Jimmy Garoppolo Ignoring The Noise On Patriots Trade Rumors

By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- Jimmy Garoppolo has been the subject of a whirlwind of trade rumors over the past several weeks, which has only intensified since the Patriots won Super Bowl LI behind an MVP performance from Tom Brady. But in classic Patriots fashion, Garoppolo is ignoring the noise as much as possible and focusing only on what he can control.

The Patriots quarterback joined ESPN's Adam Schefter to talk about a variety of topics on Schefter's Know Them From Adam podcast, released on Tuesday. Among the topics were the rampant rumors and reports regarding a potential Patriots trade involving Garoppolo. When asked for his thoughts on the trade rumors, Garoppolo said he is doing his best to ignore them - if only for his sanity.

"For the most part I'm just trying to stay level-headed, try not to overthink it too much," said Garoppolo. "Because at the end of the day I'm still under contract. It's not my decision if I get traded or if I don't. So you try to take it all in stride."

Instead of focusing on the latest Patriots trade rumors from Twitter and other news sources, Garoppolo is focused on simply making himself as good a quarterback as he can.

"I'm not a big ESPN guy or [interested in] reading on Twitter and stuff like that, so that helps clear my mind," said Garoppolo. "This whole football thing ... if you don't perform well, then none of the trade rumors are even going to be an option. So that's top priority."

Garoppolo was 2-0 with four touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 113.3 passer rating in about six quarters of action filling in for Brady in 2016. A shoulder injury cut his early-season stint as the Patriots' starter short - but if recent reports are to be believed, then Garoppolo's potential suitors have seen enough to know that they want him.

Despite a flurry of reports in recent months about Garoppolo's possible trade value, which would likely include a first-round pick, ESPN's Ed Werder reported last week that Garoppolo is not expected to be traded. Brady's backup quarterback is under contract through the 2017 season, so the Patriots don't necessarily have to trade him right now - but if their goal is to maximize his value, the current offseason would be their best bet.

The teams most rumored to be interested in Garoppolo's services are the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and Chicago Bears. Those three teams possess the top three picks in April's NFL Draft, in that order. The Browns, however, also hold the No. 12 pick.

If the Patriots truly believe that Garoppolo can succeed Brady and be a high-end starting quarterback in the NFL, then virtually no trade would yield enough value for them to pull the trigger. But if the Patriots are serious about moving Garoppolo this offseason, it's possible that they are holding out for one of the top-3 picks in the draft. They certainly have most of the leverage, with no pressing need to jettison Garoppolo right now outside of the potential of landing a top draft pick.

Brady is the proverbial, five-ringed elephant in the room in this whole matter. He still doesn't plan on walking away from the game of football anytime soon, which would almost necessitate a Garoppolo trade within the next year. Anything received in a trade with a quarterback-needy team would dwarf any kind of compensatory pick acquired for Garoppolo in free agency.

As well as Garoppolo has performed in his limited time on the field, it's unlikely that his performance level surpasses that of Brady as soon as 2017. But if the Patriots really believe in him, they may find a way to keep him around even as Brady plays for 3-5 more years. If Brady experiences a sudden, sharp decline in play after the age of 40, it may behoove the Patriots to have Garoppolo ready to take over within the next 3-5 years - but they'll really need to pay up for that to even be a possibility.

Still, whatever chatter is happening in Foxboro and around the league is not falling on Garoppolo's ears - and it's probably for the best.

Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.