Jimmy Garoppolo is the hottest name in the NFL’s market for available quarterbacks right now.
One would think this honor goes to Tony Romo—but given his age and injury history, he’s not drawing as much interest as the backup gunslinger for the New England Patriots.
Garoppolo completed 43 of 63 passes in games he appeared in last season, for 502 yards (113. 3 QB rating). He still hasn’t thrown an interception during his career so far, and has tossed five touchdowns. The young QB looks like a major trade candidate this offseason and many haven’t been shy in pumping him up. Let’s take a look at what Patriots receiver Julian Edelman had to say about the guy he spent some time with this past season during an interview with NFL Network, as transcribed by Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper:
“I’m not a paid G.M. so I don’t know the whole value thing. As far as a guy that I could play with every single day, Jimmy Garoppolo, I mean, the guy’s a stud,” Edelman said on NFL Network. “He went out and played in the regular season and he played very well. He’s got that kind of gunslinger confidence. That Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers kind of confidence. He practices hard, he prepares hard. He’s a good kid, he’s young. I think he’s a good player.”
Lofty praise, though Garoppolo was a second-round pick for a reason. Perhaps more importantly, Bill Belichick of all people took a risk on the small-school prospect.
Hailing from Eastern Illinois, Garoppolo looked good at times while taking snaps in place of Tom Brady early last season. He clearly has work to do if a team wants to start him as a potential franchise player, but he is still just 25 years old.
A Garoppolo trade will come down to asking price. Thanks to Edelman, would-be suitors should at least have a strong understanding of the man’s confidence level.
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