Rarely has a midseason trade changed the fortunes of an NFL franchise as much as the San Francisco 49ers' acquisition of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo did last year.
The 49ers were 0-8 and one of the worst teams in the league for the first half of last season, plummeting towards the No. 1 overall pick, when they shoplifted Garoppolo from the New England Patriots for a second-round draft choice.
Garoppolo spent a month learning Kyle Shanahan's offense, and when he finally took over as starting quarterback in early December, the 49ers suddenly looked like one of the better teams in the league.