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Patriots should practice patience in pursuing Jimmy Garoppolo

Instead of rushing into a Jimmy Garoppolo reunion, the Patriots may be able to wait patiently and have him fall right into their laps.

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

On Wednesday afternoon, two teams made a trade centered around a quarterback. Neither of the teams are the Patriots, but the deal still has a tremendous effect on New England's draft outlook. It's an event that has become somewhat of a regular occurrence leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft.

In the latest such move, the Carolina Panthers sent Teddy Bridgewater to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a sixth-round pick. This comes just a few weeks after the Panthers acquired Sam Darnold from the New York Jets.

The impact made on the Patriots' quarterback plans is two-fold. In the draft, it potentially removes the only other quarterback-needy team between the fifth overall pick and the Patriots at 15. Denver holds the ninth pick, but now has Bridgewater joining 2019 second-round pick Drew Lock on the roster. If they're content with that group, it means the Patriots have one less team to jump for a QB, and the best individual chip (the 15th pick) at the negotiating table.

Secondly, the Bridgewater trade all but eliminates any leverage the San Francisco 49ers would have in a potential Jimmy Garoppolo trade. Entering Wednesday only two teams had the cap space to absorb Garoppolo's $26.3 million cap hit. One of those was Denver, which leaves the Jacksonville Jaguars - who are just over 24 hours away from being set at QB - as the only other financial suitor.

More: Patriots Mock Draft 3.0

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Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.

Alex Barth is a digital content producer and on-air host for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Barth grew up in the Boston area and began covering the New England Patriots, Boston Celtics, and Boston Red Sox in 2017 before joining the Hub in 2020. He now covers all things Boston Sports for 985TheSportsHub.com as well as appearing on air. Alex writes about all New England sports, as well as college football. You can follow him across all social media platforms at @RealAlexBarth.