The NFL offseason has officially begun with free agency just over a month away. Teams can also negotiate trades, though they won’t be official until the new league year begins March 16th. We should see an active trade market with quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins and Jimmy Garoppolo all potentially on the move.
Speaking of Garoppolo, the 49ers quarterback (though presumably not for long) could be a consideration for the newly rebranded Washington Commanders, who are seeking an upgrade at quarterback after totaling just 21 touchdown passes, ninth-fewest in the NFL, this past season. Garoppolo struggled throughout the Niners’ postseason run, though a nagging shoulder injury may have contributed to his ineffectiveness.
Now that the Niners plan to move forward with third overall pick Trey Lance as their QB1, what would it cost Washington—or any other prospective suitor—to pry Garoppolo away from San Francisco? The Patriots, if you recall, acquired a second-round pick for Garoppolo in 2017. Despite the bad taste left by his NFC Championship performance against the Rams (53.3 completion percentage with two touchdowns and a pick-six), some are of the opinion Garoppolo could fetch an even bigger haul this time around.
Ben Standig of The Athletic recently spoke to an anonymous NFL executive, who believes Washington could “justify” trading a first-round pick (11th overall) for Garoppolo, depending on how the Commanders view this year’s crop of incoming quarterbacks including top prospects Kenny Pickett, Desmond Ridder, Malik Willis and Matt Corral.
“The executive doesn’t think Garoppolo is worth the 11th selection or any first-round choice based on skill set and injury history,” writes Standig. “Yet he argued the Commanders could justify sending the pick to San Francisco should they concede none of the incoming passers are worthy of that selection. For a team that needs to win now, the veteran here trumps the unproven rookies.”
While Garoppolo is seen as a limited athlete with poor mobility and a knack for getting hurt, his locker room presence and reputation as a winner could offset whatever perceived talent deficiencies the 30-year-old might have. “[Sources] see how Washington could improve with him under center, assuming offensive coordinator Scott Turner’s game plan plays to Garoppolo’s strengths, namely the underneath passing game,” notes Standig. “One executive positively labeled Garoppolo a ‘functional starter,’ a level he says doesn’t apply for several players who started games in 2021, like Washington’s Taylor Heinicke—and perhaps all of the 2022 QB draft prospects.”
The Commanders are only a year removed from reaching the playoffs, benefiting from a historically bad NFC East in 2020. With improved quarterback play and the continued development of rising stars Chase Young, Terry McLaurin and Antonio Gibson, Washington could take a major leap forward this upcoming season.
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