Jimmy Garoppolo - Pro Football Rumors

Browns Still Eyeing Jimmy Garoppolo

March 9th, 2017 at 5:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Just because the Browns currently have two polarizing members of the 2012 quarterback class doesn’t mean they’re giving up a pursuit of Jimmy Garoppolo. Cleveland still intends to try and trade for the Patriots’ backup quarterback, league sources tell Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets this remains the Browns’ intention (Twitter link), but Rapoport believes the Patriots want to hang onto Garoppolo. A league source told Cabot a package fronted only by Cleveland’s No. 12 pick this year won’t be enough to land Garoppolo. The Patriots are believed to want the Browns’ No. 1 overall pick, which Cleveland is expected to use to take Myles Garrett.

The Browns, though, have now acquired an extra second-round pick thanks to their unorthodox Brock Osweiler acquisition. Cleveland now has two first-rounders and two second-rounders this year and three second-round selections in 2018. A combination of those would be enough ammunition to get the Patriots to consider trading Garoppolo, in all likelihood.

As for Osweiler, the Browns are shopping him across the league after acquiring the sixth-year quarterback and a second-round pick.

The new-era front office is trying to trade Osweiler and a late-round pick for a 2018 third-round selection, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. In making these trade inquiries, the Browns are informing teams they are prepared to eat at least half of Osweiler’s $16MM price tag in order to facilitate this trade, per La Canfora (on Twitter). The reporter adds the Browns are “fixated” on a third-round pick, leading many to believe they’re ready to deal a collection of picks to the Patriots for Garoppolo (Twitter link).

The Patriots initially pulled Garoppolo off the trade market but may want either two first-rounders or a first and a second for their longtime backup. Cabot reiterates the Patriots are likely to want a first this year and the Browns’ 2018 first-round selection. New England’s asking price may stem from wanting to make sure it has a backup plan in case a soon-to-be 40-year-old Tom Brady begins to slip despite not showing much evidence of that during his age-39 season.

While expected to take a quarterback in the draft, Cleveland is believed to be ready to release Robert Griffin III.

Browns Rumors: Garoppolo, Pryor, Zeitler

March 7th, 2017 at 2:26pm CST by Zachary Links

It sounds like talk of Jimmy Garoppolo being pulled off the trade block was not entirely accurate. Still, if he is still available, it could take an awful lot to pry him loose. It might take as much as a No. 1 pick this year plus a No. 1 pick in next year’s draft, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. That’s a price the Browns are very unlikely to meet, Cabot adds.

The Browns would very much like to have Garoppolo and their dream scenario right now would be to land him via trade while drafting pass rusher Myles Garrett No. 1 overall. Failing that, they have their eyes on getting Garrett at the top of the draft and landing either Mitch Trubisky or Deshaun Watson at No. 12. That scenario will become a little more realistic if teams like the 49ers, Jets, and Bears address their QB situations before the draft. The Browns could also conceivably use their draft stockpile to trade up from No. 12 and get their desired signal caller.

In other Browns news, one source estimates that Terrelle Pryor is seeking somewhere between $13MM and $15MM per year. If that’s the asking price, Cabot believes the Browns will let him walk. Reportedly, he has been contacted by the Giants, 49ers, Titans, and Eagles. The Steelers, depending on who you ask, may also have interest.

A Pryor return may or may not be in the cards, but the Browns will likely pursue Bengals free agent guard Kevin Zeitler, a league source tells Cabot. Zeitler played for coach Hue Jackson in Cincinnati and that connection could help lead to a deal.

Latest On QB Market

March 5th, 2017 at 12:57pm CST by Rory Parks

There are a lot of moving pieces in this year’s quarterback market, and the Patriots’ Jimmy Garoppolo, despite recent reports suggesting he would not be traded, remains the forefront of the discussion. Per Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, New England is willing to deal Garoppolo, but the team has not yet received an offer approaching its asking price for Tom Brady‘s top backup. Howe writes that the current asking price is believed to be a first- and second-round draft pick, but the Patriots will not simply flip Garoppolo to the highest bidder. If the team is not “properly compensated,” they will not make a deal.

Meanwhile, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the Bills are not expected to retain Tyrod Taylor under his current contract (we heard several days ago that Buffalo was leaning against keeping Taylor, though there is a split among the club’s top decision-makers in that regard). Assuming Taylor does hit the open market, La Canfora expects the Browns to emerge as the front-runner for his services. Indeed, Taylor has strong ties to some members of the Browns staff already, and if Cleveland is able to acquire him, the club could use its two first-round selections on the best player available and would not have to reach for a quarterback or deal one (or both) picks for Garoppolo.

La Canfora also reports that the Bears have the strongest interest in Mike Glennon at the moment, and sources around the league believe Chicago will push hard to acquire him. The Bears also love Garoppolo, but they do not want to meet the Patriots’ asking price (all of that is consistent with reports that our Sam Robinson passed along last night). La Canfora projects Glennon, who turned down an $8MM/year offer from Tampa Bay, to receive an incentive-laden contract with an AAV of around $12MM.

Interestingly, Glennon has no official agent at this point, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. That’s significant because when the “legal tampering” period opens on Tuesday, teams can negotiate with agents representing free agents, but not with the free agents directly. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets that teams with interest in Glennon are working under the assumption that David Dunn is his agent.

Bears To Meet With Brian Hoyer’s Reps

March 3rd, 2017 at 8:09pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With Jay Cutler on the outs and no clear starting quarterback in place for 2017, the Bears are likely to meet with representatives for impending free agent Brian Hoyer this weekend, according to John Mullin of CSN Chicago. However, the club’s interest in Hoyer is only “lukewarm,” as it views him as a Plan C option. Instead of bringing back Hoyer, the Bears would prefer to emerge from the offseason having traded for Patriots backup Jimmy Garoppolo or signed Buccaneers backup Mike Glennon, writes Mullin.

Chicago’s desire to land Garoppolo or Glennon isn’t exactly a surprise. However, for his part, the 31-year-old Hoyer logged far more playing time than either last season and was fairly effective. All told, Hoyer completed 67 percent of his 200 passes, averaged 7.2 yards per attempt and threw six touchdowns against no interceptions in six games. Five of those appearances were starts for Hoyer, who took over for an injured Cutler and looked primed to grab the job for good before suffering a season-ending broken left arm in a Week 6 loss to the Packers.

While the Bears wouldn’t prioritize drafting a quarterback if they were to add either Garoppolo or Glennon, that wouldn’t be the case with Hoyer, notes Mullin. Hoyer would likely serve as a bridge starter for the Bears, who are set to pick third and 36th overall in the first two rounds of the draft and could conceivably choose a QB with either selection.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Patriots Exploring Backup QB Options

March 3rd, 2017 at 11:55am CST by Zachary Links

Maybe Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t off the market after all. The Patriots are exploring backup quarterback possibilities in free agency, a source tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. Connecting the dots, it seems that New England is doing its homework in the event it trades the highly-coveted young QB.

If the Patriots move Garoppolo, it seems that they would sign a veteran quarterback to slot behind Tom Brady. Depending on who it is, that out-of-house addition could be put into a competition with Jacoby Brissett to determine who gets No. 2 QB status. This year’s free agent market is flush with experienced backup types, including Nick Foles, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Colin Kaepernick, Brian Hoyer, Case Keenum, Matt McGloin, Mark Sanchez, and more.

The 49ers and Browns have been heavily connected to Garoppolo. While they will continue to explore all of their options at quarterback, it sounds like they shouldn’t give up on prying the 25-year-old away from the defending champs.

Latest On Jimmy Garoppolo, A.J. McCarron

March 2nd, 2017 at 8:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

While the Patriots are reportedly unlikely to trade quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, they haven’t ruled out moving him if the right offer comes along, a league source told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. New England is likely to want at least a first-rounder for Garoppolo, writes Cabot, who hears that the team has already received one preliminary “offer.” However, a deal is unlikely to come together during the combine.

The Browns, 49ers and Bears, who are set to pick first, second and third in this year’s draft, have drawn the most connections to Garoppolo this winter. Cleveland has seemingly shown more interest than anyone else in Garoppolo, and it could help the club’s cause that it has a second first-rounder (No. 12 overall) that it could dangle to land the 25-year-old.

Should they fail to reel in Garoppolo, the Browns could look for a signal-caller via free agency, elsewhere on the trade market, or in the draft. Cabot reported earlier Thursday that they’re eyeing North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky at No. 1 overall, and she now adds that the Browns could inquire about Bengals backup A.J. McCarron.

Although the Bengals aren’t necessarily aiming to trade McCarron, they might do it if they receive at least a second-rounder, and they wouldn’t be averse to sending him to a division rival, a source told Cabot. Moreover, McCarron “would love” to reunite with Browns head coach Hue Jackson, Cabot notes. McCarron played under Jackson when he was the Bengals’ offensive coordinator from 2014-15.

Latest On Browns’ QB Possibilities

March 1st, 2017 at 4:47pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Colin Kaepernick has informed all 32 NFL teams he’s going to opt out of his contract with the 49ers and become a free agent. When that happens, one team that definitely won’t pursue Kaepernick is the quarterback-needy Browns, a league source told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.

Browns head coach Hue Jackson has demonstrated an affinity for Kaepernick in the past, so it’s conceivable the 29-year-old could have been on their radar. Jackson had interest last offseason in Kaepernick, who was then coming off an injury-plagued, statistically subpar campaign. But Kaepernick bounced back to a degree in 2016, as he tossed 16 touchdown passes against four interceptions, averaged 7.2 yards per attempt (up from 6.2 in 2015) and finished second among QBs in rushing yards (468, on a lofty 6.8 per carry) as part of a two-win team.

The only signal-caller who outrushed Kaepernick last year, the Bills’ Tyrod Taylor, will be on the Browns’ list if Buffalo releases him, reiterates Cabot. So could Buccaneers backup and soon-to-be free agent Mike Glennon, and the Browns also aren’t going to give up on acquiring either Patriots No. 2 Jimmy Garoppolo or Bengals reserve A.J. McCarron via trade, according to Cabot. The Patriots are reportedly unlikely to deal Garoppolo, though, while the Bengals will place a high price tag on McCarron – a former Jackson pupil – if anyone inquires about his availability.

Should the Browns fail to reel in a palatable long-term option via trades or free agency, the draft – in which they’re set to pick first and 12th overall – could be the avenue they take. Cabot notes they’ll “strongly consider” selecting a potential franchise passer then.

For now, their most established option under center is Robert Griffin III, who’s due a $750K roster bonus March 11. It’s possible Griffin will stay on the roster beyond that date, though, head of football operations Sashi Brown said Wednesday (via Cabot).

“That’s not going to be a major decision for us one way or the other in terms of a lever for making that decision,” he revealed. “We’re going to evaluate Robert, not his contract. And we’ve had some discussions there.”

Pats Not Expected To Trade Jimmy Garoppolo

March 1st, 2017 at 8:29am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots are not expected to trade quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, league sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). If the Patriots stick to their guns, Garoppolo will play out 2017 as Tom Brady‘s backup before being eligible for free agency.

A number of teams were expected to show interest in the young QB, including the Browns. With a stockpile of picks and plenty of cap room, Cleveland was reportedly angling to trade for Garoppolo and quickly get to work on an extension for him. The 49ers were also interested, though at last check they had Kirk Cousins as their No. 1 target.

Taking Garoppolo off of the market will have a ripple effect across the NFL. The Browns will now be forced to look at other options, which could push them to pursue Cousins more heavily via trade and potentially take away the 49ers’ Plan A. That ripple effect will also impact the Jets, who are on the hunt for less glamorous options. The stock of Mitch Trubisky, Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, and other draft QBs could increase and the same could be said for Bengals trade chip A.J. McCarron.

AFC East Notes: Garoppolo, McCoy, Jets

February 26th, 2017 at 11:36am CST by Rory Parks

Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will continue to be one of the most-discussed players this offseason until he’s either traded or New England officially decides to keep him, and Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com expects Garoppolo rumors to heat up even more this week. For the first time this offseason, the entire NFL will be in the same place at the NFL combine, which begins Wednesday, and as Hannble writes, the foundation for a future trade is often laid at the combine. While it is highly unlikely a trade will be consummated this week, we could start to get more of an idea of which teams are truly interested in trading for Garoppolo and what the Pats might realistically seek in return.

Now for more out of the AFC East:

Mike Reiss of ESPN.com believes receiver Michael Floyd could return to the Patriots, who claimed him off waivers in mid-December, but despite Floyd’s tantalizing physical ability, Reiss does not think New England will get into a competitive situation to retain him. Floyd will likely be suspended for at least two games as a result of his recent DUI, and he struggled to get on the same page with Tom Brady during his brief tenure in New England. He was a healthy scratch in Super Bowl LI.
LeSean McCoy set off alarm bells in Buffalo this morning — probably unintentionally — with an Instagram post that said “Buffalo was so special … thanks for everything.” Multiple sources later clarified that the Bills running back simply meant that he appreciated his time at an autograph signing in Buffalo on Saturday, and that he was heading back home. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk speculates that McCoy could still be cut, as his running style may not mesh with new OC Rick Dennison‘s one-cut zone scheme. Buffalo would save only $1MM against the cap by releasing him this year, but they could create more savings and spread out the dead money hit of $7.875MM if they designate him a post-June 1 release.
Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes that the Jets now have the leverage in contract talks with Darrelle Revis, as Revis’ poor 2016 season and his pending criminal charges have forced the longtime star to admit that he is willing to take a pay cut to remain in New York. But Cimini writes that the team may simply look to release Revis, regardless of how much of a discount he is willing to accept.
In the same piece, Cimini writes that Geno Smith‘s leaving the Jets in free agency is not the sure thing that many assume, as Smith fits the description of a low-cost veteran signal-caller with starting experience that New York may be looking for, and a recent cryptic tweet from Smith has fueled speculation that he could be back. However, Cimini still believes the two sides will part ways in 2017.
Wesley Johnson is expected to take over as the Jets‘ starting center following the release of Nick Mangold, but Darryl Slater of NJ.com suggests a few alternatives. Slater names Joe Hawley and Stefen Wisniewski as potential free agent targets and Ethan Pocic, who is regarded as one of the best centers in the draft, as a potential rookie replacement.
Now that the Dolphins addressed their tight end position with the acquisition of Julius Thomas — though the team is still interested in bringing back Dion Sims, who is a much better blocker than Thomas — James Walker of ESPN.com looks at Miami’s remaining needs. In Walker’s view, the Dolphins now need to turn their attention to reinforcements at linebacker, guard, and defensive end.miami

North Notes: LaFell, Levy, Garoppolo

February 26th, 2017 at 9:47am CST by Rory Parks

Brandon LaFell turned in a strong 2016 for the Bengals after signing a modest one-year, $2.5MM deal with the club last offseason. As a result, Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer says that LaFell is one of Cincinnati’s top free agent priorities, as the Bengals believe his strong route-running skills and his red zone presence would be even more effective if they can get fully healthy seasons from A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert. LaFell indicated that he would like to return, though he should attract plenty of attention on the open market if he does not re-up with Cincinnati before free agency opens.

Now for more from the league’s North divisions:

The Lions may approach linebacker DeAndre Levy about a restructure that allows him to make the same amount of money that he would earn under his current deal if he stays healthy, but Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press says that, from Levy’s perspective, it may be best to rebuff any such efforts. After all, if Levy were to be released, plenty of teams would be happy to pay him and gamble on his health (Twitter links).
The Lions need to address their pass defense in a big way, having yielded the highest completion percentage in modern NFL history (72.7%) in 2016. Nate Atkins of MLive.com says that Detroit is more likely to focus on pass rushers and cornerbacks, but he adds that the team should not ignore the safety position either, especially since Glover Quin is in his 30s and Tavon Wilson is entering the final year of his contract. To that end, Atkins names a few safeties the team could select in this year’s draft.
Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer believes that if the bidding for Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo gets high enough, the Browns should be willing to send their No. 1 overall pick to New England to acquire him. After all, if they’re willing to spend that pick on UNC signal-caller Mitch Trubisky, whose collegiate experience is limited, they should be willing to use that selection on a QB who has a little professional experience and who has a lot of upside in his own right.
Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that the biggest objective for the Steelers this offseason is to find an outside linebacker that can generate consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Bud Dupree showed some promise down the stretch in 2016, but Jarvis Jones is unlikely to return, and if the club re-signs the ageless James Harrison, Dulac believes it would not make much sense to acquire another veteran free agent OLB. As such, he writes that Pittsburgh could once again address the position in the first round of the draft.
We learned earlier today that former Ravens first-rounder Matt Elam was arrested on serious drug charges in Miami.