Adam Schefter tweeted this morning that the Patriots are “not expected” to trade Jimmy Garoppolo. Does that mean they’re not taking offers? Of course not. Remember the next two months leading up to the draft, and especially during free agency, are all about misinformation.
Remember that when free agency opens next week and you hear that the Patriots are interested in just about every high profile player to hit the open market. That’s the agents doing their part to put a little Patriots shine on their player in hopes of driving up interest and ultimately the price tag.
Well, that works both ways. If the rest of the league believes the Patriots are in no rush to unload Garoppolo they might just try to make an offer the Pats can’t refuse. Let’s face it, there aren’t many quarterback options out there, certainly none of which have half the hype that Garoppolo has after showing incredible poise in the game and a half he played this season.
In a move that will have a ripple effect on all QB-needy teams, Patriots are not expected to trade QB Jimmy Garoppolo, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 1, 2017
This is not about increasing his value, this is the player being good, really good. https://t.co/Sy08t9KoaZ
— michael lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) March 1, 2017
I’m not going to rehash everything I wrote back during the season when I said that the Pats should hold on to Garoppolo, but it’s worth revisiting the major points.
What is the value of a quarterback who can play in this league? Who is young, has a unique skillset (quick release) and has been groomed by the best organization, under the best quarterback in the league? The starting point has to be a top-15 pick, and that’s just the starting point.
I know Brady still looks every bit like Brady. But there is NOTHING more important in the NFL than having a quarterback who can win games. The end can come quickly and unexpectedly. A quarterback in hand is worth dozens of random ones in the draft, and that goes all the way up to a first overall pick. How many of those quarterbacks taken first overall have flamed out?
I don’t know if Garoppolo will or won’t be traded. But let’s not pretend the Pats are hanging up the phone when teams call. Still in play.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) March 1, 2017
Of course, the Patriots will listen to offers still. And who knows, maybe one will blow them away. But it certainly won’t be a two second-rounders kind of deal. It would have to be a “holy shit, the Pats will get 2-3 talented starters out of this” kind of deal.
But if you believe in the long view, that Bill Belichick wants to sustain winning even beyond Brady, then you have to hang on to Garoppolo unless the package offered for him is truly franchise altering. Because if they get caught post-Brady without a QB, while Garoppolo is tearing things up with some other team for another decade the franchise will certainly be altered. For the much much worse.