Five Reasons The Bears Should Avoid Jimmy Garoppolo

Quarterbacks. Quarterbacks. It's always about the quarterbacks these days. In the eras where it was about running the football or playing great defense, that was when the Chicago Bears were great. Now the storied franchise is like a middle-aged parent still using a fax machine in an age of e-mails, snapchats and text messages. Why can't the Bears figure this position out? Is it really that difficult? It seems like every other NFL franchise has done. Hell, the Bears have a Hall of Fame quarterback in their history. Sid Luckman. He was a pioneer at the position Chicago should've been at the forefront of those changes. Instead they've lost their way and are left grasping for straws. The 2017 off-season represents their latest attempt to climb out of this endless bog onto green, dry meadows. Options are being listed and ranked. Among the names at the top is New England Patriots backup Jimmy Garoppolo. Most consider him the best trade candidate available. One with the skill set to become a starter in the NFL. What he's accomplished to this point offers a ray of hope, but in reality there are also some red flags the Bears can't ignore.

Bidding War

Money is always at the center of what teams will do. The more they have to spend, the less inclined they are to do it. Buy low, sell high is a mantra almost universal even in sports. In this instance the Bears are not the only team that will be interested in Garoppolo's services Not by a long shot. Already the rumors have begun to heat up that both the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers could have significant interest in him. https://twitter.com/AllbrightNFL/status/825938693491924993 https://twitter.com/MaryKayCabot/status/826524945266114565 This creates a problem for the Bears. For one, both of those teams have higher draft position and more draft picks to spare. Second, this almost guarantees the start of a bidding war that is certain to jack up the price for the young quarterback. The Patriots are seeking at least a first round pick. They might get that and more. This Bears franchise cannot afford another expensive trade on a quarterback. One who is far less proven than Cutler was back in 2009.

Toughness Questions

The irony is Cutler has had his toughness questioned for years despite an appalling lack of evidence for such accusations. He's proven time and again he's willing to get back up after every hit and play through pain. It's one of his most admirable traits. For Garoppolo? Some are left to wonder about that. Michael Felder of NBC Sports wrote about the situation in New England and raised concerns some people have about the young quarterbacks' desire to be on the field.

"Garoppolo could obviously still be of great value, either here or elsewhere, but the momentum has been lost. The quality of play on offense dipped dramatically the last two weeks, and we were subjected to over 10 quarters of a college-level scheme behind Brissett. Worse, questions were raised over Garoppolo's ability/willingness to play through the injury, and whether that's fair or not, the team did nothing to dispel it either publicly or through the reporting that emanated out of Gillette."

The situation referred to is when Garoppolo suffered a shoulder injury against the Miami Dolphins in week two of the regular season. An awkward hit caused him to land on his throwing shoulder, forcing him out of the game. Though it was diagnosed as minor, some felt Garoppolo didn't push hard enough to play. [video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Jimmy-Garoppolo-Injures-Shoulder-Dolphins-vs-Patriots-NFL.mp4"][/video] Not a good look for somebody expected to lead a franchise in one of the most violent sports on the planet.

The Patriot System

For the longest time people have wondered about how the New England Patriots have had their success. Everybody loves to credit Tom Brady, but the reality is some believe more of it is owed to the incredibly efficient system head coach Bill Belichick has forged during his time in charge. Don't forget that this team has gone 13-6 without Brady under center since 2008. It's not like his loss has derailed the train to any extent. A big reason why is because of that system. It's built like a big engine. Remove one gear and replace it with another. Provided the mechanics know what they're doing, it can be operated like that. This would help explain why most notable quarterbacks who've come from that system don't have much success elsewhere. [video width="854" height="480" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Chiefs-Defense-Torments-Brian-Hoyer-in-1st-Half-Chiefs-vs.-Texans-NFL.mp4"][/video] Matt Cassel made the Pro Bowl one year in Kansas City but quickly fell apart after. Brian Hoyer hasn't been able to stick on a team since he left. Ryan Mallett quickly disappeared after an ugly exit in Houston. So it can't possibly be a good sign when the Patriots are willing to part ways with Garoppolo at any price. Not with Brady turning 40-years old.

Limited Sample Size

There is no denying that Garoppolo looked solid in his two starts at the beginning of the season. There in lay the problem though. He didn't play enough. Six quarters of starting football. That's not enough to make an informed decision on whether or not a guy is franchise quarterback material. Especially when his experience prior to that was against FCS-level competition at Eastern Illinois three years ago. So in essence a high degree of this trade is being made on faith that what people saw in Arizona and against Miami wasn't a mirage. That it wasn't the product of a system. The last thing teams want is to believe they've struck gold and come to find out it's gold-painted horse manure instead. Is Ryan Pace really willing to stake his reputation and possible job security on that sort of a gamble on such limited information?

The Osweiler Lesson

Trading or signing the backup from another team might sound glamorous if one were thinking of it like a heist. Sneaking into the high security bank and making off with the glittering diamonds or gold bars. In truth the idea does seem rather ridiculous when one thinks about. This quarterback isn't good enough to become a starter on his current team. What makes him suddenly qualified to become "the guy" on your team? Several examples of this mode of operation leading to disaster exist, but the most recent is down in Houston. Desperate for a QB, the Texans threw over $70 million at Brock Osweiler after he chose to leave the Denver Broncos in free agency. He looked like the next big thing, like Houston stole him away. It didn't take long to realize the Broncos didn't put up much of a fight for a reason. [video width="854" height="480" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Osweiler-Throws-Another-INT-Leads-to-Lewis-TD-Texans-vs.-Patriots-NFL-Divisional-Highlights.mp4"][/video] Osweiler was terrible. To such a point in fact that fans actually cheered when he was finally benched during a game. The list of backups who went to other teams and succeeded is fairly short in NFL history. That's not to say Garoppolo can't be different, but the odds are stacked pretty heavily against him. Chicago needs a quarterback in the worst way, but it just doesn't feel like this road is the right direction. Too many places for a wrong turn to be made.