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Jimmy Garoppolo traded to San Francisco 49ers for 2018 NFL Draft pick

Los Angeles Chargers v New England Patriots Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images

The New England Patriots have traded their prized backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers for a second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

The trade for Garoppolo to a quarterback-needy team that is off to its worst start in franchise history after eight games shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to anyone, given that there’s been Garoppolo trade talk for nearly a year now. Before the season, it was almost inevitable that some team would trade for Garoppolo, the only real speed bump was the asking price — thought to be a first-round pick in the preseason.

Were the Jaguars a suitor for Garoppolo? Probably not. Would a second-round pick for him midseason have been best for the team? Again, no.

The Jaguars are clearly (and inexplicably) in win now mode and no matter how substandard Blake Bortles has been, making a switch at the quarterback position in Week 9 is probably a net negative. They need to win every game they can and taking a few weeks to acclimate Garoppolo might have cost them the division.

Would it have set them up for a good 2018? Probably. But for a team a decade out of its last playoff appearance, short-term goals are the answer. Win the AFC South this year and worry about a quarterback in next year’s free agency and draft classes.