Breaking down the Jimmy Garoppolo compensation over two years later

With the Jimmy G-led 49ers playing in the Super Bowl this Sunday, I thought this would be a perfect time to revisit the trade the Patriots made to send Garoppolo to the San Fran just before the trade deadline in October 2017. The original compensation was for a 2018 second-round pick, but knowing Bill Belichick, you have to expect him to trade picks and move around the draft board, and boy did he do that and then some with this pick. This is a lot to break down, so bear with me, Charlie understands what I’ve just been through.

On October 30, 2017, the New England Patriots traded backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2018 second-round pick. Fast forward to the 2018 draft, where the Patriots currently hold the 43rd overall selection. As the second round of the draft is underway, the Patriots do what they so often do, trade.

• The Patriots traded the 43rd pick to the Lions (used to take RB Kerryon Johnson) for picks 51 and 117.
• The Patriots then traded the 117th pick and the 63rd pick to the Buccaneers to trade up to the 56th pick, used to select CB Duke Dawson. Bucs used those picks to take CB Carlton Davis (63rd) and S Jordan Whitehead (117th).
  • As Pats fans know well, their team stinks at drafting defensive backs in the second round, and Dawson is the latest example. He was later traded to the Broncos before the 2019 season for a 2020 sixth-round pick.
• Now back to the 51st pick. They traded this pick to the Bears (WR Anthony Miller) for a fourth (105) and a 2019 second-rounder.
• Pick 105 was then traded to the Browns (WR Antonio Callaway) for picks 114 and 178. The 178th pick was used to draft LB Christian Sam, and the 114th pick was, you guessed it, traded.
• The 114th pick was traded to the Lions (DT Da’Shawn Hand) for a 2019 third-rounder.

We have now reached the end of the 2018 draft. The Patriots have turned the 43rd pick they acquired in the trade for CB Duke Dawson, LB Christian Sam, and a 2019 second-round pick and third-round pick. In 2018, Dawson missed most of the season while on injured reserve and didn’t play a snap when activated. Sam missed the entire season while on IR.

Now lets fast forward to the 2019 draft, with the Patriots holding the Bears’ 56th pick and the Lions’ 73rd pick.

• The Patriots traded the 56th pick, along with pick 101, to the Rams for the 45th pick, used to select cornerback Joejuan Williams.
  • The Rams then traded the 56th pick to the Chiefs, who selected Mecole Hardman, for the 61st pick (Taylor Rapp) and the 167th pick. We’ll get to the 167th pick later, a little tease to a later trade. Same for the 101st pick*.
• Now to the 73rd pick, the Patriots traded this pick, along with their 205th pick, to the Bears for picks 87 (RB Damien Harris), 162, and a 2020 fourth-round pick.
  • The Bears used those picks to select running back David Montgomery (73) and cornerback Duke Shelley (205).
• The 162nd pick was then combined with their 97th pick, and traded to the Rams for picks 101* and 133.
  • *The 101st pick that was traded by the Pats to the Rams earlier in the draft, was traded back to New England, and used to select OT Yodny Cajuste.
  • The Rams used the 97th pick to select OT Bobby Evans, and the Patriots used the 133rd pick to select QB Jarrett Stidham.
• Now let’s revisit a trade from earlier. The Rams acquired the 167th pick from the Chiefs after trading the 56th pick acquired from the Pats for the 45th pick. This is where things get interesting. The Rams combined that 167th pick, along with the 162nd pick just acquired from the Pats, which they got from the Bears, and traded it to New England for picks 134 (DT Greg Gaines) and 243 (S Nick Scott).
• Holding the 162nd and 167th picks, the Patriots obviously traded those picks, which they just love to do.
  • The Pats traded up with the Vikings, combining picks 162 (LB Cameron Smith) and 239 (WR Dillon Mitchell), for the 159th pick, used to select DT Byron Cowart.
  • The Pats then traded up with the Eagles, combining picks 167 and 246 for the 163rd pick, used to select punter Jake Bailey.
    • The Eagles used the 167th pick to select QB Clayton Thorson
    • The 246th pick was then traded by the Eagles to the Colts for DT Hassan Ridgeway, and the Colts used the 246th pick to select OL Javon Patterson.

We have now reached the end of the 2019 draft, and the Patriots have turned the 56th and 73rd picks into Joejuan Williams, Damien Harris, Jarrett Stidham, Byron Cowart, Jake Bailey, and a 2020 fourth-round pick. Williams didn’t contribute much his rookie season, but is a promising young player, and is hoping to break the Patriots second-round defensive back curse. Harris also didn’t contribute at all as a rookie, due to the crowded backfield, and should hope to crack the game-day roster. Stidham could potentially be the heir to Brady. Cowart has potential to be a viable part of the defensive line rotation, and Jake Bailey has been one of the better punters in the league.

After almost two and a half years, two drafts, and a preseason player trade, the compensation for the Jimmy Garoppolo trade is still being decided. You could look at it as Garoppolo for all the players and picks that have been drafted and acquired by the Patriots. You can also look at it as what could’ve been: Garoppolo for Kerryon Johnson, or Garoppolo for Carlton Davis and Jordan Whitehead. I could go on and on.

The player the Patriots acquired are underwhelming and a still to be determined. We’ll see how these players progress over the years and whether the compensation will truly be worth it for trading Garoppolo. The Pats still have the fourth-round pick from the Bears, and a sixth-round pick from the Broncos after trading Duke Dawson, who was involved early in the pick trading fiasco. Knowing Bill Belichick, he’ll probably trade these picks, and my head will explode.