Cleveland Browns: The QB questions continue with the 2017 NFL Draft
By Joel W. Cade
There is one more detour to be taken before returning to the Browns conundrum.
A new type of Gambler has arrived at the draft game. The New England Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick have a new scheme to take advantage of the quarterback market inefficiency. It takes the form of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who represents a Jack in Belichick’s hand.
The Patriots have possibly the greatest quarterback of all-time in Tom Brady. However, they have begun drafting quarterbacks high, increasing their value over the life of their rookie contract, then sell them off for more draft capital than was used to acquire the asset originally.
Garoppolo was drafted with the No. 62 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. In other terms, he was taken with the 30th pick of the second round. Over the past two years, the Patriots have been teaching him to play quarterback at the NFL level under Brady. Thus, Garoppolo’s overall value has theoretically increased.
The Patriots are now looking to trade Garoppolo to a team looking for a quarterback. The current asking price is reportedly a first and fourth-round pick. That is a huge return on the 62nd overall pick used to acquire him.
The new Gambler is trying to insert himself into the inefficient quarterback market. If successful, this new form of market manipulation will bring significant value to any team able to pull it off.
Jason Lisk of theBigLead.com has recently argued that acquisitions like Garoppolo have outperformed first-round picks in the past. Someone, maybe even the Browns, will bite on Garoppolo. When that happens, the new Gambler may have taken the table out from under the draft.