Five Teams That Jimmy Garoppolo is Likely to Sign With
Jimmy Garoppolo will assuredly move on from the San Francisco 49ers when he hits free agency in March.
Luckily for Garoppolo, there are a handful of teams who are quarterback needy. Even for a guy coming off a broken foot, which could make his market slow at first, Garoppolo can find himself on a new team within weeks of free agency.
Here are the five teams that Garoppolo is likely to sign with.
Las Vegas Raiders
This is the most obvious team of all. The Raiders are without a starting quarterback after cutting ties with nine-year starter Derek Carr. A lot of avenues will be explored by the Raiders when it comes to quarterback, but no matter which one there is to consider, Garoppolo is the one that pops up the most. Familiarity is what makes Garoppolo a draw to the Raiders with head coach Josh McDaniels. The two spent time in New England together, so Garoppolo should be able to jump right into the system with little to no delay.
It is just a matter of if the Raiders want to sign him to more than a one-year deal. Then there is the matter of if the Raiders draft a quarterback with their No. 7 pick. I doubt Garoppolo is willing to be a part of another seat holder position again like he was with the 49ers for Trey Lance. But that is the reality of what he is going to have to face. Aside from that, the Raiders have a poor offensive line, which Garoppolo needs to be stable if he will ever excel. Playbook fit and familiar head coach works, but the tenure of a deal and offensive line is what could be a drawback.
Houston Texans
DeMeco Ryans being the head coach of the Texans makes this another obvious one to consider. Ryans recently hired former 49ers pass game coordinator Bobby Slowik to be his offensive coordinator. Again, familiarity and little to no delay is what will attract Garoppolo here. General manager Nick Caserio has ties to New England as well, which adds to the familiarity factor. It is also a spot where Garoppolo could find an adequate contract at both salary and tenure given the Texans have the ample salary cap space at $37.6 million.
Ryans did mention in his opening press conference as head coach that a quarterback with the Texans' No. 2 overall pick isn't a guarantee essentially. So Garoppolo is definitely on the table here. Then again, he could just be bluffing and there is still the wonder of who exactly is calling the personnel shots, especially on offense since Ryans is defensive oriented. I think Houston would be nuts to pass on a quarterback with their draft pick. Either way, there is an allure here for Garoppolo.
New England Patriots
This is where it gets intriguing. Mac Jones is the starter, for now, of the Patriots, but I would bet that Bill Belichick explores the possibility of signing Garoppolo. Plenty of former Patriots players have gone back to the team and have even accepted a lesser salary just to return. You can't rule that out for Garoppolo. The Patriots would likely give Garoppolo something incentive based that is tied to winning the starting job and his availability.
That is assuming the Patriots keep Jones and don't try to trade him. After what occurred last season with Jones and Belichick, I would not be surprised if their relationship is irreconcilable. Where it becomes conflicting is that the Patriots hired Bill O'Brien to be their new offensive coordinator. O'Brien was the play caller for Jones in college at Alabama, so this looks like a reinvestment in Jones. Still, Belichick is the one that calls the shots here and if he sees value in Garoppolo, then he will surely tap him on the shoulder and make it work.
New Orleans Saints
Finally, a team that doesn't have the familiarity factor for Garoppolo. The Saints being a likely team is based on a need for a starting quarterback and the fact that head coach Dennis Allen is defensive oriented. Typically, defensive head coaches like the safer quarterback. One that can fit in a time of possession style of offense and can use the run game to aid him. That fits Garoppolo perfectly. Wherever he goes will need a sturdy offensive line, efficient run game, and a strong defense. That is how a team will get a high-level version of him.
New Orleans can provide all of that with the exception of offensive skill players. Michael Thomas cannot be depended on with his constant injuries and Alvin Kamara is currently facing legal issues, so who knows about his status going forward. All the Saints really have worth mentioning is receiver Chris Olave who had a tremendous rookie season. Despite the lack of weapons, this should present a mutual interest to both camps. Plus, Garoppolo gets to play in a dome and in a weak division.
Miami Dolphins
This is my wild card team to sign Garoppolo. The Dolphins need another quarterback on their roster. Another starting caliber quarterback that is. Tua Tagovailoa is going to be the biggest toss up next season with oh so many questions to be asked. Will he continue playing? How will he look after multiple concussions? Can he be kept upright for the most part? There is just too much variance with him. Miami cannot depend on him, so they have to look for another. Circling back to familiarity once again with Garoppolo for the Dolphins. Head coach Mike McDaniel is all too familiar with Garoppolo as he was with him every year with the 49ers until last.
The Dolphins have a stacked offense that even Garoppolo can thrive in. All that is missing is a good defense, which should be massively improved with Vic Fangio becoming the defensive coordinator. The fit here makes way too much sense and it is something Garoppolo should be looking for. You just have to wonder if Garoppolo is the right quarterback to bring alongside Tagovailoa. The whole point of bringing another quarterback is because of the injury history, so it is actually fairly crazy to bring Garoppolo, an injury prone player, as the backup.
