While training camp has begun in East Rutherford, the offseason rumor mill is still going strong. Recently, multiple reports have surfaced about a potential Jimmy Garoppolo trade to the Giants, a move that would be polarizing and controversial.
So, if the Giants and Joe Schoen do actually decide that the best path forward for the franchise is a trade for Jimmy G, what would it look like? San Francisco 49ers insider Peter Panacy took a look at what could potentially go down between the G-Men and the NFC West side, and it sure makes sense for the two sides. So, will something like this come to fruition?
An NY Giants trade for Jimmy Garoppolo would be wild to see
On the periphery, a Jones for Garoppolo trade would not work monetarily. The Giants only have just over $5 million in cap space and Garoppolo’s cap hit is just under $27 million. In order for the 49ers to be able to trade Garoppolo to the Giants, the niners would have to eat a significant portion of his salary.
If the 49ers were to eat a significant portion of Garoppolo’s contract, they would insist on better compensation, which they would receive in the projected trade. The most feasible scenario would be for Garoppolo to take a pay cut to join the Giants, but why would he just bypass millions of dollars?
Maybe if he gets assurances he’ll by the Giants full-time starting quarterback instead of the 49ers backup he could decide to take a pay cut in order to raise his value for next offseason when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Who knows, though.
Are the NY Giants ready to move on from Daniel Jones?
On the field, it is questionable whether or not Garoppolo has more upside for the Giants offense than Jones, but he definitely has qualities that Jones lacks. In his NFL career, Garoppolo’s teams are 33-14 when he starts at quarterback while the Giants are just 12-25 when Jones starts.
While wins are not necessarily a quarterback statistic anymore, it’s hard to deny that the quarterbacks are not playing a significant factor when their record disparity is that monumental. The reason Garoppolo’s teams win more than Jones could be due to their turnover rates. Jones has turned the ball over 49 times in 38 games despite playing in an ultra-conservative offense, while Garoppolo has turned the ball over just 47 times in 63 games.
Will Joe Schoen make this deal happen?
This is the first season of the Brian Daboll\Schoen era in New York, and the goal for Year 1 is to re-tool and develop the roster. While developing for the future is essential, the duo could feel the pressure to win early. The Giants finished fourth in the NFC East a season ago, which locked them into playing a fourth-placed schedule this season.
The Giants have the fourth easiest schedule based on 2021 win percentage while playing in one of the three weakest divisions in football, so it is feasible for the coaching staff to see an opportunity to win this season. After seeing Jones make some avoidable mistakes early in camp, Daboll may prefer the safer, less risky, game-manager Garoppolo to operate his offense.
The 2022 Giants are blending the concepts from the Bills and Chiefs offenses this season, so the focus will be on getting their skill position players the ball in the safest and quickest way possible. In San Fransisco, Garoppolo excelled under Kyle Shanahan in getting Deebo Samuel the ball in open space, so Daboll may have visions of him doing just that for Kadarius Toney, Saquon Barkley, and Wan’Dale Robinson. We’ll see if something ends up happening here, but expect the rumors and reports to keep coming in.