Adam Schefter is reporting Jimmy Garoppolo won’t be traded. When have we heard that before?
Back in March 2017, the venerated NFL Insider was emphatic the Patriots would hold onto Garoppolo, declaring they wouldn’t even move him for four first-round picks. As it turns out, Schefter was right.
The Patriots traded Garoppolo to San Francisco the following October for a single second-round selection.
On Friday, Schefter dropped another curious Garoppolo nugget. Now armed with the No. 3 overall pick following a blockbuster trade, the Niners appear poised to select one of the coveted quarterbacks at the top of the draft. But an anonymous team source told Schefter that Garoppolo’s job is safe … this year.
“Jimmy is here to stay. He's our guy this year,” the source said.
It’s hard to take that quote at face value, since we can’t attribute it to anybody. We’re not talking about national security secrets. If the 49ers were intent on keeping Garoppolo, why wouldn’t somebody put his name to it?
Niners GM John Lynch has issued multiple votes of confidence for Garoppolo in recent months, most recently in February, when he said he “really believes” Jimmy G will be in the Bay Area next season.
And I “really believe” I won’t down a stiff martini at 5:00 p.m.
The Garoppolo trade rumors are persistent, because they make too much sense. Since signing his extension in 2018, Garoppolo’s consumed $83.6 million in cap space, while playing just 25 regular season games. He’s set to take up $26.4 million in cap space this season, unless the Niners cut ties. His dead cap hit for 2021 is a miniscule $2.8 million.
In other words, the 49ers have an out, and could replace Garoppolo with Justin Fields or Zach Wilson. It is the perfect escape plan.
It made too much sense for the Patriots to move Garoppolo in 2017, too, despite Schefter’s insistence to the contrary. Tom Brady was coming off an MVP season and in the midst of his second straight Super Bowl run. Everybody could see TB12 was outliving his successor.
“Why can’t it be that simple, that they have secured the most important position in sports and they are not going to sacrifice that for a first-round draft pick, for two first-round draft picks or whatever compensation is offered?,” Schefter said about Garoppolo at the time. “Why does it have to be they are trying to drive up the price when they don’t have any intention of trading him?”
When asked to explain New England’s apparent change of heart, Schefter presented the reversal as spontaneous.
“I think that they woke up that Monday morning, the day before the trade deadline, Oct. 30, and made the decision, however they did, that they’re going to trade Jimmy Garoppolo,” Schefter told Dan Patrick in January 2018. “And I believe it was as simple as a simple phone call to the Bay Area. ‘You want Jimmy Garoppolo?’ ‘Yeah.’ ‘OK. It’s a two.’ ‘OK. End of contract negotiation, or trade discussion. Deal agreed to.’”
While Schefter’s track record is mostly excellent, it’s important to remember his role as an information peddler. He enjoys a symbiotic relationship with team execs: they funnel each other information.
With the NFL Draft three weeks away, it makes sense for the Niners keep pumping up Garoppolo. Just don’t believe common sense over a tweet, even when it comes from Schefter.