New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has been the subject of (constant) trade rumors this offseason, and especially over the last few days with free agency getting underway.
And at 4 AM ET on Friday a morning, a post appeared on Garoppolo’s Instagram page suggesting he’s been traded:
So grateful for my time in New England. Peace out Boston ✌?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRc6C27BuMq/
Here’s a screenshot as I’m guessing this Instagram post will be taken down:
Naturally, this made Twitter go about as crazy as it can go in the middle of a weekday night.
It also brought out NFL reporters that had already spent the past 30 hours doing plenty enough work. And those reporters are hearing that the Instagram post is a hack/hoax:
Spoke to someone close to Jimmy Garoppolo who had no knowledge of any trade and believes it's a hack. Alas, it's 5:26 am now & we're all up
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2017
Source close to Jimmy Garoppolo tells me QB hasn't been traded to his knowledge, and the Instagram post sound like a "prank/hack."
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) March 10, 2017
Source close to Jimmy G: No knowledge of any trade. Believes Instagram post (https://t.co/HfFqiAKyI1)
is hoax/hack that has set off frenzy.— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) March 10, 2017
Source believes Jimmy Garoppolo goodbye to Boston Instagram post is hack or prank. Report of trade to Browns is false.
— Tony Grossi (@TonyGrossi) March 10, 2017
So, it appears that either Garoppolo was hacked, or he’s pulling a fast one on us.
I'm more inclined to think Jimmy Garoppolo was just messing around than to think he was hacked.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 10, 2017
Now, that of course doesn’t mean the 25-year-old quarterback couldn’t still be traded.
The Cleveland Browns have been linked to Garoppolo all offseason, and that chatter picked up tenfold on Thursday after the Browns acquired Brock Osweiler and a second-round pick from the Houston Texans.
The Browns now have two first-round picks — including first overall — and two second-round picks in 2017, as well one first-round pick and three second-round picks in 2018. The Patriots’ asking price is massive, but the Browns now would seem to have the ammo to get it done.
I'm told #Patriots would likely want #Browns No. 1 overall this yr & prob 1st in '18 for Jimmy. 12+ prob won't do it https://t.co/7APRDNmUZe
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) March 9, 2017
Been hearing a long time that a package of 3 2nd round picks might be fair value for Garoppolo. Browns now have a ton of them next few years
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 9, 2017
Again, Browns shopping Osweiler and late rnd 17, for a 2018 3rd rnd pick and will eat "at least half" of Brock's $16M salary
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 9, 2017
Browns are fixated on the 3rd round pick in 2018, leading many to believe they're out to deal bevy of picks to NE for Jimmy G
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 9, 2017
However, ESPN’s Josina Anderson reported after the Instagram post that the Browns and Patriots are currently having no trade talks:
I'm told that there are "no trade talks" for Jimmy Garoppolo and the #Browns going on, at this time.
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 10, 2017
But, Adam Kaufman of Boston’s WBZ said that the radio station got a “no comment” from the Patriots regarding a Garoppolo trade:
.@wbznewsradio spoke to #Patriots this morning. We were told they have no comment as to whether or not Jimmy Garoppolo's been traded.
— Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) March 10, 2017
Maybe the Instagram post wasn’t a hoax after all!
