10-31-2017, 06:41 PM
I didn't love this move initially for the niners. The problem is that Garoppolo is a pending free agent, and based on the talks I'm hearing, will be commanding a high-end QB level contract, but he hasn't proven a high-end QB level of play on the field. Based on that, I see the following potential outcomes.
Option 1: Garoppolo stinks it up on the niners and we don't resign him. Outcome: waste of a high second round pick, though perhaps this evaluation period let us avoid making a bigger mistake in signing him to a long term deal in the off-season
Option 2: Garoppolo is good but won't resign. Niners use franchise tag on him to keep him around. Outcome: mixed.
Option 3: Garoppolo is good and re-signs for high-end QB money. Niners ability to threaten the franchise tag keeps him in town and gives Niners negotiating leverage. Outcome: good
The big question here is if Garoppolo is better then other available options, either taking Kirk Cousins as a free agent or drafting a QB. Personally, I'd rather pay a bit more for the proven commodity, say 22 million/year for Cousins instead of 16/year for Garoppolo, but I do believe in the current Niners brain trust so will wait and see.
From a Patriots standpoint this is easier to understand. They held off on trading him before the season because they weren't sure about how good Brady would be this year. Now that Brady is proving to be excellent still, they need to unload him because they won't be able to resign him in the offseason. Keeping Garoppolo this long was essentially a moderately expensive insurance policy on Tom Brady this year, which given the history of 40 year old QBs, is not unreasonable.
Option 1: Garoppolo stinks it up on the niners and we don't resign him. Outcome: waste of a high second round pick, though perhaps this evaluation period let us avoid making a bigger mistake in signing him to a long term deal in the off-season
Option 2: Garoppolo is good but won't resign. Niners use franchise tag on him to keep him around. Outcome: mixed.
Option 3: Garoppolo is good and re-signs for high-end QB money. Niners ability to threaten the franchise tag keeps him in town and gives Niners negotiating leverage. Outcome: good
The big question here is if Garoppolo is better then other available options, either taking Kirk Cousins as a free agent or drafting a QB. Personally, I'd rather pay a bit more for the proven commodity, say 22 million/year for Cousins instead of 16/year for Garoppolo, but I do believe in the current Niners brain trust so will wait and see.
From a Patriots standpoint this is easier to understand. They held off on trading him before the season because they weren't sure about how good Brady would be this year. Now that Brady is proving to be excellent still, they need to unload him because they won't be able to resign him in the offseason. Keeping Garoppolo this long was essentially a moderately expensive insurance policy on Tom Brady this year, which given the history of 40 year old QBs, is not unreasonable.