New England Patriots backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo played surprisingly well in his two starts filling in for a suspended Tom Brady. So well, in fact, that the Pats can essentially name their price for the third-year player and get it.
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According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, that's exactly what Bill Belichick and company plan to do. On WEEI's Kirk and Callahan Show Wednesday, Shefter said the Patriots are seeking to deal him for a minimum of a first and a fourth-round draft pick.
Incidentally, that's exactly the price Minnesota paid for the rights to Sam Bradford. While the jury's still out on whether Garoppolo rose to that second-tier level in limited action over three seasons, he has shown he's got the potential to get there. For his career, Garoppolo's completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 690 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.
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And particularly in his two starts this season against Arizona and Miami in weeks one and two, he displayed the poise and veteran leadership of a guy who'd been there before, even though he hadn't. In those two outings combined, he threw for 496 yards, and four touchdowns while completing a laser-like 71 percent of his passes.
Some will certainly argue, however, that a first-round pick is too much to part with for a quarterback that ultimately still hasn't proven himself worthy of a starting job. A cursory glance around the league, though, and Garoppolo begins to look as good, if not better, than almost any other quarterback that's either on the market or about to be.
