Ninkovich: Patriots made a mistake trading Garoppolo

The New England Patriots don't make many wrong moves, but one former member of the organization believes they erred when they traded quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers.

With Tom Brady firmly entrenched as the Patriots' starting quarterback and Garoppolo set to become a free agent after the season, the Patriots traded their heir apparent to the West Coast at the trade deadline. All Garoppolo has done since is lead the 49ers to four straight victories.

"I think that was a mistake trading Jimmy because Jimmy's an unbelievable quarterback," Ninkovich said Friday on WEEI, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

"He's a guy that you can build a franchise around. Obviously, he's going to be the franchise guy in San Francisco."

Garoppolo only started two games during the three seasons he shared with Ninkovich in New England. The former linebacker has been watching his former teammate from afar, however.

"I'm not a GM. I don't know the perfect answer here, but it's hard when I see a guy that's really talented," Ninkovich said. "He's accurate. He can move in the pocket. He's smart. He understands how to manage a game and that's what you want in your quarterback is a game manager. He understands the right thing to do in different situations."