Chicago Bears Would Strike Gold if Able to Land Jimmy Garoppolo
The Chicago Bears enter the off season with uncertainty over their quarterback situation. Trading for Jimmy Garoppolo would be an excellent move by the Chicago Bears front office
The 2016 Chicago Bears took a step back in their second season under head coach John Fox. The team finished the season winning only three games. While their defense looked strong at times, their offense was a much different story. While the Bears’ brass can be proud of the significant impact rookie running back Jordan Howard made, the same can’t be said for their quarterback circus.
Due to various injuries, the Bears rolled out Jay Cutler, Brian Hoyer, and Matt Barkley to lead the team throughout this disappointing season. All three of these quarterbacks had their up-and-down moments, and none of them proved they’re the long-term answer at the quarterback position.
The Chicago Bears without a doubt are in a win-now sense of urgency. General manager Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox are under enormous pressure to finally get this team rolling in the right direction. While the Bears have many position player needs to fill, none are more crucial than having the right quarterback to guide a struggling franchise.
Related Story: What Will it Cost for Bears to Acquire Jimmy Garoppolo?
That is precisely why if the Bears want to “win now,” they need to trade for Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Recent rumors suggest that the Chicago Bears have made Garoppolo their “top offseason priority.” This is a move that the team simply must make. He is just 25-years-old, and while he has only two professional starts under his belt, his upside is terrific.
Garoppolo may not be the fastest quarterback around, but he has shown plenty of mobility to extend plays inside the pocket. He possesses solid arm strength. Not Jay Cutler arm strength, but enough to make all the throws. He also showcases a lightning quick release and impressive overall accuracy.
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What makes Jimmy such an appealing prospect is his in-game awareness. Although it’s a small sample size, Garoppolo hasn’t thrown a single pick in his NFL career. Not a single pick in 94 career passing attempts. A small number of attempts, but he is a smart player who will not make many crippling mistakes. Wouldn’t that be a nice change of pace?
Therefore, the Bears should do everything they can to snatch Garoppolo from the Patriots; even if that means giving up a few high draft picks to do so. The team clearly needs to start improving their offense fast. Gambling on an unproven quarterback through the later rounds of the draft is not the wisest option. Neither is signing a veteran QB in the free agent market.
There simply are not many good quarterback options available for the Bears other than obtaining Garoppolo via trade.
The Bears’ organization should trade for Jimmy immediately, then see what he could do at quarterback. We all know the Bears’ offense isn’t nearly the same as New England’s. But the team has some promising players such as Howard and emerging wide-receiver Cameron Meredith whom Garoppolo could grow with over the upcoming seasons.
The Bears have also put together a strong mix of players on the offensive line. Heck, maybe even Alshon Jeffrey comes back next season to give Garoppolo another target to throw to. Same goes for tight-end Zach Miller, who is really good when healthy.
This is the perfect time for the Bears to go all-in on Garoppolo. While pundits will argue he is an unproven quarterback, what he has shown is impressive mental toughness throughout his three-year career with the Patriots. Simply put, he is more proven than any rookie the Bears could bring into the mix and the upside is similar.
It’s not easy for a quarterback to sit behind one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time. Frustrations can boil up for any backup quarterback who rarely sees action on the field. This is what makes Garoppolo stand out.
He could have sat there and pouted behind Tom Brady for the past three seasons, but he didn’t.
Instead, Garoppolo decided to put in the work over the years, thus improving his game. Injuries to the starter can happen at any moment. The backups have to be ready in any given moment to play. That’s exactly what Garoppolo displayed when Brady was suspended the first four regular season games.
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Garoppolo went out for the Patriots and “balled” when filling in for Brady. He looked every bit as impressive as Brady typically looks on any given Sunday. Yes, he ultimately did get hurt during his second start. But his youth and promising play should not scare any team away from potentially acquiring him. He’s shown plenty more than most could in such a short sample size.
The Chicago Bears would also benefit from trading for Garoppolo immediately to spark higher fan interest. The team has been lackluster for years now. We as fans need something to look forward to seeing during the upcoming season and beyond. Obtaining a young, promising quarterback like Garoppolo would help fill more seats at Soldier Field.
The Bears, in making this trade, would become more relevant in the eyes of everyone. There would be more hope evident throughout the Chicago, for good reason. No more will Bears’ fans be forced to suffer from watching the three-headed monster at quarterback in Cutler, Hoyer and Barkley. All three of those veteran quarterbacks showed glimmers of promise, but little to no hope for the future.
Now is the time for the Bears to make this bold trade. Fox and Pace will work hard to improve the Chicago Bears for 2017. Otherwise their job securities will surely be in doubt. As Aaron Rodgers proved for the Packers, a team with glaring weaknesses on both sides of the ball can still win games thanks to great quarterback play.
Garoppolo is probably not going to be Aaron Rodgers. But he can be good enough to lift up this struggling franchise, currently stuck in limbo.
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Sometimes risky decisions involved in football pay great dividends down the road. This risk may be one of them. A risk that is undoubtedly worth taking for the Chicago Bears.
Interested in the other side of this? Check out DWC co-expert Carlos Nazario’s take on why the Bears should stay away from Garoppolo.