Ian Rapoport on Jimmy G trade:
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Many are still wondering why the Patriots only got a second-round pick for him, especially when it was rumored Cleveland was offering a first-rounder both before last year's draft and also at the deadline.
Appearing on Kirk & Callahan Friday morning, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport disputed this.
“Would the Browns have given up the fourth pick [Houston's first-round pick]? It’s very easy of Browns people — Sashi [Brown] I assume — to say now," he said. "I never heard that was on the table before. When the Browns made an offer in the draft it was for a second-rounder and a third-rounder. So, if they were going to trade a one, that would have been the time to do it. I don’t really buy the hindsight there. It’s easy to say, ‘Yeah, we would have offered this.’ Well, you had the chance to and you didn’t, so that isn’t really fair to say.”
Added Rapoport: “It is my understanding San Fran was the only team they talked to. I think [Bill] Belichick wanted to make sure Garoppolo ended up in a great place. One, because he likes trades to be win-win’s. Two, he really respects the people there — [John] Lynch, Kyle Shanahan. Just likes Garoppolo as a person and wanted him to be in a good spot.”
Rapoport also gave more context as to why the 49ers were the right trade partner and not the Browns.
“Don’t get me wrong, this is not charity," he said. "I think it was very nice that Belichick found him a great spot. It’s not charity. It’s also something that did serve the Patriots. You could say, ‘Here are all the options. Everything is a business option, right? Here are the options: maybe the Patriots would have gotten a second, a third and a fourth, but the downside is you have to face him once a year, maybe twice a year. Is that worth that draft pick rather than not seeing him again?’
"It’s funny now because everyone talks the price. Well, a second-rounder is a pretty good haul and consider the fact they take Garoppolo and his extension off the books, which obviously hadn’t happened and was probably going to. He only played two games. He was supposed to play four games. He got injured and only played two games in three years. How much are you supposed to get for someone with that little experience?”