Ryan Tannehill vs Jimmy Garoppolo

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We are moving right along in the Ryan Tannehill Vs… series by heading over to the west coast and looking at an option that is rarely talked about in Jimmy Garoppolo. I talked yesterday on Football & Other F Words about the option of Jimmy G from an overhead view. Saying I would take him over Derek Carr, and I would take him + draft picks for Ryan Tannehill as well.

At the time, I hadn’t done the complete research into Jimmy G’s 2022 campaign and career like I had done with Carr. However, I have all of the research done, and think it’s time to dive in about who wins between Jimmy G and Tannehill.

But First, Am I a Hypocrite?

I have loudly and firmly stated my stance on signing or drafting injured players after moving on from Jon Robinson: Don’t do it! I have also shamed fans for wanting injured players as well. So, am I hypocrite for wanting Jimmy G?

Yup, I sure am. However, I am not a guy who is going to try and wiggle his way out of things previously said. I still firmly believe this team needs to stay away from injured players but let me tell you why I am okay with Jimmy G being the exception to the rule.

One, when he plays, he’s incredibly efficient. He knows how to win in the post-season and has been to a Super Bowl. Now, obviously, all of that is not solely because of him, but that kind of production and experience does matter.

Secondly, in the scenario, everyone goes into this option, that jimmy G is not a franchise QB. He isn’t the savior. He is a guy who allows you to not only bridge a gap to the next QB but can allow you to sustain success and allocate resources elsewhere in the short-term.

Third, even if he is injured, Vrabel has shown to be able to coach above the roster he’s given. So, whether it is a rookie quarterback, Malik Willis, or a yet-to-be settled on backup quarterback, Vrabel will find a way to win and be competitive.

I view it this way, Jon Robinson has overpaid, via contracts or draft capital, for injured players that contribute very little. You can point to Jeffery Simmons as the exception in terms of draft capital, but that is about it. So, if you’re getting Jimmy G on a value contract, plus draft picks from a Tannehill trade, then isn’t that worth the risk?

Ryan Tannehill vs Jimmy Garoppolo: The Value

For the Ryan Tannehill’s contract sucks and he isn’t worth a ham sandwich crowd, I feel I need to give a little bit of a reminder of where the Titans are at with his contract.

The Titans are currently on the hook for $36.6m in cap hit due to the Julio Jones restricting of 2021. According to OverTheCap.com, extending Tannehill can create up to $20.668m in cap space in 2023. Below is an example of how extending Tannehill with a short-term contract can create immediate cap space in the amount of $16.068 million.

Something to keep in mind, that I haven’t illustrated in here yet, is an extension after a trade. Remember, the above image is an extension based off a $36.6 million dollar figure. A team acquiring Tannehill in trade would be doing an extension based off a $27 million dollar figure.

This, plus his talent, is why Tannehill will always have more value than what fans, or analysts, of any team want to give him credit for. He has such a manageable contract for the acquiring team.

So, we know what a Tannehill extension looks like. We know that when we compared his extension to whatever quarterback the Titans may acquire, that we need to take into account $17.8m dead cap hit for Tannehill + new QB’s 2023 cap hit = Actual Value of New QB in 2023.

So, where does that leave us with Jimmy G’s contract?