New England Patriots: Not Trading Jimmy Garoppolo Would Be Foolish

Recent reports suggest that the New England Patriots are not trading backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. This would be a foolish mistake.

The New England Patriots have arguably the most valuable trade chip in the NFL this offseason. Jimmy Garoppolo is a former second round pick who looked great in his action early in the 2016 season. There is still a lot of unknown with the Patriots' backup quarterback, but with so many teams needing a signal caller, the Patriots could certainly get some nice value for him if they wish.

Tom Brady does not look like he is going to slow down anytime soon. He is about to be on the wrong side of 40, but he still seems to be on the top of his game. I would be shocked if Brady does not play for at least two more years. With Garoppolo set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2018 season, dealing him now makes the most sense.

However, the New England Patriots are reportedly not going to trade Garoppolo this off season. We heard whispers of this about a week ago, but mostly brushed them off as Bill Belichick trying to increase the value of his trade chip. Now, I am not so sure.

Earlier on Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Garoppolo is not available for trade, and has emphatically backed it up all day long. Schefter even said that the Patriots will not trade Garoppolo "No matter who calls them and what anybody offers."

Schefter is as reliable as they come; he is not just throwing this stuff around unless he truly believes it. I am still a bit skeptical, but it now looks like Jimmy Garoppolo will still be Tom Brady's backup in 2017.

Personally, I do not understand this. Garoppolo will hit the open market next off season whether the Patriots like it or not. If Brady is still lacing up his cleats, Garoppolo is going to sign a contract with another team to get a starting opportunity. It is that simple.

The only way that the Patriots can prevent him from doing that is by placing the franchise tag on him. Are they really going to pay their backup quarterback $21+ million? I would not count anything out when it comes to Belichick, but that would be crazy.

This simply does not make any sense. The only way keeping Garoppolo around makes any sense is if the Patriots are getting the feeling that Brady will retire after next season. Did you see that guy in Super Bowl 51? Brady is not retiring any time soon.

Schefter is an incredible reporter, but he could be getting played by Belichick here. Maybe the Patriots are not getting the offers that they thought they would for Garoppolo and are using this news to get teams to panic? If that is the case, this could turn out to be brilliant.

Regardless, trading Garoppolo is the best move for the New England Patriots this off season. His value will never be higher than it is right now, and he is much more valuable to teams who do not have the greatest quarterback of all-time under center. Unless they know something about Brady that we don't, hanging on to Garoppolo would be a terrible mistake.