West Coast flip
Pats trade Garoppolo to 49ers for pick
Tom Brady is the Patriots’ quarterback of the future.
The point was very much reaffirmed last night when Bill Belichick shockingly traded backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers for a second-round pick in the 2018 draft, according to a source.
Brady wished Garoppolo well when he spoke with Westwood One radio in his weekly appearance during Monday Night Football.
“Jimmy’s been a great teammate and great friend and he always will be,” Brady said. “I want nothing but the very best for him.”
Considering the 49ers are one of two winless teams right now, the pick is currently shaping up to be the No. 33 or 34 selection. With the trade deadline at 4 p.m. today and the Patriots now without a backup quarterback, the natural question is easy: What’s next?
The most logical fit would be a reunion with quarterback Brian Hoyer, whom the 49ers reportedly released last night after acquiring Garoppolo. Hoyer was Brady’s backup from 2009-12. It should be assumed the 49ers informed the Patriots of Hoyer’s incoming release.
Remember, when the Patriots drafted Garoppolo in the second round in 2014, Belichick lambasted the Colts for not having a suitable backup plan for an injured Peyton Manning in 2011. It’d be inconceivable that Belichick would make the same mistake now for his 40-year-old quarterback who is on pace for a career-high 42 sacks and has already dealt with a left shoulder injury, among other bumps and bruises through the first eight games.
In a slightly not-so-distant future, the Patriots might be gearing up for a more significant move before today’s deadline, either for help at linebacker, pass rusher, tight end, wide receiver or who knows whatever else. Considering Belichick’s penchant for eyepopping deals very little can be taken off the table.
And fast forward to the offseason, as the Garoppolo trade has future ramifications as well. Brady and the Pats have already shared mutual interest in a contract extension, so it’d make sense for those negotiations to accelerate after the season. Brady’s current deal runs through 2019, and they’ve had a history of extending his deals with about two years remaining on the term.
Garoppolo is in the final year of his contract, and the Patriots were in danger of losing him for a mere compensatory pick in the 2019 draft. Otherwise, they would have had to franchise Garoppolo for about $22 million and sold him to the highest bidder. There would have been some risk in teams calling the Patriots’ bluff by low-balling them with trade offers, and they’d limit their field of suitors with that laborious price tag.
Related, this further opens the door to use the franchise tag on impending free agent cornerback Malcolm Butler, which has been a consideration, according to a source. Those contract negotiations aren’t expected to reengage until the offseason, so the Patriots could choose to keep Butler under their control for one more year.
The Patriots declined multiple trade offers from the Browns for Garoppolo last offseason. The Browns never offered anything higher than a second-round pick, according to NFL Network.
The Pats have now traded both of Brady’s backups, as they shipped Jacoby Brissett to the Colts for wide receiver Phillip Dorsett, who has four catches for 85 yards but hasn’t caught a pass during the Patriots’ four-game winning streak.
So again, it seems to be a safe assumption the Patriots will make a strong push to re-sign Hoyer.
Garoppolo developed nicely in 31⁄2 seasons with the Patriots, and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is an offensive mastermind who should continue to maximize his potential.
If there’s one concern with Garoppolo, it’s been his ability to play through injuries. There were internal groans last season when he succumbed to a sprained AC joint and again in June when he missed practice due to a calf injury. That will be a key hurdle to overcome on his trek to becoming a franchise-caliber quarterback because Garoppolo has the rest of the necessary makeup.
Really, there’s only one certainty with this trade, and it entails Brady’s future. For everything else, it’s worth wondering what’s next.