5 reasons the Falcons should NOT trade for QB Jimmy Garoppolo
Earlier this week, the San Francisco 49ers gave quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo permission to seek a trade. It’s been no secret that the team has been looking to move Garoppolo after trading up for QB Trey Lance in last year’s draft.
So which teams are interested in acquiring Garoppolo? With trade rumors swirling in all directions, Atlanta has been mentioned as a potential suitor for Jimmy G due to the quarterback’s ties to Falcons senior personnel executive Ryan Pace.
Ryan Pace, the Atlanta senior personnel executive who reportedly has the Falcons interested in trading for Garoppolo, played at JG's alma mater Eastern Illinois and overlapped with Tony Romo for one season there (1999).
Mike Shanahan and Sean Payton are two other EIU alumni https://t.co/T9HVvIbivV
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) July 21, 2022
Here are five reasons the Falcons should avoid trading for Garoppolo.
Injury history
(AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Garoppolo’s injury history is one that should concern any team acquiring the former second-round pick. After eight years in the league, he’s appeared in 66 games, and has played a full season just one time (2019). Garoppolo has missed time due to the following injuries:
Torn ACL
Shoulder sprain
Thumb fracture
Torn thumb ligament
AC joint sprain
Calf strain
High ankle sprain
Considering the beating Matt Ryan has taken behind the Falcons’ offensive line in recent seasons, it’s hard to see Garoppolo staying healthy in Atlanta.
Garoppolo's cap hit is $26.9 million in 2022
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Nearly all of of Jimmy Garoppolo’s $26,950,000 cap hit is non-guaranteed, meaning the team that trades for him would have to pay for nearly all of his 2022 salary, unless the 49ers agree to pay a portion of it to help facilitate a deal. San Francisco would likely be willing to do this, but do the Falcons really want to give up assets for an expensive, short-term solution at QB? Probably not, especially considering how cap-strapped the team has been in recent seasons.
Desmond Ridder and Marcus Mariota
(AP Photo/John Bazemore)
The Falcons have a capable starter in Marcus Mariota and a high-upside rookie Desmond Ridder to serve as backup. While very few people are expecting Mariota to set the league on fire this year, the former No. 2 overall pick is simply a better option for where this Falcons team is currently at. And considering the two quarterbacks are making a combined $5.25 million this season, it’s hard to make a case for a player like Garoppolo, who would at best be a slight upgrade at best over Mariota or Ridder. If you consider how much better the 49ers’ roster is than Atlanta’s, Garoppolo is unlikely to replicate the success he had in San Francisco.
The timing makes little sense
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Why now? The Falcons went after Deshaun Watson, and when they failed to land him, it messed up a 14-year relationship with Matt Ryan. This led to Atlanta moving Ryan and getting just a third-round pick in return. Mariota was signed the same day as the Ryan trade, and if Garoppolo was thought to be a better option, why wait until training camp starts? Everyone knows Jimmy G has been on the trade market since San Francisco lost in the NFC Championship game. To trade for Garoppolo now would make it seem like the Falcons had no plan.
Garoppolo is not a long-term option
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As Tom Brady continues to prove year after year, age is overrated when it comes the QB position. Garoppolo is only 30 years old, but it’s not like he’s Matthew Stafford stuck in a bad situation. San Francisco nearly reached its second Super Bowl with Garoppolo under center in 2021, and the team still isn’t interested in keeping him around. Perhaps Garoppolo would provide an upgrade this season — if only a slight one — but beyond 2022, it’s debatable that the Falcons would be improving. Plus, it would hinder Desmond Ridder’s progress to go after Jimmy G.
