Shocker: Browns’ Joe Haden Says Patriots Should Trade Jimmy Garoppolo

The New England Patriots reportedly will not trade quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason. But one player on the perennially QB-needy Cleveland Browns believes they should.

Browns cornerback Joe Haden said on NFL Network’s “Total Access” that it would be in the Patriots’ best interest to deal Garoppolo, who is expected to sit behind Tom Brady again next season.

“I definitely see (Garoppolo as) a starting quarterback in this league,” Haden said. “And I think that it would just be so much smarter for them to, like (Browns tackle Joe Thomas) said, leverage it.”

Thomas, Cleveland’s longest-tenured player, on Wednesday scoffed at the idea of the Patriots refusing to deal Garoppolo, calling the report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter a ploy to boost the QB’s value.

“Leverage it, get as much as you can,” Haden continued. “Because unless you’re not trying to give him a deal after next year or — you’re not going to sign him for $21 million (to be a backup).”

The $21 million Haden referred to was roughly what it would cost a team to place a franchise tag on a quarterback this offseason. That number will be even higher in 2018, when Garoppolo is scheduled to hit free agency for the first time.

“So you’re definitely having to just get his stock up, see how much you can definitely get for him,” Haden added. “Because I think a lot of teams — I know a lot of teams — would definitely want to use him. … I know of a couple.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41-G7T332o0

The Browns certainly fall into that category. They’ve had a quarterback start all 16 games in a season only once since the franchise’s inception in 1999, and seven different signal-callers have taken snaps for Cleveland over the past three seasons.

Cody Kessler, Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown split time under center in 2016, all starting eight games or fewer.

With the Nos. 1, 12 and 33 picks in the 2017 NFL Draft at their disposal, the Browns have the assets to trade for a quarterback of Garoppolo’s caliber. It’s just a matter of whether the Patriots would be willing to give him up — which they apparently are not.

Thumbnail photo via Scott R. Galvin/USA TODAY Sports Images