According to 49ers general manager John Lynch himself, when the Patriots traded away Jimmy Garoppolo, all Bill Belichick did was pick up the phone and say a second-round pick would be what it would take to land the 26-year-old quarterback.
Within 10 minutes Lynch responded yes, and it was a done deal.
Belichick apparently didn't shop Garoppolo around, but if he did, the Patriots likely would have received much higher compensation.
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto, former Browns executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown was willing to part with Houston's first-round pick (that Cleveland owns) and "other goodies" in exchange for Garoppolo. The report adds Cleveland called the Patriots two days before Garoppolo was dealt and were told he wasn't available.
That pick now is No. 4 overall, and with the success Garoppolo had in San Francisco, the Patriots' pick they received will now be No. 41 or 42, pending a coin flip.
This likely gives more credence to the argument Belichick wanted to take care of Garoppolo and put him in a position to succeed, rather than get the best return.
