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The Patriots Should Trade Jimmy Garoppolo

By Eric McCathern

Jan 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) before the game against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) before the game against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jimmy Garoppolo, it may be time to pack your stuff.

After news came the other day that Tom Brady was signing a two-year extension to his contract that will have him in a Patriots uniform until he’s 42, rumors of trading Garoppolo are now louder, and more likely to happen than ever before.

Garoppolo, one of the most talented backup quarterbacks in the league, is now in a tough situation following Brady’s contract extension. With Brady’s new contract having him signed through 2019, it would be a waste if the Patriots now let Garoppolo finish out his contract with the team to only lose him to free agency. In my opinion, right now the Patriots should sell on Garoppolo.

This year looks to be a weak draft class with the top QB prospects being guys such as Carson Wentz of North Dakota State, Connor Cook of Michigan State, Paxton Lynch of Memphis, and Jared Goff of UCal. All of them were good or great college quarterbacks, but none look like they’re a sure fire home run compared to last year’s class, which included Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota.

Which leads me to my next point of how trading for Garoppolo not only works for New England, but any team in the NFL who needs a quarterback for next year. The NFL, now more than ever, is a win now league. Both coaches who drafted quarterbacks at No. 1 and No. 2 last year are now fired. The Patriots need to talk teams into using their early picks on other assets so they can trade for Garoppolo.

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Let’s look at Garoppolo’s upside compared to potential rookie quarterbacks in the 2016 draft class. He’s going into year three of his NFL career, which means he’s already well into or has surpassed the learning curve that comes with being an NFL quarterback. Both years he’s been in the league he’s studied at the Tom Brady School of Quarterbacking. You can’t think of many better mentors then the G.O.A.T. himself.

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So with that said, the Patriots should be looking into Jimmy G’s value on the trade market. I think worst case for the Patriots is probably a second or third round pick this year. Both valuable to a team with a low salary cap looking to fill out their roster with real talent. Best case, a first round pick next year. Bold take here but if the interest in Garoppolo is as high as I expect, don’t be surprised if Bill Belichick swoops in, capitalizes and snags a first round pick for 2017.

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