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The New England Patriots reportedly made an offer for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo before the 2021 NFL Draft. A return to the Patriots was on the cards as the 49ers had traded up to the No. 3 spot to get their hands on a potential superstar quarterback.
According to ESPN senior writer Seth Wickersham's new book It's Better To Be Feared, the Patriots front office called the 49ers to gauge Garoppolo's price on Day 1 of the draft. Wickersham noted that the Patriots and Bill Belichick wanted Garoppolo for a second-round pick, the same price the 49ers paid to get Garoppolo from New England in 2017.
As it turns out, the 49ers wanted a first-round pick for Garoppolo. Belichick's camp deemed the price tag too high. Wickersham's book stated:
"There was an informal call between a high-level representative of the Patriots and a high-level 49ers official. What was Garoppolo's price? New England wondered if a second-rounder would suffice -- calling it even from 2017. But the 49ers wouldn't take less than a first. For the moment, at least, San Francisco was counting on Garoppolo to be the quarterback for 2021. The Patriots reached the same conclusion as San Francisco -- they liked the potential of the available first-round quarterbacks -- and moved on."
The 49ers selected Trey Lance with the third overall pick on Draft Day, while the Patriots got Alabama's Mac Jones 12 picks later.
NFL Trade Rumors: Tom Brady wanted to replace Jimmy Garoppolo as 49ers QB in 2020
Wickersham further noted that Tom Brady was interested in a move to 49ers during the 2020 Free Agency period, but Garoppolo's extension closed the doors for Brady. Garoppolo led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance in his first season as a starter, while Brady went on to win yet another Super Bowl, this time with the Buccaneers.
The 49ers entered the 2021 season as Super Bowl contenders, with Garoppolo leading the team, but with four straight defeats and a struggling offense, coach Kyle Shanahan quickly shifted his focus to highly-rated Lance. Garoppolo suffered a calf injury in Week 4 and has since delivered a slew of unconvincing performances.
Meanwhile, Lance has shown flashes of brilliance, but it's too early to judge a rookie in his first few weeks as an NFL quarterback.
Also check out: Complete 2019 NFL Draft Results
