New England Patriots: Expectations for Jimmy Garoppolo

According to NFL.com’s Marc Sessler, the New England Patriots have begun the process of giving second year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo practice reps with the team’s starters. Being that superstar passer Tom Brady is slated to miss the first four games of the season due to his involvement in the Deflate Gate scandal, it makes sense to see how Garoppolo can perform with the first team. That being said, how will Garoppolo fare during his first significant playing time of his career and what are realistic expectations for the 23 year-old?

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Nobody expects Garoppolo to set the world on fire and make people forget about Tom Brady. All Jimmy Garoppolo has to do is hold down the fort and keep the Patriots’ offense moving efficiently until Brady comes back. Judging by his preseason work last year, I think Garoppolo is more than capable of filling this role. I understand that preseason performances should be taken with a grain of salt, but I was impressed with Garoppolo’s arm strength, mobility, and he was fairly accurate on his touch passes back in 2014.

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Above all else, I think Garoppolo is a perfect fit for New England’s offense because he makes quick and accurate decisions with the football. From my vantage point, Jimmy Garoppolo can quickly scan the field, process information, and deliver the football to an open target with great efficiency. Of Garoppolo’s 79 preseason pass attempts in 2014, only one was intercepted. Time will tell whether or not Garoppolo can transfer these skills into the regular season, but his upside seems promising in my opinion.

Rather than expecting Garoppolo to become the next Tom Brady, I think the New England Patriots’ organization would be thrilled to settle for the next Matt Cassel. A former Patriot, Cassel served as Brady’s backup for three seasons before finally getting an opportunity as a full time starter once Brady suffered a season ending knee injury in 2008. In that season, Cassel threw for a career high 3,693 yards and led the Pats to an 11-5 record. Since Garoppolo won’t be asked to fill in for an entire season like Cassel was, I feel that Garoppolo is being placed in a much easier situation with far less pressure.

Also helping Garoppolo’s transition into the starting lineup is the team around him. As the defending Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots are loaded with offensive talent. Between Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, and superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski, Garoppolo couldn’t have hand picked a better receiving trio to start his career with.

All three of these receivers are savvy route runners that have had great success finding the void in opposing defenses. Not to mention, Gronk is widely regarded as the top player at his position because usually wins his one-on-one matchups more often than not.

Jan 10, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens during the 2014 AFC Divisional playoff football game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

As for the New England ground game, the losses of free agent running backs Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley may come back to bite the Patriots, especially if Garoppolo starts to struggle early on. Even though New England’s overall depth in the backfield is not ideal, the bruising LeGarrette Blount returns for another season in Foxborough. In addition to Blount, New England rewarded fourth-year halfback Brandon Bolden with a two year contract extension.

Between Blount and Bolden, the Patriots’ are banking on this duo to keep their offense on schedule. I think this plan can work provided that Garoppolo lives up to his end of the bargain during Brady’s four game absence. It is also worth mentioning that Garoppolo also has an experienced offensive line protecting him. This veteran group features two excellent bookend tackles in Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer.

As is the case with most young quarterbacks, having a great defense is always a bonus because this ensures that Garoppolo will have a higher margin for error. With defensive play makers like Rob Ninkovich, Dont’a Hightower, and Devin McCourty also in the mix, I see no reason why Jimmy Garoppolo can’t succeed in his first stint of meaningful duty in the NFL.

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