The New England Patriots finally decided to end the rumor mill that battered around their backup quarterback for the past couple of years. The team agreed to a deal to send Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers. In return, the Patriots will receive a second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. The quarterback will receive an opportunity he only got in passing last season to make waves in the NFL, but it could have the effect of leaving New England perilously thin at the quarterback position.
Garoppolo on the move
San Francisco will be a good landing spot for Garoppolo.
For starters, the team is in the mood to establish a franchise quarterback after the flameout of Colin Kaepernick. He displayed some potential when he filled in for the suspended Tom Brady at the beginning of the 2016 season, so teams are widely enamored with him. He also won't have any competition like he did in New England; the 49ers reportedly plan to release Brian Hoyer once the trade is finalized.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is reportedly enamored with Garoppolo and has been for some time. There aren't a lot of receiving weapons in San Francisco right now, especially compared to the arsenal in New England. Pierre Garcon is one of the most consistent receivers in the NFL, so he'll be a help.
Beyond that, Garoppolo will have to do a lot of the work to establish himself as a starting quarterback in the league.
Patriots' quarterback situation
Obviously, the Patriots feel secure with Brady as their starting quarterback. There was never any possibility that Garoppolo could supplant him this season. After trading Jacoby Brissett to the Indianapolis Colts, however, New England has a dearth of options at the backup spot.
In fact, there are no other options at quarterback on the roster or on the practice squad.
The ironic option to replace Garoppolo would be to poach Hoyer from the free agency market, once he lands there. They might have some competition for him, but he did start his career as a member of the Patriots in 2009. Colin Kaepernick's name will come up (as it always does when there's a quarterback option) and the team does have a history of bringing in controversial quarterbacks -- just ask Tim Tebow.
The team could also try to pull the trigger on another trade before the deadline, perhaps keeping their eye on budding controversies, such as the one the Minnesota Vikings could have with Teddy Bridgewater, Case Keenum, and Sam Bradford.
