NFL Trade Machine: Jimmy Garoppolo To Rams

The New England Patriots are faced with a dilemma.  Thanks to the ongoing Deflategate situation, their prospects for 2016 aren’t ideal, having lost their 1st round pick in the upcoming NFL draft as punishment.  This means they don’t have a pick to make until the end of the 2nd round.  By then most of the top prospects will be long gone.

This has led to speculation that the team might want to consider trying to find a way to increase their storage of picks, hopefully ones within the top 100.  One idea that has been posed is them flipping young quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in a trade.

This wouldn’t be the first time in history that a team drafted a young quarterback to groom as future trade bait.  Tom Brady just received a contract extension into 2019, so it appears he’s not likely to go anywhere even as he approaches 39-years old.  That means Garoppolo has less value to the franchise the longer he stays there.  Given the limited depth of the upcoming quarterback class, they might be able to find a trade partner interested in acquiring him.

The team they should place the first call to?  Why the Los Angeles Rams of course.

It shouldn’t be that hard to understand.  The Rams are crushed under the weight of quarterback problems.  Nick Foles, Case Keenum, Austin Davis and Sam Bradford have all failed to pull that offense out of the pits.  It’s clear 2016 is centered around fixing that once and for all.

Problem is they’re not in the best position to get a top choice in the draft.  They don’t select until 15th overall, which could mean the two or three best options will be gone.  Of course trading up is an option but they know from experience how much that would cost.  So it’s clear they might be open to alternatives.

Why not swing a deal for a talented 24-year old kid who has learned for two years under one of the best ever?  Garoppolo has everything required to become a top quarterback from the 6’3″ frame to a strong arm, accurate passing and now a firm understanding of how to run a pro-style offense.  Los Angeles has two 2nd round picks at their disposal.

Flipping one to the Patriots would be the easiest thing in the world, allowing them to focus their two earliest picks on other areas of need.  It’s a trade that can work out for both franchises.