49ers handed Garoppolo as result of Patriots’ drama
The previously laughingstock 49ers now look legitimate.
And it might be that they can thank dysfunction in the NFL’s resident dynasty for their dramatic change of fortune.
On Friday, much of the NFL world awoke to an ESPN story detailing palace intrigue with the Patriots that provided insight into why head coach Bill Belichick traded quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers for a second-round pick on Oct. 30.
Last offseason, the 49ers were firmly rebuffed in their attempt to acquire Garoppolo and weren’t planning to revisit that failed discussion before the Nov. 1 trade deadline. So why did Belichick stun them by offering Garoppolo in a trade general manager John Lynch has repeatedly said took the 49ers “10 minutes” to accept?
Belichick reportedly was given a “clear mandate” to trade Garoppolo by Patriots owner Robert Kraft in mid-October. The owner thought Garoppolo, 26, wasn’t in New England’s long-terms plans because of his belief in the ability of Tom Brady, 40, to keep excelling.
Belichick, however, reportedly was more circumspect about Brady’s staying power and leery of offering an extension to the QB’s contract, which expires after the 2019 season. He wanted to keep Garoppolo, whom he viewed as a worthy successor, and the directive from Kraft left him “angry and demoralized.”
That background could help explain Lynch’s answer Tuesday when asked if he has talked with Belichick since the trade.
“We don’t talk about that,” Lynch said, laughing. Then, almost in unison, Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan said, “We’re onto the offseason,” an echo of a phrase Belichick uses when he doesn’t want to answer a question.
Since joining the 49ers, of course, Garoppolo has made it obvious why Belichick wanted to keep him. Garoppolo took over the starting spot on a 1-10 team and led it to a 5-0 finish. His performance reportedly has prompted Kraft to tell some in the organization that “trading Garoppolo might have been a mistake.”
The story doesn’t detail how Belichick planned to keep Garoppolo, who is the final year of his contract. New England could have retained Garoppolo with a one-year franchise tag of at least $23 million guaranteed in 2018, which would have required the Patriots to invest about $45 million in their quarterbacks next season. And it also doesn’t explain why Belichick requested only a second-round pick for Garoppolo after reportedly requesting two first-rounders for him when teams approached the Patriots in the offseason.
The story does, however, shed light on why Belichick offered Garoppolo to the 49ers: Belichick contacted head coach Kyle Shanahan about trading Garoppolo partly because he has “long admired” Shanahan’s father, Mike.
Belichick’s respect for the elder Shanahan, a two-time Super Bowl winner, had to do with his football acumen and the fact that Mike Shanahan had supported Belichick when speaking with Commissioner Roger Goodell during the Patriots’ Spygate scandal.
Belichick also believes Kyle Shanahan has inherited his dad’s football IQ. Belichick thought Garoppolo would thrive with Shanahan and that belief could have been crystallized during last year’s combine. At the combine, Belichick and Shanahan met for hours. Shanahan, then less than a month removed from being the Falcons’ offensive coordinator, learned lessons from Belichick about Atlanta’s Super Bowl loss to New England.
Belichick’s respect for Lynch, whom he briefly coached with the Patriots during Lynch’s final training camp in 2008, also could have factored into the 49ers being Belichick’s preferred team.
On Oct. 31, during Garoppolo’s introductory news conference, Lynch said the Patriots’ reasons for trading Brady’s presumed heir apparent were complicated.
“We agreed with the Patriots that we are going to leave the details,” Lynch said. “There are a lot of details. As Bill said, it’s a big puzzle and I think it’s very complex to get into. And we’re just going to leave it at that.”
John Lynch said the Patriots’ reasons for trading Tom Brady’s presumed heir apparent were complicated.