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The persistent chatter that the Patriots will try to trade quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in the offseason flows from the presumption that, a year from now, he’ll hit the open market and join another team (possibly, a division rival). But what if that premise is flawed?

Garropolo could decide in 12 months to do a short-term deal that pays him at the top of the backup market (and maybe the bottom of the starter market) in an effort to see just how much longer Tom Brady will choose to stay. For older quarterbacks, the decline can come very, very quickly. For Brady, who turns 40 in August, how many more years does he really have left?

For Garoppolo, who is 25, does it make sense to take $10 million or so for 2018 and 2019 and hope that, come 2020, he’ll be the guy?

There’s one fact that suggests: (1) Garoppolo will know exactly what Brady plans to do; and (2) Garoppolo may be inclined to take less in the interim. He’s represented by the same firm that represents Brady. That firm has over the years signed off on a stream of below-market deals that pay Brady far less than he’s objectively worth. Garoppolo, after spending years studying and interacting with Brady, could decide to approach things the same way

The Patriots of the salary-cap era have managed to identify and cultivate players who will choose to take less in the interests of advancing the greater good. If Garoppolo becomes the heir to Brady’s financial mindset, Garoppolo also could hang around long enough to be the heir to Brady’s throne.