Report: Pats QB Garoppolo not on the market … There are multiple reports – here and here – this morning that New England will not be trading back-up QB Jimmy Garoppolo this off-season. The league has been rife with rumors for months that Garoppolo, who becomes a free agent after the 2017 season, would be on the market this winter. That’s been a big deal as most observers around the league figure that a trade for Garoppolo would be a better option at the position for QB-needy teams like Cleveland, San Francisco, Chicago and the New York Jets than any of the QB prospects in the 2017 draft class. And it makes some sense for the Patriots to hang onto Garoppolo even though they’d only get a comp pick in return if he bolted for free agency next year as New England probably really can’t count on Tom Brady going on forever, although he says not going anywhere anytime soon. However, this is the season of smoke and mirrors and keeping a player past his due date has never been the Patriots’ way so until we actually see differently, its just hard not to figure that Bill Belichek and the Patriots are playing a little hardball in order to drive the price for a Garoppolo up. Indeed, right now the Patriots have all the cards. Garoppolo is the only veteran out there who rates as more than a stop-gap at the vital QB position; there are as many as 4-5 teams that are desperate for QB help; and there are questions than answers at the position in the 2017 draft. Stay tuned!
