Report: Patriots open to Jimmy Garoppolo trade, price will be high

The New England Patriots are at least willing to gauge quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s trade market, but a deal will not be easy.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that the Patriots are open to offers for Garoppolo, but they’ll be demanding at least a first-round pick in return, and may ultimately decide against moving him.

“The Patriots are open to trading Jimmy Garoppolo and they are going to listen to all offers, as they have over the last couple years for Garoppolo — and they have gotten a couple inquiries,” Rapoport said on NFL Network’s GameDay Morning, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “But from what I am being told there are several complicating factors: First of all, the price tag, expected to be at least a first-round pick — just based off the quarterback market. Will anyone give them that? Second of all, are the Patriots really comfortable going forward with Jacoby Brissett as their backup quarterback in case Tom Brady gets hurt? That might be the biggest question of all.”

Garoppolo will definitely attract interest, and the Patriots are holding firm on their asking price. The market will be helped by the fact that the 2017 NFL Draft is viewed as weak as far as quarterbacks go. At the end of the day, however, he’s fairly unproven, and after the way the Brock Osweiler debacle has worked out for Houston, some teams may be hesitant to give up so much for a quarterback as inexperienced and unproven as Garoppolo.