3 Reasons why the Falcons should definitely trade for Jimmy Garoppolo

The Falcons need to make the move for Jimmy Garoppolo

Jimmy Garoppolo is on the trade block. Given the recent Baker Mayfield trade to the Carolina Panthers, he represents the top last-second option for teams (Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans) who may be unimpressed with their quarterback rooms heading into the 2022 season after training camp and the preseason.

Among the teams interested in the San Francisco 49ers signal-caller is the Miami Dolphins. They may have wandering eyes about their quarterback situation despite publicly offering support for Tua Tagovailoa. A league executive broke down the context of Miami's interest to Heavy.com's Matt Lombardo:

“I know this. Jimmy G is way more liked in league circles, as a player, than Tua is. He’s accomplished way more, and that matters at that position, almost more than anything else. And, remember, Mike McDaniel knows Jimmy really well.”

“With a new head coach, all he cares about is winning and winning now. He could be looking at Tua, shaking his head and saying ‘eh, I don’t know.’ Maybe he loves him … But, if he hasn’t seen enough from him during workouts or OTAs, this is his honeymoon with that ownership and front office, make the deal now.”

Lombardo provided an update on the Garoppolo trade situation on Thursday, adding that a long-time NFL personnel evaluator said that the Falcons might jump into the bidding:

"Don't be surprised if the Falcons jump in. You aren't going to know about Desmond Ridder for two or three years, at best, and they can't afford to wait that long."

Given their current quarterback situation, the Falcons could make sense as the next home for Jimmy G. Here are three reasons for that.

#1 - Desmond Ridder may not be the future QB for the Falcons

Right now, rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder is making a strong push to become the starter for Atlanta in Week 1, but head coach Arthur Smith made it sound like he would still be behind Marcus Mariota to start the season:

“As with any position, the best guy is going to play. With Marcus [Mariota] being the veteran, that’s the way it’ll go for now.”

That could change if Ridder shows that he is game-ready during preseason and training camp, but from the sound of it, general manager Terry Fontenot isn't sold on Ridder being his future franchise star:

“There was never a time where Arthur Smith and I said we have to come out of this draft with a quarterback. He was the best player on the board at that time, and that’s why we took him.”

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That kind of talk could inspire Ridder to grab the brass ring, but it could also be an honest admission that there was never a plan for the former Cincinnati Bearcat to be the future quarterback for the Falcons.

Marcus Mariota needs a push

#2 - Marcus Mariota needs legitimate competition

It was somewhat puzzling to see the Falcons respond to Matt Ryan's trade to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a third-round pick in April's draft by signing Marcus Mariota to a sizable free-agent contract.

Having spent the past two seasons as Derek Carr's backup in Las Vegas, Mariota has not started at least half a season since 2018 and hasn't begun a game under center since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

While he had solid numbers in his last meaningful season in Tennessee and is reuniting with head coach Arthur Smith, Mariota is one of the most mundane replacements for Matt Ryan possible.

Jimmy Garoppolo has a higher ceiling and would join the Falcons with far more accomplishments than Mariota, who seemingly peaked during his collegiate career at Oregon.

What is there to lose in a Jimmy Garoppolo trade?

#3 - There is nothing to lose on Atlanta's end

The worst-case scenario for the Falcons trading for Jimmy Garoppolo isn't all that bad. The 49ers gunslinger is not an off-field distraction and was graceful about the transfer of power to new San Francisco starter Trey Lance.

If he is on the Falcons bench to start the season because he lost the quarterback battle to Marcus Mariota, that's not a negative. The alternative is having an unproven rookie in Desmond Ridder, whose playing time would signal that the team is tanking.

There is nothing to lose for Atlanta since they will neither overpay for Garoppolo nor be on the hook for a long-term salary given his contract-year status.

If anything, they could even use Garoppolo as a trade chip if a team loses their No. 1 quarterback for any meaningful amount of time.