Patriots 2015 Position Preview: Quarterback
BOSTON (CBS) -- Pretty much every summer since 2002, this story has been a whole lot easier to write. Essentially, there'd be a line about whichever poor soul would wallow on the bench behind Tom Brady, and the rest would lay out expectations for No. 12 on the season.
This year, however, is rather unique.
Of course, the resolution in Brady's case vs. the NFL is still a ways away. It may get resolved before Week 1. Or, the NFLPA may be granted an injunction to at least delay the quarterback's four-game suspension until a federal judge properly decides the case.
So one way or the other, we'll know a lot more about this situation as we get closer to September than we know now. Yet at this moment, there's a lot to cover with regard to the most important position on the field.
Additions
Matt Flynn (FA)
Subtractions
None
Depth Chart
Tom Brady
Jimmy Garoppolo
Matt Flynn
Outlook
It would be interesting to see the alternate universe where "DeflateGate" never happened, or where it was cleared up in a mere matter of days by a competent, straight-thinking commissioner. What would we be talking about in that world?
We'd probably be wondering how Brady could follow up a masterful 2014 season, one that began in disarray but ended with a Super Bowl MVP performance against one of the NFL's all-time defenses.
It would be exceptionally optimistic to say that Brady will have no problems replicating his 4,100-yard, 33 touchdown-to-9-INT performance of last season. That's not to say he can't do it -- he is Tom Brady, after all -- but he'll definitely have to hope for similar luck with regard to the health of his offensive line, receivers and more than anyone else, that big tight end named Gronkowski.
Rob Gronkowski accounted for 26 percent of the team's receiving yards and a staggering 35 percent of the team's touchdown receptions last year in the regular season, and he caught three of Brady's 11 postseason touchdown passes. So long as he has Gronkowski, Brady will be one of the most dangerous passers in the league.
Yet, there remains the possibility of Brady actually having to serve that four-game suspension. Whether that is to start the season, or whether it takes place midseason -- or even late season -- I think a sort of correction of expectations might be in order.
Just about everywhere, even in the deepest, darkest most negative corners of sports talk radio, there remains great, great belief in one Mr. James Garoppolo, as if exceptional quarterbacks grow on trees.
And look, Jimmy G. may turn out to be "the one." Maybe he really is that good, and maybe Bill Belichick and the Patriots truly saw that "something special" in lil' Jimmy's eyes when he was at Eastern Illinois.
But ... has the past 15 years of Brady led to everybody forgetting just how rare it is for a great quarterback to come along? People casually talk about Garoppolo potentially stealing Brady's starting job, as if that's something that could easily happen in just a few shorts weeks.
This is madness.
Look, Jimmy Garoppolo is fine. He was OK as a rookie -- as a backup. The kid threw 27 passes, total. (Brady threw more than 27 passes in all but three games last year.) He threw one touchdown, and he did it by throwing a 7-yard slant to Gronkowski and allowing the monster to barrel his way through four Chiefs defenders who were not all that interested in stopping that behemoth in the fourth quarter of a 41-7 game.
When Garoppolo got real playing time in the second half of Week 17 against the Bills, he went 10-for-17 for 90 yards (5.29 YPA) with no TDs or INTs. He took three sacks, including this one where he didn't know how to get rid of the ball.
This is all not to bash Garoppolo, or to say his career is going nowhere or that he won't end up being a capable NFL quarterback for many years to come. It is simply to say that he is not there yet and there's a better change of him not stealing the starting job than there is of him transforming into Tom Brady Jr.
Thus, if he ends up playing quarterback for a quarter of the season, expectations should be adjusted. It was just two autumns ago when Garoppolo was taking on powerhouses like Towson, Jacksonville State, The University of Tennessee at Martin, Tennessee Tech, Tennessee State and seemingly every other tiny college in the state of Tennessee. Some of these games took place in glorified high school stadiums. The UT Martin game was played in front of 3,167 people. Garoppolo's team won 70-22.
Playing on opening night, in front of 68,000 screaming folks on a banner night as well as millions upon millions watching at home? Playing in Buffalo against last year's No. 3 pass defense and the NFL leaders in sacks, now coached by Rex Ryan, on the road, in Week 2? That's a different story.
Now, Garoppolo may be up to the task. That would really be something. But for the sake of all involved, it would be best to temper expectations. Asking Garoppolo to go 3-1 in his first four NFL starts is not entirely fair or reasonable.
Veteran backup Matt Flynn hasn't been discussed much, because he's likely only on the roster in case Brady does serve the four games. He could spot start if things go south for Garoppolo. But I wouldn't expect Flynn to be the Plan A for Bill Belichick at any point right now.
Read more from Michael Hurley by clicking here. You can email him or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.
