Chicago Bears: They should stay away from Jimmy Garoppolo
Rumors are rampant in Chicago linking the Chicago Bears with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. If they want to build the right way, they need to keep and possibly obtain more picks, and not give them away.
The writing is on the wall for Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears. His time in Chicago ran out, and the two parties need to part ways. For whatever reason, he did not fulfill the expectations people put on him.
Now the question becomes who steps in and replaces Cutler. This is a decision that affects the franchise for seasons to come. The Bears got Cutler, and things soured awhile ago, yet the Bears kept trying. Signing him to a huge contract probably wasn’t a good idea, but the team was desperate for the face of the franchise, and there wasn’t much out there on the open market.
It appears the team made their choice in Cutler’s replacement. Rumors are rampant linking the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Jason La Canfora reported that Garoppolo is the Bears’ top offseason target.
"The Chicago Bears will make a strong, concerted effort to acquire quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo from the Patriots, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. The Illinois native is far and away their top offseason priority…Many teams view Garoppolo as the best option of all potential free-agent or trade targets, and the Bears will have competition.Teams like the Cleveland Browns , New York Jets and 49ers could provide opposition, but the Bears’ intent and willingness to complete a trade could not be more serious. Quarterback is an acute need — the Bears are moving on from Jay Cutler — and jobs are on the line there after two poor seasons from the John Fox and Ryan Pace regime. The Bears have abundant draft picks they could trade — including picks in the top three of each round — and while rival executives do not believe the Patriots will land a first-round pick that high via trade, a package including multiple high second-round picks is quite possible."
Repeating the mistake they made with Cutler?
Making this move is a mistake. The Bears have too many holes to trade away their draft picks. Furthermore, their priority should be trying to obtain MORE picks instead of trading away the ones they already have.
Head coach John Fox and general manager Ryan Pace are feeling some pressure after just nine wins in two seasons. Giving up their top picks is what the Bears did when acquiring Cutler. In 2009, they gave up two first-round picks (in 2009 and 2010), and a third-round pick (2009) to acquire him. Those ended up being a number 18, a number 11, and a number 84. Three top-100 picks!
As a result of that deal, the Bears got stuck with a lightning rod of controversy in Cutler, while the team could not get replacements for the stars they had. Eventually, those stars grew old, but there weren’t players behind them to step in. They are still paying for that, and in return they got ONE playoff win.
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Is Garoppolo worth it?
Now, the Bears appear to try that scenario again. They may give up some of their future for someone who is, for all intents and purposes, untested. He has a grand total of TWO starts, both of them this season. He played in the Patriots system, so he played well. The Patriots’ system makes a lot of players look good. Matt Cassel led them to a record of 11-5 (10-5 as a starter) in 2008. Aside from a Pro Bowl season in 2010, he’s been a mediocre, quarterback over the course of his 12-year career (most of it as a backup).
someone who is, for all intents and purposes, untested. He has a grand total of TWO starts, both of them this season. He played in the Patriots system, so he played well. The Patriots’ system makes a lot of players look good. Matt Cassel led them to a record of 11-5 (10-5 as a starter) in 2008. Aside from a Pro Bowl season in 2010, he’s been a mediocre, quarterback over the course of his 12-year career (most of it as a backup).
Instead of trading for Garoppolo, I would prefer the Bears sign a veteran. In his two seasons as general manager, Pace showed a capability of signing players to contracts that allowed them the salary cap flexibility they currently have. I think he can continue to do that. While they sign a vet, they also need to draft a future quarterback. I’m not sure if there is one in this draft, but perhaps next year, when the crop of prospects is much better.
Yes, Garoppolo was a second-round pick. The problem is that now the Bears may need to give up more than that for a player who elicited doubts from scouts. The scouting report on him was that he was a little undersized and lacked velocity on his throws. Interestingly enough, another criticism was “he tends to hold onto the ball too long and takes unnecessary hits.” That is what happened to him when he injured his shoulder. He could have let the ball go earlier on the play but waited. Yes, he completed the pass, but at the cost of his playing time. Remember, too, he was ranked lower than David Fales in that draft.
Next: Is Jimmy Garoppolo Bears' top priority?
Yes, the Chicago Bears need a new quarterback. I just don’t think they need to mortgage the future to take a chance on a guy who has a total of two starts under his belt. There are just too many holes to fill, and trading FOR picks is a better route than trading AWAY picks.
For the flip side of this, check out DWC co-expert Dan Schmelzer on why the Bears must make a deal for Garoppolo.