Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots are still interested in reacquiring Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers, and their search may be aided by the San Francisco blockbuster on Friday.
The 49ers sent choice # 12, a third round choice in 2022 and first round choices in 2022 and 2023 to the Miami Dolphins for choice # 3, a selection that should be used on a mysterious quarterback.
After the switch, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport repeatedly and emphatically reported that the 49ers’ sources indicated that they have no plans to switch Garoppolo this year and will instead use him as a bridge for a newcomer.
The 49ers could theoretically find a much cheaper bridge (Alex Smith, anyone?), So there is a good chance that the team is sending signals to a particular team that resides in Foxborough, Massachusetts, that they need to increase their offer.
Garoppolo was first sent to the New England 49ers in 2017 for a second round pick, and ESPN’s Dianna Russini reported that although the Patriots re-signed last year’s Cam Newton, a Garoppolo exchange is still possible.
“Recently, I was talking to someone in the league that I really trust. … He said, ‘Don’t take Jimmy Garoppolo’s trade off the table,'” Russini said during an ESPN “Get Up” broadcast on Thursday- market. “This is something that New England is still sniffing about. Bill doesn’t like to put his cards on the table, so most think, ‘Well, if we all know that, it’s probably not going to happen.’ But there is definitely a tone in the league that may still fall. “
Russini didn’t shed any light on what Garoppolo might cost, although it would be surprising if he commanded more than the choice of the second round he chose in 2017. Since that exchange, two of his three seasons as a starter have been marked by injuries, and he had an unstable performance in the Super Bowl LIV.
The 49ers would certainly love to retrieve one of the future first round choices they traded with the Dolphins, but that price seems a little high for a quarterback that the 49ers is apparently looking forward to replacing.