The Jimmy Garoppolo Chicago Bears hype is finally starting to gain momentum. Late to the part as always, nonetheless this team never ceases arriving with a bang. Word is the Bears are hot on the trail of the New England Patriots backup according to CBS Sports insider Jason La Canfora. They've done their homework on him and seem to believe he's one of the best options available this 2017 off-season.
The problem is they are likely not the only team that has reached this conclusion. Rumors have also come from places like Cleveland and San Francisco, stating the Browns and 49ers might be in on the Garoppolo chase. Adding to that is the fact each of those teams have more picks both of value and volume than the Bears do.
It certainly looks like Chicago would never be able to get into a bidding war with them. They don't have the ammunition for it. Then again, they are by no means toothless either. In fact when compiling certain notes on the situation, one might even say the Bears could be considered the favorite in the running. How is that possible?
Here are some key factors to consider.
Garoppolo is an Illinois-native
The thing about sports fans is they love a good story. That's one of the reasons NFL Films is so successful even to this day. They find the quality stories behind the players. They humanize the game, giving the fans something to cheer for besides scoring points. Garoppolo going to the Bears is the easiest Hollywood script there is. After all, he was born in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. A town called Arlington Heights. He went to high school in Rolling Meadows. This kid grew up in the heart of Bears country. How amazing would it be if he came home to take the helm of the team he grew up watching? "Special" is one word that comes to mind. In fact he still gets teased about it by friends accord to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times.Jimmy Garoppolo feels the tug of home.
It’s usually voiced by his childhood friends from Arlington Heights, not satisfied with his status as the Patriots’ backup quarterback.
They ask him about starting for the Bears.
“All the time,” he said.
One other thing? Players born in the Chicago area have tended to leave a lasting impact on the franchise when they've played for it. George Halas actually founded the entire enterprise. Then of course there was the young man from the South Side named Richard Marvin Butkus. A man who became the best middle linebacker in NFL history.
[video width="854" height="480" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/10-Dick-Butkus-The-Top-100-NFL’s-Greatest-Players-2010-NFL-Films.mp4"][/video] Who knows better the value of playing for a city like Chicago than men who actually lived in or near it? That is why Garoppolo is such an attractive target, and why he might love to come home.Eastern Illinois connection
There is just something about that school. Eastern Illinois seems so incredibly unremarkable as a college university at first glance. They enroll about 8,000 students and feature a football program in the FCS portion of Division I. In other words they're supposed to be one step below the cream of the crop. Yet for some reason it's a school that continues to produce some outstanding individual talents. Tony Romo is a four-time Pro Bowl quarterback from there. Mike Shanahan and Sean Payton are both NFL coaches who got degrees from there and have three Super Bowls between them. Garoppolo made his name there as well. Coincidentally, so did Bears GM Ryan Pace. It's an exclusive group in the NFL, one that likes to stick together. Many don't remember that Romo was heavily recruited by both Shanahan and Payton a decade ago when he was an undrafted free agent. He ended up joining Payton in Dallas. The rest is history. Perhaps Pace is looking for some of that same magic with Garoppolo. After all he has deep connections with the school. He knows everything there is to know about the young quarterback and has been high on him since he was still with the New Orleans Saints. https://twitter.com/ErikLambert1/status/827269341003468801 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BD5rn2Y6l8 If Pace is interested in Garoppolo, it's because he has a good reason. No other GM can say he went to the same school as his quarterback. That isn't the primary reason the player and team make sense, but it's one that can't be ignored.The Bears have the money
One of the keys that makes this Garoppolo situation more complicated is the status of his contract. The 2017 season will mark the last he's on his rookie deal from 2014. In other words he'll be a free agent in 2018. That means any team that decides to trade for him will have to negotiate an extension almost right away. Nobody is going to give up multiple draft picks for a player who might bolt after just one year. Chicago holds an advantage here for two reasons. They have enough money to give him that new contract. Given his age and starting experience, odds are it will cost somewhere in the $14-16 million range. That's exactly what they're paying Jay Cutler on his current deal. He will be cut or traded the moment Garoppolo is acquired. So in essence the Bears are just handing a similar deal to him. https://twitter.com/NinersNation/status/826802695969370112 Then there is the location factor as mentioned earlier. Garoppolo has some leverage in that he can choose not to sign an extension with certain teams that want to trade for him. So while Cleveland and San Francisco may have the money as well, Garoppolo could scare them away with threats that he wouldn't sign a new deal. Thus allowing him to pick his destination. Given his ties to Chicago, that gives the Bears an edge.Trade history with New England
There is something to be said of familiarity between two teams doing business. Since Ryan Pace took over as general manager in Chicago, the Patriots have been one of his primary sources on the trade market. In fact he's conducted three different deals with them since he was hired back in 2015.- August 2015: Traded OG Ryan Groy for LB Matthew Wells
- September 2015: Traded LB Jon Bostic for 6th round pick
- March 2016: Traded TE Martellus Bennett and 6th round pick for 4th round pick
