The 2022 NFL Draft is just two weeks away, and as of now, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is still a member of the San Francisco 49ers.
There have been rumors for months that the team was ready to move away from him, and that it would trade him and hand the keys of the franchise to Trey Lance.
For whatever reason, be it Garoppolo’s shoulder injury, the 49ers asking for too much in return or simply a lack of interest, it hasn’t happened yet.
But the fact remains that he is an above-average QB and that there are a number of teams around the league that could use him in order to upgrade under center.
We will be seeing this on a daily from Jimmy Garoppolo next Season pic.twitter.com/n7p3jBh5Uj
— Blake (@SteelersMafiaa) April 14, 2022
3. Seattle Seahawks
With the Russell Wilson era now over in the Puget Sound region, the Seattle Seahawks appear to be moving forward with Drew Lock as their new signal-caller.
But is Lock really the man they want under center, especially when they still possess talent at the skill positions such as DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett?
If Seattle really isn’t rebuilding, as multiple members of the organization have claimed, it will need someone more capable than Lock, who has never thrown more than 16 touchdowns or 3,000 yards in a single season.
Garoppolo has been to two of the last three NFC Championship Games, as well as Super Bowl LIV, in which his team had a large lead in the fourth quarter.
With head coach Pete Carroll wanting to run the football more and play a control style on offense, Garoppolo wouldn’t have too much of an adjustment to make with the Seahawks, as Kyle Shanahan, the Niners’ coach, has used a run-heavy scheme as well.
2. New Orleans Saints
After missing out on Deshaun Watson earlier this spring, the New Orleans Saints decided to stick with Jameis Winston, their incumbent signal-caller.
Winston led the NFL in passing yards in 2019 as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he also threw a league-high 30 interceptions, and he doesn’t seem like a sure-fire long-term solution.
It is rumored that the Saints want to move up in the draft in order to select someone they hope would be their quarterback of the future.
Could the #Saints package 16+19 to move up for Malik Willis or Kenny Pickett? League sources say they’re high on both QBs and will consider trading up to secure one of them. ⚜️
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 11, 2022
If they do that, why not acquire Garoppolo in the meantime and have him mentor their rookie QB, much as he mentored Lance this past season?
With Alvin Kamara, one of the game’s better running backs, as well as the return of All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas, Garoppolo could ease into running the Saints’ offense, knowing that he would have some help at the skill positions.
The fact that New Orleans isn’t expected to do much in 2022 would also help him simply because there would be much less pressure on him than what he has faced in the Bay.
1. New York Giants
The New York Giants are a mess from top to bottom, and incumbent quarterback Daniel Jones simply isn’t cutting it.
While they’re trying to find their next franchise QB to groom, possibly in the draft, why not take a chance on Garoppolo, if nothing other than as a placeholder?
The Giants may be devoid of talent at the skill positions, but at age 30, if they draft really well and replenish their team with plenty of young talent, Garoppolo could help take them back into the playoffs not too long from now before handing the baton to someone else to finish the job.
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