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NFL

If Browns believe in Jimmy Garoppolo, they should trade 12th pick to get him

There should be zero hesitation if the Cleveland Browns believe Jimmy Garoppolo is the right quarterback.

The team that passed on a shot at Ben Roethlisberger and Carson Wentz, among others, can’t afford to pass on any more shots. The Browns have almost no choice; if they believe Garoppolo can be the guy, they have to trade the 12th pick in the draft to the New England Patriots to get him.

After his season ended with a Super Bowl victory parade in Boston, Jimmy Garoppolo would be a worthy investment if the Browns envision him as their quarterback of the future. Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire

Whether the Browns use the 12th pick in a trade for Garoppolo or to draft a quarterback, the result is the same: a quarterback wearing an orange helmet. Except Garoppolo would have three years’ experience on the drafted player.

None of the draft-eligible quarterbacks is thought ready to play right away. Mitch Trubisky, Deshaun Watson and DeShone Kizer all need time, the thinking goes. In the same time that those three have been in college, Garoppolo has been learning behind Tom Brady and playing for Bill Belichick in New England.

Though Tyrod Taylor and Colin Kaepernick are options, Garoppolo seems to fit the vision of finding a young player ready to grow. If the Browns really will be active in free agency, as the early chatter suggests, they need to find a quarterback who can play right away so the position does not hold the team back.

Garoppolo was a 2014 second-round pick out of Eastern Illinois. Last season he started the first two games while Brady was suspended, and he played well, throwing for 469 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in six quarters before he hurt his throwing shoulder just before halftime of the second game. The injury is a red flag for some, but Garoppolo started 37 games in his final three college seasons.

Garoppolo has one year left on his contract. The Patriots have Jacoby Brissett, who could back up Brady. If New England is going to get something for Garoppolo, this would be the time.

If New England is willing to trade Garoppolo, the competition will be significant — and maybe the 12th pick won’t be enough.

CBSSports.com already has reported that the Bears will make a strong bid to acquire Garoppolo. If Chicago is willing to give up the third overall pick in the draft, it would prove that the price is rarely too high if a team believes it has its guy.

Garoppolo has a ton of leverage in this possible deal. No team will trade for him if he does not agree to a contract extension. Brock Osweiler’s tale could be a cautionary one. As Peyton Manning’s backup, Osweiler had some success in 2015 in Denver. Houston gave him $72 million for four years — $37 million guaranteed. For that money, Osweiler produced 15 touchdowns with 16 interceptions, an 8-6 record and a playoff appearance.

Garoppolo might want not warrant that large a deal, but it won’t be far off.

The argument against Garoppolo? Belichick has made a living of grooming quarterbacks and letting them go when he had a replacement. Names such as Matt Cassel, Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett come to mind. None had sustained, long-term success after he got a chance with other teams.

But it’s also true that Belichick has never drafted a quarterback as high as he did in 2014 in the second round with Garoppolo, who is now 25.

If the Browns decide Garoppolo’s the guy, he could be the guy for a long time. On the other hand, the draftees Cleveland could take might not be ready to start until they’re 25 as well.

Given all this, there should be no hesitation to deal the 12th pick.

With a trade, the Browns could draft a Myles Garrett or Jonathan Allen first, and their first round would net them a top defensive player and a guy they believe could be their quarterback. The rest of the draft could fortify the roster.

It would be nice if the Browns could acquire Garoppolo for the first pick in the second round. That deal would be a no-brainer, but it doesn’t seem realistic given the premium on the quarterback position.

The Browns at some point have to take a shot at a quarterback. Garoppolo is this year’s “it” guy. It will take a lot to get him and to pay him.

If the Browns decide Garoppolo is their guy, if they believe he is the answer, there is no reason not to give up the 12th pick to get him.

Soccer

Rampant Paris Saint-Germain obliterates Barcelona in historic win

Barcelona made history Tuesday, but there won’t be any plaques at the Camp Nou to commemorate this record.

The Blaugrana were eviscerated by Paris Saint-Germain, the French side battering Luis Enrique’s men in every facet of the game to claim an astonishing 4-0 victory in the opening leg of the heavyweight Round of 16 encounter.

Related – Watch: Di Maria, PSG pile misery onto Barcelona with another beauty

The crushing setback equals Barcelona’s record for the heaviest defeat ever suffered by the Catalan side in European competition.

More to come.

NFL

How Victor Cruz became a Giants legend in such a short period of time

It all happened so quickly. Victor Cruz burst onto the scene and, before you knew it, was among the league’s top playmakers. From blowing away Rex Ryan in a preseason game to catching a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl, it was a meteoric rise and subsequent fall.

As quickly as many realized Cruz’s brilliance as a jitterbug slot receiver was real, it was gone. With one leap in the corner of the end zone in Philadelphia during the 2014 season, his New York Giants career was torn to shreds.

Cruz, 30, was cut on Monday because, truth be told, the Giants aren’t convinced he can still play at a high level. The days when he was one of the best players on the field are gone.

Cruz had one Pro Bowl season. He had two 1,000-yard seasons. His best year was his breakthrough campaign in 2011, which began with his first career catch and ended with 1,500-plus yards in the regular season, a Super Bowl ring and a trademark salsa in the big game.

To Giants fans and teammate Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz’s end zone salsa dances were picture perfect. Andrew Dieb/Icon Sportswire

Cruz’s star was never brighter than following that magical season, which made him a pitchman, author, fashion aficionado and celebrity. After a solid 2012 and less impressive 2013 … poof, it was over. He was ruined by a knee injury followed by a calf injury. The best of Victor Cruz, hometown kid done well, was over.

The totality of it is seven seasons with the Giants. Only two of those years were at a Pro Bowl level. Cruz’s career numbers (303 catches, 4,549 yards and 25 touchdowns) are comparable to what Odell Beckham Jr. has done in his first three professional seasons. They’re almost identical to those of his former partner in crime Hakeem Nicks (318 catches, 4,676 yards and 27 touchdowns) and pale in comparison to what Amani Toomer produced.

Somehow, it doesn’t seem to matter. With the perfect mix of timing, personality and performance, Cruz managed to become and remain a Giants legend despite such a limited (three years at the most) window of success.

“Victor is one of the great stories of the National Football League,” general manager Jerry Reese said in a statement after Cruz’s release. “He came in here and earned everything that he’s gotten. It has been amazing to see him grow from an undrafted free agent to a Pro Bowl player and one of our go-to guys during the Super Bowl XLVI run. He will always be one of the great Giants.”

Underdog story

A lot of it has to do with the story of Victor Cruz, which has at this point been told 10,000 times over. He’s a local kid (from Paterson, New Jersey) who almost flunked out of UMass. He came to the Giants as an unknown undrafted free agent and was a long shot to make the roster.

He immediately caught the attention of the Giants and their fans. And then Rex Ryan.

“I don’t know who No. 3 is, but holy sh–,” Ryan said after Cruz torched the New York Jets for six catches for 146 yards and three touchdowns in his first preseason game.

That was 2010, his rookie year. During the season, Cruz rarely saw the field. It was 2011 when he exploded for 82 receptions for 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns.

But it was more than his production that made him an ideal candidate for superstardom.

It was … everything.

The memorable plays

It wasn’t just what Cruz did. It was how and when he did it. Perhaps the biggest play of the 2011 season (and Cruz’s career) was a 99-yard touchdown, with the Giants trailing the Jets on Christmas Eve. It put the Giants in the lead and propelled them into a Super Bowl run.

Just over a month later, Cruz was dancing in the end zone at the Super Bowl, capping a season filled with big plays. Cruz had a mind-boggling 25 receptions of 20-plus yards that year. He never topped 12 in any other season.

But his flair for the jaw-dropper (see his jump cut vs. the Texans in 2014) or the dramatic (see his game-winning touchdown in Week 1 this past season after missing most of the previous two years) defines Cruz. There always seemed to be something special with that smile, the way he handled himself and the way he made everyone seem as if they were his closest friend. It left indelible memories with the fan base, teammates and the entire organization.

Nobody did it with a smile on his face quite like Cruz.

The personality and being a Jersey kid

Some players just resonate with the fans and the city.

“Cruuuuuuz,” Giants fans chanted after almost every catch.

He had his own chant. He had his own dance. He had his own first-down celebration and unique style.

Cruz came along in the right place at the right time. He has a made-for-TV smile that rarely escapes his face and seemingly welcomes the camera. He has the ability to play to all ages, races, colors and genders. He’s chic, stylish and cool. He has the salsa and he’s from Paterson.

“Paterson with one T,” they like to say. If you’re from there or from New Jersey, you know that.

That matters to many Giants fans. Cruz was an underdog. Their underdog.

Cruz’s fans knew that. They knew where he came from, how he reached the top and did it all while remaining one of them. This may be his most distinctive talent.

All these factors made Cruz a fan favorite, and will help keep him a fan favorite. As he leaves following a seven-year run during which he averaged fewer than four touchdowns per season, Cruz remains a legend beyond what Nicks, Toomer or Plaxico Burress could ever achieve. That alone proves he really was something special.

Soccer

Watch: Aubameyang caps off poor display with penalty miss

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang outdid himself, just when it seemed things couldn’t get worse for the Borussia Dortmund striker.

After missing a series of close-range chances before Benfica grabbed the lead, Aubameyang had a chance to get his side back into the contest after being trusted with taking a penalty shortly after halftime.

But staying true to his poor form throughout the contest, Aubameyang unleashed a dreadful penalty in which Benfica netminder Ederson Moraes easily turned away to help his side retain the first-leg advantage.

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Soccer