Jimmy Garoppolo Reportedly ‘Top Offseason Priority’ for Chicago Bears
According to a recent report, the Chicago Bears will try hard to make Jimmy Garoppolo their franchise quarterback this off season.
The Chicago Bears have an obvious need at the quarterback position. As we have learned, it is nearly impossible to be Super Bowl contenders without a high-level quarterback in the NFL. Jay Cutler simply is not the answer. Neither is Matt Barkley or Brian Hoyer.
The Bears undoubtedly could look to find their franchise signal caller with the third overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. There are things to like about Deshaun Watson, DeShone Kizer and Mitch Trubisky, but they all have obvious concerns about their game as well. According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is their top choice.
“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,” La Canfora wrote. “The Illinois native is far and away their top offseason priority.”
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With Tom Brady not looking like he is going to slow down anytime soon, the Patriots are clearly going to look at trade options for Garoppolo. The former second-round selection out of Eastern Illinois has not seen much time on the field, but what we have seen from Garoppolo has been great.
In relief of Brady at the start of this past season, Garoppolo played extremely well, completing 68% of his passes for 502 yards and four touchdowns. He did not throw an interception. Not only did Garoppolo put up strong numbers in limited time, he showed great poise and leadership on the field.
This guy has the tools to be a high-level quarterback at the next level. If this report is true and Ryan Pace decides to make Garoppolo their guy, Bears’ fans should be extremely happy. Garoppolo is great, but what will it cost to acquire him?
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That is difficult to say. The Patriots have been rumored to want a first and fourth round pick in exchange for their young quarterback. That is probably fair, but I doubt the Bears are giving up the third overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Acquiring a mid-to-late first rounder in exchange for Garoppolo is probably the best case scenario for the Patriots.
In a Bears’ specific trade, there are a couple of things that could make sense. Pace could make it rain mid-round selections that Bill Belichick is known to love. Something like a 2017 second round pick, a 2017 fourth round pick and a 2018 second round pick could be enough to entice the Evil Empire in New England.
Also, I wonder if a pick swap would make sense. The Bears would hate to part with that third overall pick, but what if the Patriots send their own first round pick back. The Patriots go from 31 or 32 all the way up for three with the cost being Garoppolo.
I imagine that most Bears’ fans will not like that idea, but if Garoppolo is as good as advertised, the trade would be worth it.
“Many teams view Garoppolo as the best option of all potential free-agent or trade targets and the Bears will have competition,” La Canfora also stated. However, being in the NFC could figure heavily in the Bears’ favor here. “Trading Garoppolo out of the AFC would appeal to the Patriots, who expect him to prosper elsewhere.”
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The Chicago Bears clearly lack a franchise player at the quarterback position. Garoppolo is extremely unproven, but he is a talented guy with a lot of upside going forward. At only 25-years-old, the Bears could be getting a ready-made star with a lot of great years left.
There is certainly a lot of risk involved in making a major trade like this, but if the price is right, the risk is worth it. According to this report, Pace and company seem to agree.