Should the New England Patriots want Jimmy Garoppolo under center, they should offer this deal in return.
Do the New England Patriots want to upgrade under center? Well, they might have to if Cam Newton isn’t the answer. Newton struggled to generate any consistency with the Patriots’ weapons, leading to a 7-9 season.
Then again, name a quarterback who would have found success with those pass-catchers in Foxborough?
Bill Belichick will need to decide what his plan is moving forward with the quarterback position. Tom Brady is not coming back and the window to still be a playoff-contending team is open with the return of several opt-outs on defense.
If Newton is the guy moving forward, great. If he isn’t, trading for an established starter is probably the best plan. The best name on the market? San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
Garoppolo has been at the heigh of trade rumors all offseason. Despite carrying a 22-8 record as the 49ers’ starter, he also might be the weakest link of the bunch. Add in his overall performance in Super Bowl LVI and one can tell where the frustration lies.
So, what’s his worth?
Jimmy Garoppolo to New England works on one trade
No, Garoppolo is not worth a first-round pick. Although his five-year $137.5 million deal is a hefty price, it becomes more affordable at $24 million and less bonus money. New England, which currently holds more than $66 million in cap space, would be able to take on the deal with a limited backlash.
San Francisco would have to make him affordable. The winning percentage is there, but the numbers overall are not. Garoppolo has the third-highest interception rate over the past two seasons and has one of the shortest pass lengths in the NFL.
So, the offer? The same it cost the 49ers to acquire him. San Francisco would get their second-round pick back from 2018, but this time at 47th instead of 48th. Should it take more convincing, a 2022 fourth or fifth-round selection as the cherry on top could work.
New England would bring back the star Belichick never wanted to lose and take on his final two years of the contract.
Garoppolo is said to be the starter in 2021, but everything has a price. For the Patriots, buying low to land a quarterback who fits Belichick’s system might be worth an early-round selection.