Garoppolo Heading To San Francisco
With the NFL Trade deadline ending on Tuesday, there are several big names that were rumored to be traded, and last night, a blockbuster trade occurred. The New England Patriots traded QB Jimmy Garroppolo to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2018 second-round pick. Right after the team acquired Garroppolo, San Francisco then proceeded to cut veteran QB Brian Hoyer.
In the two games that Garropolo started last season, which was during Brady’s four-game suspension, he threw for 502 yards, 4 touchdowns, no interceptions, and finished with a passer rating of 123.5. Even though he was scheduled to start all four games, Garoppolo suffered a shoulder injury after taking a hit from Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso, forcing the franchise to sideline him for Jacoby Brissett.
With every young quarterback, there are a lot of flaws in their games, and Garoppolo is no different. With him only starting a few games in his short career, critics question whether he is the real deal or not. With him now in a position to receive a starting job in San Francisco, those questions should be answered through the rest of the 2017 season.
During the last eight games, San Francisco has been leaning on Brian Hoyer and C.J. Beathard. In six games, Hoyer has thrown for 1,245 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions, with a passer rating of 74.1. In two games, Beathard has thrown for 647 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions, with a passer rating of 65.2.
In the eight games that the 49ers have started Hoyer or Beathard this season, it has not been successful by any means. Neither quarterback can quite drive the ball downfield when the team is in need of putting points on the board, and it has been difficult to get any consistency from either of the two. With Garoppolo, the 49ers may now have a more consistent option they can trust.
On the Patriots side of things, this was a trade that everyone was expecting to happen in the upcoming off-season, but not at this stage in the year. With Garoppolo now gone, the team is likely believing that Brady will surely be playing 2-3 more seasons, and with Garoppolo on the last year of his rookie deal, it made sense to trade him in order to get the most value they could.
If there was one thing the team should worry about now that Garoppolo is gone, it’s the fact that Brady is still 40-years old, and the offensive line has been shaky all season.
The 2018 NFL Draft has plenty of quarterbacks that could potentially become a franchise player with a few years under Brady. With the draft pick that they have acquired, New England may be able to find Brady’s replacement with their first or second round pick.
On the 49ers side of things, this is a great trade in every aspect. With Garoppolo, the San Francisco now has a franchise quarterback that can lead them to the next level. Jimmy Garoppolo has all the tools to become a franchise quarterback, but if there was any problem with this trade for the 49ers, it would be the lack of experience in Garoppolo.
On the other hand, seeing that he was mentored by Tom Brady, this should not be a serious concern. Yes, his contract is up in the upcoming off-season, but the 49ers have the cap space to give Garoppolo the starting money he desires.
For Garoppolo, this is a great opportunity for him, even if he is leaving a great situation in New England. In San Francisco, he is going to have a solid coach in Kyle Shannahan, a decent group of wide receivers, an above-average running back in Carlos Hyde, and a young defense.
At the end of the day, even though New England got value in an early second round pick from the 49ers, the winner of this trade is the San Francisco 49ers. In the 2018 draft class, the Patriots are unlikely to find anyone with the potential that Garoppolo has. The 49ers on the other hand just received a franchise quarterback in Garoppolo that may likely re-sign with the franchise for the long-haul.
Photo Credit Winslow Townson/Associated Press
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