Jimmy Garoppolo played very well when filling in for Tom Brady for the first three games of the New England Patriots' 2016 Super Bowl-winning season.
With two rings under his belt and some impressive play so far whenever he's on the field, he may be a hot commodity this offseason for teams in need of a quarterback.
ESPN spoke to five NFL executives about ideal trade partners for Jimmy G, and six teams were discovered.
Let's take a look at them.
Cleveland Browns
Lower offer: 2017 second-rounder and 2017 fifth-rounder
Higher offer: 2017 first-rounder (No. 12) and a 2018 conditional fourth-rounder
“New England doesn't love No. 1 picks,” one of the insiders told Sando. “They love seconds and thirds. If they pick 32nd and then they pick again early in the second round with a pick they acquire, they are studying all the same players.”
San Francisco 49ers
Lower offer: 2017 second-rounder and 2017 fifth-rounder
Higher offer: 2017 second-rounder and 2018 first-rounder
“The Bradford trade was one of the biggest panic moves of all time, and you can say it made sense for Minnesota to do it, but I did not think that was the case, and I don't think that becomes the market,” one executive told Sando. “Philly basically got bailed out by a team that was desperate.”
Chicago Bears
Lower offer: 2017 second-rounder and 2017 fifth-rounder, plus a conditional 2018 choice TBD
Higher offer: 2017 second-rounder and 2018 first-rounder, plus a conditional 2018 choice TBD
"I could even see Chicago giving up the No. 3 pick," one of the insiders said. "If I were them, I wouldn't want to give up more than that. At the end of the day, I don't think Garoppolo is going to get traded. I think a lot of this [is] mental exercise unless a team, like, just throws out something crazy."
New York Jets
Higher offer: 2017 first-rounder (No. 6), plus a conditional 2018 choice TBD
“Who would give up a 1 for Garoppolo?" an insider asked Sando. “Me thinking out loud, not Cleveland, not Chicago, not San Francisco. For some reason, I think the Jets would give a first. And then the Patriots would take the high first [sixth overall] not because they necessarily want the great player but because they could flip that pick for more picks if they wanted to.”
“You want a lot of positive going on in the offseason, and with the Jets, do they become even more desperate with Darrelle Revis' situation, where they might have to cut him and they need a rebound?” this insider asked Sando. “I think they would give the sixth [overall] pick and something else. And at the end of the day, I think New England would rather trade Garoppolo in the division.“If you are New England, you know what the quarterback is and you know he is your system guy who is good with your staff. You get stronger and make your division rival weaker because they do not get the great player in the draft. They get the OK quarterback. Teams are so afraid of trading in the division. You think New England worries about the Jets making them look bad? That is comical, almost.”
Buffalo Bills
Higher offer: 2017 first-rounder (No. 10) and a conditional 2018 pick TBD
“Buffalo had initially offered only a 2003 second-rounder that could upgrade to a first if Bledsoe started at least 12 games and the Bills reached the playoffs,” Sando reports. “The Bills agreed to the higher price [future first] after missing out on Patrick Ramsey in the draft.”
Houston Texans
Higher offer: N/A
The Texans could throw out a low offer for Garoppolo or a player-for-player swap. One executive asked if the Patriots would consider a Garoppolo-for-WR DeAndre Hopkins trade, but added “New England would take a loss, though, because they would have to pay Hopkins.”
