The One and Only Reason the Browns Would Trade for Jimmy Garoppolo
A quarterback is on the move via trade.
And no, it is not Jimmy Garoppolo. The Cleveland Browns are trading Baker Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a 2024 conditional fifth-round pick. Cleveland is also eating $10.5 million of Mayfield's salary as part of the trade, while the Panthers will only take on $5 million of his salary.
Quite the easy move for the Panthers to make, and a doozy one for the Browns who essentially paid $10.5 million for a Day 3 draft pick. It just shows how desperate the Browns were to cut ties with Mayfield. Now that leaves the Browns with Deshaun Watson and Jacoby Brissett.
However, Watson has a chance to be suspended for the season, if not a portion of it. They are in "win now" mode, so Brissett might not be the quarterback to get the job done. Acquiring Garoppolo is a move they can look into, but it really makes no sense for them to do it when the 49ers are not in any position to trade him. They have zero leverage in sending Garoppolo off when it is clear they can just cut him. It is in the 49ers' best interest to do so, but they might be too stubborn to do it.
The one and only reason the Browns would trade for Garoppolo is if they believe the 49ers are firm in not releasing him or holding him for the majority of training camp. It behooves the Browns to bring Garoppolo in even if for just a month or so early before the season. The market for a starting caliber quarterback at this stage of the year has been set with the Mayfield trade. Cleveland doesn't have to give up anything more than a measly Day 3 draft pick.
Surrendering that to get Garoppolo with a month up to speed through training camp and the preseason to learn the playbook is a better benefit than retaining a late pick. Holding onto Garoppolo could very well be the case for the 49ers. I would not put it past them. For the whole offseason, they have remained consistent that a trade is the only way they will depart from Garoppolo. If the Browns fear the Niners will hold him throughout training camp, then they might as well look to trade for him now. The cost to bring him in is worth it.
Plus, the Browns can look to restructure Garoppolo's deal to make his salary fit the cap. That also behooves Garoppolo because the Browns give him the best chance to re-up his value for the next free agency period. It'll be a no-brainer move for him to oblige to.
Still, I'm hard pressed to see the Browns or any other team looking to trade for Garoppolo. Cutting him will be the only resort the 49ers will have and it needs to occur as soon as Garoppolo clears a physical.
