Jimmy Garoppolo 5 trade destinations with free agency looming

Jimmy Garoppolo trade destination no. 1: Denver Broncos

Jimmy Garoppolo to the Denver Broncos checks a ton of boxes.

Is it a destination that is a do-right by Garoppolo on the 49ers’ part? Yes.

The Broncos are in the AFC.

The 49ers and Broncos have a good relationship when it comes to trades and have made plenty in the last half-dozen years.

The Broncos have a strong roster with playmakers at every position on offense. They have a strong defense. They are loaded with 11 draft picks and almost $40 million in salary cap space.

General manager George Paton is navigating the team through an ownership change and while that happens, he’s vowed to be “aggressive” when it comes to looking for a quarterback.

With Nathaniel Hackett bringing his offense from Green Bay to Denver, the system should be plenty similar to what Garoppolo has been running with the 49ers in recent years.

You’ve got a highly respected GM in George Paton collaborating with his new offensive-minded head coach on what QB to bring in, and the things they keep telling everyone they’re prioritizing are toughness, intelligence, and accuracy.

Garoppolo has completed almost 68 percent of his passes in his career and has certainly proven himself to be an intelligent player who can operate a complex, ever-evolving offense.

Toughness might be called into question with Garoppolo’s injury history, but mental toughness is not a question with Garoppolo, who has proven he’s able to come back from bad mistakes and put his team in a position to win.

The Broncos are in a position where they can afford to play the long game at QB. They could trade for Garoppolo and sign him to a 2-3 year extension, allowing Paton to keep his options open in the NFL Draft for that window of time.

To me, the Broncos make more sense than just about any team when it comes to a Jimmy Garoppolo trade and I’d put them as the favorites if I were a betting man. We’ll know soon enough how glad I am that I’m not.