The problem is that you haven't painted a very compelling picture. Despite the rhetoric, only two transactions break precedent, Gilmore and Cooks, and neither requires a conspiracy theory to understand. The latter is a rare opportunity to acquire elite young talent at a position NE struggles to hit on in the draft and the former appears to be motivated, in part, by Butler's dispute.
Perhaps more importantly is that they don't even support your thesis. Are these moves Bill going all in? Then why would he neglect an opportunity to strengthen the roster around Tom further? The narrative you've laid out is very inconsistent.
Neither SF or GB are valid comparisons. SF had no cap worries and Rodgers was the starter before the end of his rookie contract.
You can pick apart the idea the Patriots are going "all-in" for Brady. I am not confident enough in my own argument that I'd want to argue back, as you could probably provide compelling counter-argument.s and inconsistencies in my logic. That's fine. It was really just a thought, one of many in my post. The overwhelming idea, though, is that Garopollo will replace Brady as the team's starting quarterback, or at the very least that is a very plausible event that may happen, much moreso than most people on here think, as they seem so intent on trading a player who is more likely than not regarded as a long-term franchise quarterback who fits in great with the Patriots system and is 15 years younger than Brady. I can't emphasize enough this has less to do with Brady - and whether or not his play declines - and more about Garoppollo, his age, and the rare opportunity to find a young, long-term franchise quarterback in the NFL. To think the Patriots can just draft a quarterback any time who can excel in their system is incredibly delusional. From what we have seen (admittedly not that much), Garopollo appears to be very promising...sure there will be a learning curve, but the guy looked really good, poised, made quick decisions, and clearly had the talent. There's a reason teams badly wanted to trade for him, even after watching guys like Cassell, Hoyer, and Mallett bust. Watching Garopollo, even in just six quarters, was as close as we've seen a QB play like Brady in 16 years...and it's not even close. To deny his confidence and poise, even in limited action, seems crazy. He had something like a 120 passer rating against good defenses, without Gronk, and he was able to make quick decisions and go through progressions. He was reading the defense well and throwing decisively and accurately.
In terms of SF and GB being invalid comparisons, of course the situations are not identical, but they do have similarities. In both cases the front office decided to move on from its fan idol quarterback, both of whom were considered among the best whomever played, for backups who were developed for several years, and the FO felt that a transition to the younger player was the right move, and they were right. Farve, before his injury, played at a high level for the Jets and in his first year with the Vikings had a near MVP campaign. Montana led the Chiefs to an AFCCG. They may not have been Brady, but they were not done either, and they were gods among their fanbases.
Am I saying that Brady is Favre/Montana? Of course not. Am I guaranteeing that Garopollo is Rodgers or Young? Definitely not. What I'm saying is there is certainly precedent for teams being successful in moving on from their franchise icon quarterback, even when that player has not yet fallen off a cliff, and there was certainly some shock at how quickly Young and Rodgers stepped in to perform at an elite level, while they had previously been referred to as "backups." Will Jimmy G, be an all-pro, Super Bowl winning QB? I don't claim to know that. I just know the Patriots really like him a lot, he is young, and Tom Brady is 40. From those facts alone, reasonable theories can be inferred and discussed, and some of those theories don't involve maximizing the Tom Brady window at all costs, including giving up a highly valued long-term replacement who may have what it takes to be really darn good for many years. If the Patriots believe Garoppollo is a championship-caliber quarterback, then the math does not favor Brady. That's an inescapable truth.
I would bet my life that the Patriots, from Kraft to Belichick to Caserio, spend a lot of time ruminating about a gigantic decision they'll need to make soon, and that it certainly isn't a simple decisive answer as to how they will proceed. Maybe the 2017 season will make things clearer.
