Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. That Miami would be set on fixing an offense that ranks dead last in both points and yards per game comes as no surprise, but other teams are apparently more receptive to draft selection-oriented deals. Wide receiver, running back, and offensive line are all possible positions of need for Miami, and the “elephant in the room” is slot receiver Jarvis Landry, per Salguero. Landry has mentioned in trade talks before and has yet to be offered an extension, so it makes sense that the 2018 free agent could be on the table.
Having already made one trade to acquired receiver Dontrelle Inman, the Bears are likely done making deals, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The Inman deal was almost a necessity, as rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky needed some sort of offensive weaponry reinforcement following a four-completion day in Week 7. Acquiring more players is probably out of the question given Chicago’s position on the win curve, and dealing away veterans such as cornerbacks Kyle Fuller and Prince Amukamara would signal the raising of a white flag, something the Bears aren’t willing to do given their surprising 3-5 record, per Biggs.
After shipping backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers earlier tonight, the Patriots are now on the hunt for defensive run-stuffers, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). In fact, La Canfora suggests New England could use their newly-acquired second-round pick in order to pick up a defender before tomorrow’s trade deadline. Of course, given that San Francisco’s second-rounder will likely be the No. 33 or 34 selection in the 2018 draft, the Patriots would likely be looking for a high-impact defensive player.
Speaking of Garoppolo, the Browns apparently only offered a second-round pick “and change” in exchange for New England’s No. 2 signal-caller during the draft, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Some reports indicated Cleveland was willing to part with a first-rounder in order to land Garoppolo, but that apparently wasn’t the case.

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