Jimmy G stays put as insurance policy
PATRIOTS NOTEBOOK
FOXBORO — The Browns couldn’t knock Bill Belichick’s socks off.
Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will keep his job title for the foreseeable future, as even the Browns’ last-ditch efforts to pry him away were resoundingly thwarted. Despite a haul of draft assets, Cleveland failed to put together a package the Patriots couldn’t refuse.
As it turns out, it doesn’t sound like the Patriots ever set Garoppolo’s price. Rather, the Browns’ repeated calls were met with nary a detailed response.
So instead, the Browns went in another direction to squash the chase for the time being, drafting Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer in the second round (No. 52 overall) last night.
It’s unclear what the Browns presented with their best offer, but they were going to have to propose a trade that would be foolish for the Patriots to confuse. It can be assumed it would have required at least three firstround picks and potentially a couple second-rounders, but those details have not been disclosed.
The Patriots are happy to hang on to Garoppolo as insurance for Tom Brady in the off chance the five-time Super Bowl champion who turns 40 in August looks his age for the first time in his career. Plus, considering the Patriots have completely loaded up for the 2017 season, they don’t want to see their Super Bowl LII hopes disappear if Brady goes down for a handful of weeks.
The Browns continued their efforts to snag Garoppolo on Thursday, according to ESPN, and they weren’t going to let those denials stop them last night, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
This brings up the obvious question: If the Patriots were dead set against unloading Garoppolo, why didn’t they tell the Browns to lose the number to the Gillette Stadium bat phone? Then again, those signs have been present throughout the offseason, as the Patriots were checking in on backup quarterbacks prior to free agency and director of player personnel Nick Caserio wouldn’t shoot down the notion last week that they wouldn’t trade Garoppolo under any circumstances.
That’s because everyone has a price. Maybe the Patriots haven’t set one for Garoppolo. But if there ever comes a point when they see it, they’ll know because they’ll be picking themselves up off the ground.
Garcia ‘ready’ to help
The Patriots jumped on a project with potential to suit their long-term needs at offensive tackle.
They traded up to the No. 85 pick to draft Troy tackle Antonio Garcia in the third round, forking over the Nos. 96 and 124 picks to get it done.
“I’m ready to contribute to the team to the best of my ability,” Garcia said. “I look forward to being there.”
Garcia was viewed as a second-round prospect, so the Patriots got some good value in that regard. However, due to the questionable talent in the draft’s tackle pool, it’s unclear what lies in store for Garcia’s future.
That’s not an issue at the moment, though, because left tackle Nate Solder and right tackle Marcus Cannon are locked into their starting jobs and Cameron Fleming is returning as the swing tackle. Garcia will likely replace LaAdrian Waddle as the fourth tackle on the depth chart.
Garcia is a promising athlete, but he is light for the position. He checked in at 6-foot-6 and 302 pounds at the combine but was said to weigh less than 290 pounds last season. He said last night he weighs 305 pounds and is comfortable with the idea of getting up to 315 pounds if necessary.
He’s also got a nice amount of confidence. When asked to describe his playing style, Garcia replied, “Physical, athletic, nasty.”
And when Garcia was asked if it’s true that he didn’t surrendered a sack last season, he beamed with confidence, “That is absolutely true.”
Friends with benefits
Belichick executed two trades last night with a pair of friends. He traded down from No. 72 to 83 with Titans general manager Jon Robinson, who worked with the Pats’ scouting department from 2002-13. And the Pats then traded up from No. 96 to 85 with Lions general manager Bob Quinn, who worked for the Pats from 2000-15.
“That really makes it go a lot quicker; no question,” Belichick said of dealing with the pair. “That certainly makes it go a lot quicker. (They are) both great to deal with.” . . .
The Pats have three picks today in the final four rounds with one in the fourth (No. 131), one in the fifth (No. 183) and one in the seventh (No. 239).