3 teams that need to add Jimmy Garoppolo to their roster

Jimmy Garoppolo is still on the San Francisco 49ers but these three teams need to make a move to add him to their roster in 2022

With Trey Lance set to take over as the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Jimmy Garoppolo has been given permission to seek a trade. The former second-round pick for the New England Patriots was traded to the Niners during the 2017 season and had instant success, going 5-0 that year as the starter.

He missed the majority of the 2018 campaign but then led the Niners to a 13-3 record and Super Bowl berth in 2019. Even after Lance was added this year, Garoppolo helped San Francisco make it to the NFC Championship Game where they nearly upset the Los Angeles Rams.

While it’s true Garoppolo has had the benefit of a great team around him, he’s still a starter in this league and can help several teams improve. Here are three such franchises that should add Garoppolo.

3 teams that need to add Jimmy Garoppolo to their roster

3. Houston Texans

The Houston Texans aren’t good right now.

They have a chance at being better soon, considering they own the Cleveland Browns Round 1 picks for the next two seasons — and had one this year as well. But the problem under center remains.

No matter how many players they add, they won’t win until they have a quarterback who can deliver — and Davis Mills isn’t that guy right now.

Mills had an admirable season in 2021 as a rookie, completing 66.8 percent of his passes for 2,664 yards with a 16-to-10 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The problem is, much of his success came in blowout losses and they were 2-9 with him.

Garoppolo won’t turn them into contenders but he can help the offense improve and if they want Mills to truly succeed, it wouldn’t be bad for him to learn from a seasoned vet such as Garoppolo.

2. Seattle Seahawks

In their trade with the Denver Broncos, the Seattle Seahawks lost Russell Wilson but they did at least get Drew Lock — a former second-round pick who is still just 25 years of age. They believe he can improve still, but they also have a veteran in Geno Smith.

Also a former second-round pick, Smith started three games for the Seahawks in 2021 while Wilson was out and played well. He finished with 702 yards passing and had five touchdowns with only one interception.

Smith is also a team leader who says he will have Lock’s back whether or not he wins the starting job. As for that job, it’s been a close battle but perhaps Lock is taking the lead the closer we get to the start of the preseason.

While both Lock and Smith have flashed as players, neither has been very consistent. Smith has especially had some lows, as he went 3-10 as the starter for the Jets in 2014 and is 13-21 overall with more interceptions (37) than touchdowns (34) in his career.

Lock shouldn’t be given up on just yet but at the same time, if he can’t easily win a starting job over a journeyman, then the Seahawks should strongly consider their options — including making a move for Garoppolo.

There’s a chance the 49ers won’t like this idea since he would be in their division, but if there’s no one else making an offer, it could be a possibility.

1. New York Giants

Daniel Jones was a surprise pick at No. 6 overall in 2019 and he wound up replacing Eli Manning early that season. He had a strong showing as a rookie despite the team going 3-9 in his starts which gave the New York Giants hope going forward.

That year, Jones had 3,027 yards with 24 touchdowns and 12 picks. He even earned the nickname “Danny Dimes” during this campaign. But now heading into year four, he’s still trying to find anything remotely close to that level of production.

Jones hasn’t hit the 3,000-yard mark since his first season and has 21 touchdowns and 17 picks the past two seasons combined. He does add some impressive plays with his feet but that doesn’t make up for the inconsistency he’s shown under center.

New York does have Tyrod Taylor available but first-year head coach Brian Daboll might need to look elsewhere. Thankfully for him, there’s an upgrade available in Jimmy Garoppolo.

The worst season Garoppolo had when starting a full season exceeds what Jones did in his top campaign. Of course, the only question with Garoppolo is whether or not he can turn in a full year’s worth of work as injuries have been the one thing to slow him down.

Still, the Giants have a solid reserve in Taylor — and could even see Jones performing in this role should they add Garoppolo.