Tom Brady to the 49ers. Jimmy Garoppolo back to the Patriots. Talk about a whopper.
There’s been growing speculation this fantasy scenario could happen, with the buzz hitting a fever pitch on Tuesday thanks to all types of reporting and conjecture from multiple outlets.
Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston said during a SiriusXM NFL radio interview he thought the 49ers were “closing hard on the outside.”
What do my sources say? Curran “might be onto something.”
Translation?
Forget good friend Mike Vrabel and the Titans for a minute. If the Niners’ interest is mutual and real, which appears the case on both sides, they are the greatest threat to lure Brady away from New England.
Between having a roster that was close to winning a Super Bowl last month, having cap maneuverability if GM John Lynch doesn’t pick up Garoppolo’s option in April and Brady’s local roots having grown up in the Bay Area, San Fran would be in the driver’s seat to land the six-time Super Bowl champion.
Easy.
That’s not to say the Patriots are out of the mix. They are in consideration, provided Bill Belichick finally reaches out to Brady about the nitty gritty of a new contract and his plans for the offense going forward. Ditto for the Titans, who are still in the picture, as well. Playing for Vrabel is certainly a draw for Brady.
But going home to the Bay Area, where his parents still live, and the possibility of playing there as opposed to Nashville, which team do you think has the edge?
There’s no question that if the Niners map out a plan for Brady, and how he could get them over the final hurdle, it would be appealing to the GOAT.
But naturally, neither side is publicly letting their complete feelings and intentions known.
At the NFL’s Scouting Combine last week, Niners brass didn’t seem to have an issue moving forward with Garoppolo. But failing to deliver in the final moments of the Super Bowl, and the team’s ability to cut bait before April 1 — when Garoppolo’s $15.7 million in salary would become guaranteed — has ramped up speculation of San Fran making a move for Brady.
If the 49ers trade Jimmy G before April 1, they’d only get hit with a cap charge of $4.2 million, thanks to a low signing bonus. They would also free up $22.4 million in cap space.
So it’s not outlandish for them to kick the tires on Brady, see what he might be looking for, and go from there.
It wouldn’t be the first time. Lynch is on record saying he spoke with Belichick about trading for Brady in 2017, prior to getting Garoppolo for a second-rounder. It’s no secret Lynch has always been a huge fan of No. 12. As for head coach Kyle Shanahan, he saw Brady wipe out a 28-3 lead and make a comeback for the ages in Super Bowl LI against his then Falcons.
In a win-now league, the 49ers have to consider which quarterback gives them a better chance to win the next Super Bowl. Is it Brady or Garoppolo?
The latter had a chance to put the 49ers ahead late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LIV, and couldn’t make it happen.
Emmanuel Sanders beat Chiefs defender Charvarius Ward off the line, got behind the safety and started sprinting toward the end zone. Garoppolo saw Sanders get open, and let it fly with a title in the balance. He overthrew Sanders. Soon enough, it was game over.
Brady, who has been a clutch performer his entire career, likely makes that throw. That’s his legend.
Now, from Brady’s perspective, he would be looking at a team with a top-notch defense and the type of playmakers he’s been yearning to have in New England the past few years.
He’d get to throw to one of the best tight ends — if not the best — in George Kittle. Brady desperately missed not having Rob Gronkowski last season. How good would it be to throw to a younger version of Gronk?
Assuming Sanders re-signs, he’d have a group of top-flight receivers, headlined by Sanders and Deebo Samuel; plus a fleet of running backs who can also catch the football (Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, Matt Breida) and a stout offensive line.
It would then come down to Shanahan being willing to tailor the offense to Brady, and probably incorporating a lot of what he’s grown comfortable with over the course of two decades in New England.
While Brady will be 43 in August, having him should bring the 49ers closer to a title and perhaps put them over the top. And, of course, if the Patriots wind up with Garoppolo, they go forward with the quarterback Belichick originally picked to be his heir.
What a difference two and a half years could make.
