Who says the NFL never has any trades? After the Texans sent Duane Brown to the Seahawks to finally provide Seattle with the left tackle they've sought for years, the Patriots and 49ers consummated a stunning trade just in advance of Monday Night Football. The 0-8 Niners were expected to target their quarterback of the future this offseason, but they've made a move earlier than anybody expected in trading their 2018 second-round pick to the Patriots for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
The short-term ramifications of the Garoppolo deal aren't much -- the 49ers are all but eliminated from the playoffs and Garoppolo wasn't playing behind Tom Brady in New England -- but there are huge reverberations for a number of players and teams across the league we'll feel in the months and years to come.