Jimmy Garoppolo is fast becoming the top quarterback target of the 2017 NFL off-season. Many view him as the best option available in any market, including the upcoming draft class. The Chicago Bears have already been connected to him. Word is GM Ryan Pace likes him and believes he can build a competitive team around his talents.
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The Bears are expected to make a strong push once the new league year becomes active in March. Problem is they aren't expected to be the only team. Both the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers are very much in the Garoppolo mix, and they have the advantage of holding a higher volume of draft picks in addition to high draft position.
In other words it will take a degree of good luck for the Bears to land Garoppolo. However, their reasoning for doing so is pretty straightforward. His Illinois roots. The arm strength and accuracy combination. Mobile and athletic. A confident thrower of the football. The tools are there.
What many aren't discussing is the ever-so-subtle added reason they might be targeting him. One that could prove to be a coup of the highest order.
SHRINKING OPTIONS
Everybody can see what the direct impact of Garoppolo joining the Bears would be. What they might not be viewing is the potential domino effect it might have on the other teams. Particularly the 49ers and Browns. Their needs for a quarterback are just as pressing as Chicago, if not more so. If Garoppolo comes off the board, their options outside of the NFL draft instantly become more limited. Kirk Cousins is the best free agent option but he's expected to stay in Washington. Tyrod Taylor is garnering plenty of interest but there is still a strong possibility he stays with the Buffalo Bills. It's unreasonable to think Tony Romo, who's expecting to get released by Dallas, would join either of those teams given their clear lack of Super Bowl chances. https://twitter.com/Edwerderespn/status/832265066103894016 So what's left to them? Mike Glennon? Brian Hoyer? Jay Cutler? A.J. McCarron? None of those names inspire much confidence or excitement. Thus the pressure increases on both teams to consider using their top draft picks on a quarterback. Not something unheard of since the past two drafts have seen QBs go 1-2.- 2015: Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota
- 2016: Jared Goff and Carson Wentz
MANY OBSTACLES
If they decided to pass on a quarterback at #1 or #2, there is a strong likelihood none of the top four names at the position will be available to them by the next time they pick. That includes the Browns who also hold the #12 pick. Looking at the board, there are likely three quarterbacks who could go in the top 10 with a fourth being worthy of the first round. The list of teams that are serious threats to draft a quarterback can't be ignored.- New York Jets (#6)
- Los Angeles Chargers (#7)
- Buffalo Bills (#10)
- New Orleans Saints (#11)
- Arizona Cardinals (#13)
- New York Giants (#23)
- Houston Texans (#25)
- Kansas City Chiefs (#27)
JUST ONE LUCKY BOUNCE
So what does this have to do with the Bears? By trading for Garoppolo and forcing the Browns and 49ers to go quarterback early, it causes a chain reaction that allows the best player in the 2017 draft to fall right into their lap. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0zJn59J4_U Myles Garrett is no joke. The Texas A&M defensive end is one of the most effective and physically gifted pass rushers to come out of college football since Jadeveon Clowney. His mix of size, speed, athleticism and strength show up on tape almost constantly. What NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein had to say about him rams the point home."Elite edge rusher who possesses rare explosiveness and the fluid-movement skills and agility of an NBA shooting guard. Good size, but he's never likely going to be a hold-your-ground run defender, and might be best suited as an outside linebacker. However, his ability to explode into the backfield through a gap or around the edge gives him disruptive potential on every snap. Garrett still needs to fine-tune his pass-rush strategy and could stand to give more consistent effort from the start of the snap until the whistle. But his pass-rush production and athletic traits point toward an all-pro career."At this point in time there are few scenarios that envision Garrett slipping out of the top two picks. The most plausible way is by forcing the Browns and 49ers to go quarterback. John Fox has a history of reaching two Super Bowls with two different teams in his coaching career. Well those runs were both sparked by drafting elite pass rushers in the top five of the draft. Julius Peppers in 2003 and Von Miller in 2011. Getting the chance to pair somebody like Garrett across from Leonard Floyd, who is becoming a dynamic rusher in his own right? What this defense could do to opposing quarterbacks moving forward would be borderline criminal. Is it a likely chance? No. Nonetheless it's possible. The only thing needed to start the ball rolling is for that Chicago Bears Garoppolo trade to become a reality. Best start cheering Mr. Pace on that he can close the deal.
