Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t an ordinary backup quarterback.
Reasonable or not, the 26-year-old is considered by many to be a future franchise QB who has taken this long to blossom only because he was stuck behind Tom Brady on the New England Patriots’ depth chart.
In theory, Garoppolo should shine now that he’s been traded to the San Francisco 49ers, who surrendered a 2018 second-round draft pick to land the Eastern Illinois product. But Albert Breer of The MMQB wanted to see whether some coaches and personnel across the NFL also view the blockbuster deal involving Garoppolo as a huge win for the Niners. In the process, he gathered some interesting assessments, including one in which an NFC personnel executive compared Garoppolo to Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Here’s what the exec said, via Breer:
“Someone would’ve given them a first in a different spot. But the Patriots knew they were running out of time, and had no leverage, would’ve had to tag him. … He can be a top 10 quarterback in the league. If Cleveland’s offering a 2 and a 3 for AJ McCarron, who’s clearly not as good as Garoppolo, then he’s worth a 1 plus something. And Garoppolo is a perfect fit in the Shanahan offense, he can move around, run boots, play action, timing and rhythm patterns, and he’s got good feet, so he can beat you in and outside the pocket. … I’m not talking (Drew) Brees, (Ben) Roethlisberger, Brady, (Peyton) Manning, but the level right below that. That Kirk Cousins level, a better-than-average starter. He doesn’t have a cannon, he’s a short-to-intermediate passer, and he’s not the biggest guy in the world. But he has vision, the feet to make plays outside the pocket. … Perfect for Kyle and a lot of similarities to Cousins.”
Cousins is one of the more polarizing quarterbacks in the NFL, as some view him as a legitimate franchise building block while others question whether he’s really that good. You could do worse, though, and performing like Cousins almost certainly would align Garoppolo for a big payday in free agency.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
