Getty Jimmy Garoppolo before taking the huddle in a September 8, 2019 road game at Tampa.
Was Jimmy Garoppolo in a position to go from the Bay Area to the South Bay?
On Friday, July 8, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had their name surface as one of the latest potential landing spots for the veteran San Francisco 49ers quarterback — whose trade market has become a renewed topic for discussion following the Baker Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers trade on Wednesday, July 6.
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Radio personality and former NFL defensive lineman Dan Sileo said to Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated on Friday that he had spoken to Garoppolo’s agent Don Yee. Sileo mentioned how the Bucs would like to have Jimmy G as the backup to a well-known former teammate of his Tom Brady one more time, even saying “That so-called angst between them in New England, that was made up by the media. Those two guys are dear friends. The animosity was more toward Bill Belichick than it was toward Garoppolo. Brady and Garoppolo text each other all the time and are friends. They have the same agent. Those two guys are in constant communication.”
Well, one insider who covers the Bucs responded to that report.
What the Insider Said
Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times took to his personal Twitter account once the SI story got out. Stroud blasted the report, saying “not a chance fellas” and revealing a brief conversation he had with one Bucs coach.
“Um. Not a chance fellas. As one Bucs coach told me, “If (Garoppolo) could throw a deep ball, he would’ve won two Super Bowls already,” was what Stroud tweeted out.
Um. Not a chance fellas. As one Bucs coach told me, “If (Garoppolo) could throw a deep ball, he would’ve won two Super Bowls already.”
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Reportedly Want to Trade for 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo – Sports Illustrated San Francisco 49er
Stroud never revealed the name of the Bucs coach he directly spoke with. However, Stroud has noted in his biography on the Times website that he’s been around the franchise since they wore the pewter orange and red in the late 1980s. He even shared a story of how one former Bucs head coach Ray Perkins once called him and asked if the team was firing him, to which Stroud said he was. Stroud’s tweet response will be taken seriously by NFL fans and other analysts considering he’s had a more than four-decade run as a beat reporter covering the Bucs — which includes following both of their Super Bowl wins.
Teams Garoppolo has Been Mentioned With
So one beat reporter has dismissed the report of Garoppolo becoming a quarterback of interest for the Bucs.
Should Tampa choose not to make the pursuit of the past backup to the seven-time Super Bowl winner Brady, that leaves the Bucs with 2021 second rounder Kyle Trask and former 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2014 to 2016) as options.
Meanwhile, Garoppolo’s name has been tossed around online with analysts aiming to predict his next move or explaining how good of a fit he would be on other rosters. Here’s a recap:
New York Jets: Mentioned in this Heavy on 49ers story, Garoppolo was labeled as a possibility for the Jets by Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report for this primary reason — Jimmy G’s ties to Jets offensive play-caller Mike LaFleur, who was the 49ers’ passing game coordinator from 2017 to 2020 including for Garoppolo’s career-year in 2019.
Seattle Seahawks: The ‘Hawks have been linked to Garoppolo numerous of times considering their signal-caller situation involves veteran backups Geno Smith and Drew Lock battling for QB1…leaving many to believe that an upgrade in the post-Russell Wilson era is still a high need. Garoppolo is considered by many to be that upgrade over the two quarterback who are below .500 in their career win-loss record. However, Gregg Bell of The Seattle Times revealed that both Smith and Lock are the guys they’re rolling with and how Smith “remains the leader so far” in the race to succeed the Super Bowl champion Wilson.
Cleveland Browns: The Browns have sat at the top of potential destinations by notable NFL analysts including CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin, who listed the Browns at No. 1 of his “five potential suitors.” The reason? Not just Mayfield’s departure, but Deshaun Watson still facing a possible suspension once his investigations into his off-field accusations are complete. The Browns are currently left with Jacoby Brissett as the top leader if Watson isn’t given the green light to play. Garoppolo could give Cleveland some needed depth.