49ers grab Garoppolo from the Patriots for a 2nd round pick

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In a stunning trade on Monday, the New England Patriots sent their backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers for a second-round pick next season. I, for one, am a bit baffled by this move from the Patriots. It makes me think something is up! Last year Bill Belichick basically took Garoppolo off the trade market unless he was offered a first-round draft pick. Tom Brady is still at the top of his game but he’s 40 years old. We were led to believe that young Jimmy G was going to be Brady’s successor.

This leads me to believe one of two possibilities. First is that Tom Brady has convinced the Patriots organization that he’d be playing for at least another three years. The other is that Garoppolo who turns 26 on November 2nd, has expressed his disappointment to Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick about being a bench warmer. Every season Garoppolo doesn’t play decreases his value in the league. So perhaps management decided that it was time to part ways with their back up QB and get the best deal they can. Given that the 49ers are winless this season, you’d think they’d have a very high draft pick in 2018. They’ll be in the top three on the draft board which means their 2nd round pick is just like a late 1st rounder. The Pats will likely get the 33rd or 34th selection due to the 49ers lack of success.

What does this all mean for the Niners? First of all, they’re going to start Jimmy Garoppolo almost right away to get him familiar with the offense. Most likely he’ll get under center in his new home against the Giants in week 10 on the schedule. It will be like a long pre-season for the 49ers new quarterback to give him extra time so he’s a full go for 2018. San Fran also released journeyman quarterback Brian Hoyer who started the season for the 49ers. He was benched a couple of weeks ago for C.J. Beathard who’s performance was even worse than Hoyer which is ultimately why the 49ers pulled the trigger on this trade. Another reason for making this deal is that the organization is none too impressed with the crop of quarterbacks in college coming into the 2018 draft.

Hoyer pointing at someone to clean out his locker

San Fran’s season is all but over so they need to make sure they keep their investment healthy. Not many players want to get traded to a losing team but this situation is quite different. Garoppolo has been dying to get back on the field ever since he filled in for Brady last season during his 4-game suspension. He played very well in those games which led to all the conversation about his trade status last year. New England was unable to sign Garoppolo to a long-term deal this off-season which proves his frustration holding a clipboard on the sideline in freezing temperatures.

Now we’ll find out if Jimmy Garoppolo is a product of the system in New England or if the kid is for real. I believe he’s got the goods. He stands tall in the pocket with a strong arm and has learned from two of the best of all time with Brady and Belichick. There’s no doubt the 49ers will give Garoppolo plenty of time to get in the flow and lead this team for the next 5 – 8 years.

The Niners have more talent than people think and we know that a solid quarterback can turn a franchise around with the right help. Just look at DeShaun Watson and Carson Wentz as examples. A great QB can influence an entire team. So can a bad one for that matter. If the 49ers defense wasn’t on the field all game, then the numbers would look a lot better. They hope Garoppolo will be able to keep their defense well rested and on the sideline as he leads the Niners on long sustainable drives. The future of the San Francisco 49ers begins next season. Let’s see what the kid’s got. Finally!