The trade market for Jimmy Garoppolo appears to be hotter than ever now that the NFL offseason has officially begun, but could the New England Patriots value the backup quarterback too much to deal him.
After speaking with Patriots sources at the Super Bowl earlier this month, ESPN’s Ed Werder was given the impression that Bill Belichick plans to hold onto Garoppolo for at least another season.
Based on what I heard from people inside #Patriots at SB and those familiar with their approach, I'm not expecting @JimmyG_10 to be traded
— Ed Werder (@Edwerderespn) February 16, 2017
Garoppolo will be a free agent in 2018, and Belichick hardly ever lets a player walk away if he can get value in return first. Given the way Tom Brady played this season, it’s safe to assume the Patriots are not going to keep Garoppolo beyond next season. So why wouldn’t they trade him for a high draft pick?
While New England fans don’t want to hear it, it’s possible that the Patriots still want to wait one more year to see where a soon-to-be 40-year-old Brady is at. Garoppolo knows the system and looked very sharp in his limited time as the starter during Brady’s suspension. Should Brady suddenly succumb to Father Time, Belichick might want to keep Jimmy G. around and could even contemplate franchise tagging him for the 2018 season.
Belichick is known for trading back in the draft anyway, so you could understand if he values keeping Garoppolo on the roster at cheap money in the rare event of an injury or dip in production from Brady. It would be difficult for the Patriots to turn down an offer if they got the high price they are seeking for Garoppolo, but you can never rule anything out with them.
