The Cleveland Browns received some closure regarding their quarterback situation earlier this week when Deshaun Watson and the NFL agreed to a settlement that earned the former Texan a $5 million fine and 11 game suspension for the 2022 NFL season.
With Watson on the shelf for nearly two-thirds of the season, the Browns are currently left with Jacoby Brisset, who they signed to a 1-year, $4.65 million deal to be Watson's backup in March, as their top quarterback atop the depth chart.
While Cleveland has been optimistic that Brisset can hold down the fort, a certain Browns insider believes "it's time to go get Jimmy Garoppolo."
The Athletic's Jason Lloyd broke down why the Browns should indeed trade for Jimmy Garoppolo, pointing out how the 49ers quarterback has statistically been better than Brissett during their respective careers, but also highlighting the complications of the plan.
"Garoppolo's worst season as a starter is better than Brissett's best in terms of quarterback rating," Lloyd said. "Garoppolo, for all of his flaws, took the 49ers to one Super Bowl and nearly had them in another last season. He could be the difference in one or two of those games, which could ultimately decide whether or not the Browns are a postseason team in a loaded AFC."
However, there are "complicating factors in all of this, beginning with Garoppolo's surgically repaired throwing shoulder," Lloyd admits. "The Browns still have nearly $50 million in cap space this season, easily the most in the NFL, that they can roll into next year's cap. That's important because they're on pace to be about $30 million over the cap [in 2023] as presently constructed. Factor in Garoppolo's current $24 million base salary for this year and it's easy to see how the idea of bringing him in would lead to hard conversations in the front office."
Why would that lead to hard conversations? Carrying over the extra salary cap would help keep the Browns under the cap, while also providing them an opportunity to add and retain value in free agency, especially with the expected rise in the cap with the new media deals.
Still, Lloyd argues that acquiring Garoppolo would be the best potential option for the Browns, highlighting how a re-negotiation seems likely, especially because the quarterback's current contract is almost entirely non-guaranteed.
"Are 11 games of Garoppolo worth whatever cap space it would prevent them from rolling over next year? Given the alternatives, I don't see how the answer is anything other than yes," Lloyd contests. "There are no other suitors for Garoppolo at this point, and the concept of a Baker 2.0 trade and renegotiation seems likely."
Lloyd believes that trading for Garoppolo would give him time to get acclimated to Kevin Stefanski's offensive system, while also ensuring that Cleveland acquires his services, as opposed to letting him choose his destination of choice.
"Would Garoppolo and the 49ers be willing to strike a similar deal? Only a fraction of Garoppolo's current contract is guaranteed, but perhaps the 49ers would be willing to swallow more in exchange for a better draft pick. The Browns could wait out San Francisco in the hope he's released on Aug. 30, but that doesn't leave a lot of time to get him acclimated to the system here, and there's no guarantee Garoppolo would pick Cleveland if given his choice of teams. The Browns can ensure acquiring him by trading for him now rather than risk losing him to Seattle or another destination of his choice in free agency."
"Can they convince San Francisco to pick up a few million? Can they convince Garoppolo to give back a decent chunk in order to get the chance to play 11 games with a talented roster and create an opportunity to rebuild his own value entering free agency? It beats his alternative of getting released and perhaps not getting much playing time this season. It makes too much sense not to come to some sort of agreement."
Currently, it doesn't seem likely that a deal comes to fruition, as CBS Sports's Jonathan Jones reported that the Browns are not interested in Jimmy Garoppolo shortly after the Deshaun Watson news was released.