Can the 49ers Trade Jimmy Garoppolo and a Pick for Stephon Gilmore?
Let's send Jimmy Garoppolo home.
His bags are packed. He needs the Patriots. The Patriots need him. And the 49ers need him gone. There must be a way to satisfy all three parties.
Let's face it -- Garoppolo never wanted to come to the 49ers. He told me before the Super Bowl it was a major comedown to go from the Patriots where he was Tom Brady's heir apparent to the 49ers who've had one winning season since 2013. And yet he never complained, even though the 49ers seem to complain about him privately all the time.
Still, Garoppolo refers to Bill Belichick as "Coach" and Kyle Shanahan as "Kyle." Tells you all you need to know.
Plus, Belichick likes Garoppolo much more than Shanahan does. Belichick showers his former quarterback with praise while Shanahan hands it over begrudgingly.
And Belichick needs Garoppolo, because he developed him and doesn't have time to develop another young quarterback. And he can't afford another losing season while Tom Brady wins potentially another Super Bowl with the Buccaneers.
Belichick's legacy depends on a reunion with Garoppolo.
But Garoppolo isn't worth much in a trade because of his extensive injury history. So instead of trading him for a third- or fourth-round pick, the 49ers can trade him and their own third-round pick for a stud player -- Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
Gilmore is entering the final year of his contract and he's scheduled to cost the Patriots more than $15 million in 2021. They might want to deal him now and clear some cap space.
If the 49ers trade for Gilmore, he would cost them only $8 million in 2021, meaning he'd be cheaper than Jason Verrett most likely. So the 49ers could let Verrett walk in free agency, or re-sign him and play him next to Gilmore and create the best cornerback tandem in the NFL.
And then the 49ers can replace Garoppolo with some veteran backup who could do Garoppolo's job better than him for a fraction of the price. Someone such as Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andy Dalton or Cam Newton.
See ya, Jimmy.
