Patriots: 49ers’ reported asking price for Jimmy Garoppolo will make you pass out
By Jerry Trotta
Even after their free agent spending spree, the New England Patriots have been a hot topic of conversation throughout the NFL landscape.
The reason for that? Well, the San Francisco 49ers completed a blockbuster deal with the Miami Dolphins that saw them move up nine spots to the No. 3 overall pick in this month’s draft.
The 49ers obviously wouldn’t make such a move if they weren’t planning on drafting a quarterback.
While it remains to be seen who that prospect is, this deal has swiftly raised questions about Jimmy Garoppolo’s future on the west coast.
As expected, it didn’t take long for Garoppolo to be linked with the Patriots, though it’s not entirely clear whether they’re keen on a reunion. Whatever the case, if they were interested in trading for him, the latest update on San Fran’s reported asking price will surely change their minds.
Per insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the 49ers won’t even listen to trade offers for the former second-round pick if the return package doesn’t include a first-round pick.
https://twitter.com/theMMQB/status/1377345867087192067
Patriots fans might cry laughing at the 49ers’ asking price for Jimmy Garoppolo.
Here’s what Breer had to say about Garoppolo’s situation with the 49ers, who for some reason think they hold all the leverage here.
"“I was told that, yes, it’d take a first-round pick for the Niners to listen at this point, which of course would be nice for San Francisco to have after it yielded its firsts in 2022 and ’23 to jump from No. 12 to 3. That, of course, is subject to change. Maybe a veteran stopgap they see as comparable to Garoppolo could come along, and they’d then be motivated to move him (I’m not sure who that would be). Maybe the rookie will arrive and blow everyone away over the summer, and the Niners will want to play him.“As it stands right now? I don’t think the Niners feel any sort of urgency to move Garoppolo, which makes his market value completely irrelevant in comparison to the Niners’ price.”"
Did anybody else just spit out their coffee? It’s worth noting that Breer acknowledged that the price could come down. Until it does, however, the Patriots shouldn’t even entertain the thought of trading for Garoppolo, who is as injury prone as anybody in the league.
It’s been regurgitated numerous times over the last few weeks, but Garoppolo has appeared in more than six games just once in his four years with San Francisco. The 29-year-old’s injuries have ranged from a torn ACL, a high ankle sprain, and a sprained throwing shoulder. If you asked us, that variety of injuries is significantly more concerning than if he kept re-injuring the same body part.
We've reached the "asking price" phase of the Jimmy Garoppolo trade saga. https://t.co/amOj0wKLCf
— NESN (@NESN) March 31, 2021
In an effort to establish trade leverage, the 49ers have been adamant about keeping Garoppolo “this year.” However, that could change in a split second if whomever they draft shows out during training camp and proves he’s ready to start as a rookie.
That, in turn, could prompt Garoppolo to demand a trade. Only then should the Patriots (if they are even interested) enter negotiations. After all, by that point his value likely would have shrunk to something along the lines of a second- or third-round pick.
Whatever ends up happening, it seems like the right course of action for New England would be to target a quarterback in the draft and potentially circle back to Garoppolo if none of the consensus first-round prospects are available by the time it’s their turn to pick.
