Is He Worth It? – Jimmy Garoppolo

Departing an organization that was paying him a fully guaranteed five-year contract of $28 million dollars per year in the San Francisco 49ers, Garoppolo joins a Raiders squad commanded by Josh McDaniels that is fresh off of benching and cutting Derek Carr, their longtime franchise starter. He will play on a similar deal over the course of four years.

Jimmy Garoppolo’s history with Josh McDaniels, his similar play style to Tom Brady, and his exceptionally quick release of the football all make him a fantastic fit for the Raiders on paper. Further, his allocation of 10 percent of the cap at $28 million or so per year is arguably a bargain amidst recent contracts like those of Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson, and Aaron Rodgers’ carried-over extension with the New York Jets.

And yet, I wouldn’t be writing this article if there weren’t questions about whether he is worth the money. You know the drill at this point, dear reader, if you are one of the few who have been following me.

This time, we have questions around how much Garoppolo is a system quarterback. While I hate the term in general-which good quarterback isn’t operating an effective scheme??-I do have to acknowledge the system deployed by Kyle Shanahan, heir to the Shanahan family zone run scheme.

This is a scheme that, if given the right personnel, turns many a quarterback into a pro bowler. Matt Schaub went on a multi-year tear with the Texans. Robert Griffin III won Offensive Rookie of the Year. Matt Ryan won NFL MVP. Brock Purdy took Kyle Shanahan’s most recent team to the NFC championship.

All of these quarterbacks, when not playing with Kyle Shanahan, took a dip in their play level. And there is a reason for that. Shanahan has designed an unpredictable, yet simple to execute offensive scheme that rips the middle of defenses apart.

So, for all of the good that Garoppolo shows with his mechanics, and even his football IQ in terms of knowing progressions against coverages, it is unclear how much Garoppolo is being challenged. And this matters. A quality that the best quarterbacks in the NFL possess without exception is the ability to turn around an extremely adverse situation-something that Garoppolo does not deal with as much within the Shanahan scheme.

So, without further ado, here is the latest edition of Is He Worth It?

The Kyle Shanahan scheme

Kyle Shanahan’s scheme is a thing of infamy to defend. It is a take on the wide zone run scheme employed by his father that adds motion and complementary gap runs, and uses easy screen and middle of the field passing concepts that become more open as a result, as well as deep play action shots. It is unpredictable, and more importantly, easy for an NFL quarterback to operate in comparison with other schemes.

Obviously, this is common knowledge around the NFL. Even so, watching plays like a trick pass from the running back boggles the mind-something that Shanahan was able to deploy when adding Christian McCaffrey to the backfield.

On 2nd and 8 in the second quarter of a week 8 matchup with the Rams, Shanahan decides that the 49ers need an explosive play to get the offense going-which, down 0-7 at this point, they do. Except Garoppolo simply has to hand the ball off, while the Rams defense, aligned in a base 2 safety zone coverage with a 4-3 front, plays the formation like it will be a run.

Garoppolo proceeds to then throw the ball back to Mccaffrey after faking the sweep, who takes advantage of an exposed backfield by throwing a go route for a touchdown to Brandon Aiyuk. This works because safety Nick Scott, thinking that Mccaffrey will run, has been baited well out of position.

It is this creativity that defines the Shanahan scheme. It is an unpredictable blending of run plays, with motion and trickery entrenched within the infrastructure, that makes life easier for Garoppolo than the average NFL quarterback. Play after play, Garoppolo gets permission to simply look down and attack the middle of the field, as opposed to much of a pure progression system.

A play preceding the Mccaffrey touchdown pass shows how wide open things can get when Shanahan is in charge. A simple tight end seam to George Kittle comes wide open against another two-safety zone look, since the linebackers are too preoccupied with the backfield, resulting in a 1st down on a 1st and 10 play.

Within the offense, screens become more advantageous, both because of the motion and because of Mccaffrey’s pass-catching ability (is he a triple threat??). A 1st and 10 wide screen to Mccaffrey in the 3rd quarter is made better by two things. One, the defensive backs have decided to press, meaning the 49ers have been gifted with even numbers to block outside with. Two, the fake sweep run by Jeff Wilson to the boundary side means that the Rams have to send their line toward him. Thus, all Garoppolo has to do is throw a flat, and Mccaffrey takes a 4 yard gain for a 9 yarder.

So the offense is often simple to execute for Garoppolo, simply because of the amount of schematic tools that Shanahan deploys. This can sometimes even backfire, and result in Garoppolo staring down a target he thinks will be schemed open. On a 3rd and 9 on the 49ers very first drive against the Rams, Garoppolo assumes that the room he is given by a safety up toward the middle of the field will allow Jeff Wilson to come open.

Garoppolo stares him down, and two linebackers notice. When he fires, the throw is almost intercepted.

Thus, we are left with a quarterback who operates a system that is often easy and comfortable for quarterbacks, and sometimes runs it to a fault. As a result, the evaluation on how he will function with a new team is extremely tricky.

The upside of how he executes the game

Here is the good news. Garoppolo has almost perfect throwing mechanics, has excellent subtle pocket movement, and can slice up any defense he faces within the correct system for his skillset.

Garoppolo has a throwing motion that is extremely quick and precise, and that relies primarily on a sudden twist of his upper body without any pullback whatsoever on his arm. This allows him to create greater opportunities for a catch and run situation downfield, since a receiver is earlier in their route by the time the throw finishes.

One example is a 1st and 10 play in the first quarter of a Week Three matchup with the Broncos. Against 8 men in single high coverage, Garoppolo has to plant a throw precisely onto the chest of a receiver without much room for error.

Garoppolo is able to zip a pass to Aiyuk right on the hash mark vertically downfield, resulting in a 1st down and more. Because of the quick release that Garoppolo supplies, there is less of a collision downfield, and Aiyuk catches the ball right at his break.

Garoppolo also exhibits excellent subtle pocket movement, in which he buys enough time to get these same quick throws off while evading pressure in the pocket. On a 3rd and 2 play against the Rams in the 3rd quarter, Garoppolo is faced with a disguised man coverage. While reading a slants concept to his left, he has to progress to the other side of the field while sliding up, then around a loose edge defender.

He very quickly releases the ball to a wheel route by Christian Mccaffrey for a touchdown-right as a defender almost corrals him for a sack. If Garoppolo’s release is not as quick on this play, he likely either takes the sack, or fumbles.

Finally, Garoppolo’s skills on play action passing are impeccable. He possesses enough touch on his arm to plant throws downfield perfectly, and combined with playfakes, as well as his velocity, this is an even deadlier trait of his.

On a 3rd and 3 play toward the end of the game against the Rams, Garoppolo boots out after a double play fake. Faced with a two-high zone coverage, Garoppolo pump-fakes to Mccaffrey on the flat, and then throws a wrapped corner route to George Kittle behind the safety for a touchdown.

The release, and the amount of touch on the ball, make for an extremely well-placed throw on a very tough play and situation to execute. It is traits like these that make Jimmy Garoppolo so well-respected in the NFL: he is extremely good at quickly executing the fundamentals of the position.

Final evaluation

Contract Grade: A-

Player Grade: B+

Jimmy Garoppolo is a perfect player for a rookie deal, where a system and team is built around him, and he can execute it to near perfection. Thus, as an individual player, he more than passes the test for how to execute the position of quarterback at the NFL level.

The Raiders decided to bring him in on a deal that, while it seems expensive at first, is right where his value is compared to the higher contracts that other more athletic quarterbacks have received. With the scheme that Josh Mcdaniels runs, focused on Josh Jacobs and play action passing, Garoppolo is an excellent system fit. He will also have Davante Adams to throw to, along with Hunter Renfrow.

This evaluation might go against the grain for most folks in mainline NFL media who thought that the move from Derek Carr to Garoppolo was a lateral one. But I do think that Garoppolo is more capable of executing the McDaniels system, and making throws downfield with accuracy and anticipation, when all is said and done.