NFL Trade Rumors: League executive floats the idea of a potential Jimmy Garoppolo - OBJ trade

Jimmy-G for OBJ, does it make sense?

The San Francisco 49ers exit their bye week at 2-3 and require a U-turn if they plan to make the playoffs and contend for the Super Bowl.

This U-turn will only happen one way: players.

Not necessarily adding new players, for instance, as soon as tight end George Kittle is back from the injured reserve—if he is back at all—the 49ers will already have an enormous weapon that could turn their offense from water to wine.

If wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk stops struggling and becomes a reliable complement to fellow receiver Deebo Samuel, this would also help the 49ers offence.

Another thing that will help the San Francisco team make its U-turn is quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and rookie Trey Lance, who are healthy and ready to play.

But those are all big "ifs."

Kittle's calf may take longer than anticipated to heal, and there is a chance for him not to be 100% when he is back. Aiyuk was not reliable throughout his rookie season; everyone knows Jimmy-G is injury prone, and Lance is also prone to injuries due to his playing style.

So maybe, the 49ers need to add players to make the U-turn.

Jimmy-G and OBJ swap

"What if Cleveland traded Odell [Beckham Jr.] straight up for Garoppolo?"

An anonymous executive asked The Athletic's journalist Mike Sando.

At 2-3, in a division where the Arizona Cardinals lead with a 6-0 record, maybe 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan should start thinking about giving Lance much-needed developmental reps rather than keeping Jimmy-G on the pitch. The fact that the 49ers have almost no healthy running backs, their primary target, Kittle, being out, and the Los Angeles Rams in second place at 5-1, serves as extra motivation for Shanahan.

But is OBJ the answer?

As the anonymous exec said to Sando:

"I actually don't know how many teams would want Odell. It's a big win for Cleveland if they can get his money off the books."

Which team would consider a "big win" to get rid of a reliable and productive player?

The 49ers need a complement to Kittle and Samuel, someone that will take the field and play. OBJ only played two full seasons, and last year lost eight games. The last time OBJ had 1,000+ yards was in 2019.

OBJ never was the wide receiver that the Cleveland Browns thought they were trading for in the 2019 offseason. It makes sense that they are willing to trade him away to cut the loss short, but do the Browns want a new quarterback?

Baker Mayfield is injured, but is Jimmy-G the answer? Is the 49ers quarterback better and more reliable? Is it worth sending OBJ away for an expensive player who is injury-prone like the wide receiver? Do the 49ers believe that OBJ personality will be a good match for how Shanahan runs things in San Francisco?

This deal is close to making no sense, mainly because no one wants to be on the losing side of a trade. As the anonymous exec said, "[trading OBJ] it's a big win for Cleveland."

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