Jimmy Garoppolo has taken 235 regular-season snaps and 422 more in the preseason since the New England Patriots made the former Eastern Illinois quarterback a second-round pick in 2014. Those 657 snaps weren’t enough for Garoppolo to prove that he can excel over the long run as a highly paid NFL starter. However, they could be enough for QB-needy teams to prefer him over 2017 college prospects with zero experience in pro-style offenses such as the one Garoppolo ran impressively as Tom Brady’s replacement this past season.
Only the Patriots know to what extent Garoppolo is available via trade. Although there is no league consensus on that front, conversations with five NFL decision-makers produced some agreement over what Garoppolo should command in a trade and which teams might be most likely to pursue a deal. With these league insiders’ input, I’ve put together potential Garoppolo trade offers for six QB-needy teams — the 49ers, Browns, Bears, Jets, Bills and Texans — followed by the insiders’ thoughts on which proposal would make the most sense from New England’s standpoint.
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Three of the five insiders thought teams interested in Garoppolo should be willing to part with a draft choice (or choices) worth a selection in the middle or late first round this year. The two other insiders placed the value higher. All agreed that desperate teams could wind up paying more, though one pushed back hard against the idea that Garoppolo’s value should align with what Minnesota gave up for Sam Bradford before the 2016 season.
Of course, these are tough projections to make without knowing what New England and other teams think about Garoppolo in relation to draft-eligible quarterbacks and potential veteran free agents, but there is no shortage of opinions. I’ve included lower and higher potential offers for six teams based on what could make sense.
