Jimmy Garoppolo is Patriots ‘Plan A’ in quarterback carousel

Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers is reportedly the New England Patriots’ top quarterback target this offseason.

In the New England Patriots’ first season without Tom Brady starting under center, they missed the playoffs. Now they enter the 2021 league year with $66.5 million in cap space that could help them fill a majority of the voids across their roster. But what will they do at the quarterback position?

Will they re-sign Cam Newton this offseason and hope he can rebound with a better supporting cast? Or will they select a quarterback with the 15th overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

According to Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal, Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers is “far and away their Plan A” to fix the quarterback position this offseason.

“That, if they had to draw it up, exactly the optimal situation for the Patriots for this coming season, it’s Jimmy G coming back here,” said Bedard on “The Greg Bedard Patriots Podcast,” via NBC Sports Bay Area. And of course, that’s all dependent on the 49ers doing something.”

49ers: John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have publicly committed to Jimmy Garoppolo in 2021

The 49ers have let it be known publicly that they plan on Garoppolo being their starting quarterback for the 2021 season. But why have they been linked to other quarterbacks this offseason?

San Francisco has been linked to a variety of quarterbacks this offseason. Matthew Stafford was matched up with the 49ers as a potential trade destination from the Detroit Lions, but the Los Angeles Rams got the deal done by sending Jared Goff and a lucrative draft package in exchange. Additionally, the 49ers made a trade call to the Carolina Panthers regarding Teddy Bridgewater, but it was “preliminary.”

If the latter two options become an impossibility, the 49ers do hold the 12th-overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. They could stand pat or trade up to select one of Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields or Mac Jones. Those would be the only ways the 49ers would officially pull the plug on the “Jimmy G Experiment” in San Francisco.

The Patriots sure would be the happiest people in the league if the 49ers were to trade for or draft another signal caller. The team is familiar with Garoppolo, as he was their second-round pick in 2014. Garoppolo would get a brief stint as a starter in 2016 after Tom Brady was suspended four games due to Deflategate. In 2017, the Patriots opted to trade Garoppolo to the 49ers.

Now, the Patriots could reportedly bring Garoppolo back to the fold to serve as Brady’s successor. But, the power lies in the hands of the 49ers.