Report: 49ers asked Patriots about Brady before trading for Garoppolo

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch certainly set his sights high in search of finding a new franchise quarterback for his team.

When Lynch originally called the New England Patriots about acquiring backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, he was told that the fourth-year player was off-limits, according to FOX Sports' Jay Glazer.

Lynch then quickly tried to reset the conversation by inquiring about the availability of Tom Brady instead.

Lynch was shot down again, but he seemingly succeeded in redefining "off-limits," eventually acquiring Garoppolo for a 2018 second-round pick in advance of this past Tuesday's trade deadline.