Jimmy Garoppolo Seemingly Traded To Cleveland Browns By New England Patriots Until Instagram Hack Revealed

An Instagram post by Jimmy Garoppolo early Friday morning made it appear that the quarterback was being traded by the New England Patriots. However, rumors that he could be headed to the Cleveland Browns were quickly dismissed.

According to multiple reports, Garoppolo’s Instagram was hacked. The signal caller has not been dealt, and he’s likely to remain with the Super Bowl champions for the start of the 2017 NFL season.

READ: New England Patriots Could Lose Key Players In Offseason

Ever since Tom Brady won his fifth title last month, there has been speculation that the Patriots would trade their backup quarterback. Brady is still the NFL’s best quarterback, and New England would be able to get a lot in return for Garoppolo. He looked terrific in his short stint as the team’s starter during Brady’s suspension, and reliable starting quarterbacks have been in short supply this offseason.

All reports have indicated that New England isn’t looking to trade Garoppolo. He’s 14 years younger than Brady, and quarterbacks don’t traditionally play well into their 40s. Even quarterbacks like Peyton Manning and Brett Favre, who were Pro Bowlers late in their careers, saw a dramatic dip in their production.

ESPN’s Ed Werder reported that the Patriots are convinced Garoppolo is their future quarterback, and they have “no plans to trade him at any price.”

That doesn’t mean Cleveland won’t make a push to acquire Garoppolo, which is why so many people believed the Instagram post was real. Not only do the Browns desperately need a quarterback, but they seemingly have the assets to get a trade done. Cleveland has the No.1 and No.12 overall picks in this year’s draft, and they are almost certain to have one of the top picks in the 2018 draft.

The Browns have 11 picks in each of the next two drafts after landing another 2018 second-round pick Thursday. Cleveland acquired the second-round selection, a 2017 sixth-round pick and Brock Osweiler from the Houston Texans, though the Browns are expected to pursue another quarterback this offseason.

Even if Garoppolo isn't traded, the Patriots could make major changes this offseason. They signed cornerback Stephon Gilmore Thursday, and they might lose Malcolm Butler, Dont'a Hightower and LeGarrette Blount through either trades or free agency.