Bill Belichick---Firestarter

BradyFTW! said:

If it was a different player, I could maybe get on board with it. But this is Tom Brady - he doesn't need a rookie pushing for his job to get motivated.

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I guess I should have made it clearer in the OP, he doesn't need any motivation I just think he will use it that way.

Sanchez and Johnny Football might need to find that fire. Brady is likely the best prepared and hardest working player on the Pats. He was figuring out what needed to be done in OTAs well before they started. This is not a guy that needs some blatant motivational trick that only those with less developed brains would find motivational.

Only the Pats need to figure out the depth chart as he is #1 and the rest will fill in the bottom rungs of the ladder. It is seriously unlikely they will either outplay or outwork him at this point in his career. The fight is for #2, unless there are only 2 QBs on the roster.

At first, I was really down on the Garopollo pick because I thought it was too early for us to draft a QB to be the heir apparent to Brady. Then I realized that Belichick did not draft Garopollo to replace Tom Brady, he drafted him because he values depth and wants to make sure he has a good backup at the most important position, and if that means using a pick every 3-4 years in the second or third round that is what he is willing to do. The draft pick may seem like a heavy investment but in reality what he invests in the draft he saves against his cap by only paying a rookie contract to a good backup QB. Compare that to other teams who pay their veteran backups –

-Matt Moore $4M (Miami)
-Matt Hasselbeck $4M (Indy)
-Ryan Fitzpatrick $3.6M (Houston)

That is just naming a few there are a lot more look at the over the cap list if you want to see the rest.

Over the next 3-4 years Garopollo will be a low cost backup who they believe can help them win if need be, if he shows well in the preseason they may consider trading him if they can get a large return on their investment. I do not think he is the heir apparent to Brady, I think you will see that player in 2016 or 2017 and it will be a player that has the skill set and attributes to run an offense the way Brady did. In my opinion that QB will be Christian Hackenberg.

I posted this in the wrong thread:http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...g-3-qbs-i-say-cut-trade-mallet.1110037/page-5

Brady still has 4 years left on his contract. Garrapolo will get a 4 year deal and being a second Rder he won't have a 5th year option, like Mallet. So if Brady plays pretty much every snap the next 4 years and Jimmy's still here to become a FA, is it possible he signs somewhere else as a FA?

Of course it's possible. For everyone touting him as being groomed as Brady's successor hold your horses. He might just be the bridge to the REAL next guy. Unless Brady up and retires before his contract is thru, which I sincerely doubt, Jimmy is Mallets successor. And that's it. I believe the next full-time starting QB for your NE Patriots is not yet in the NFL. Just my humble opinion.

Brady6 said:

In my opinion that QB will be Christian Hackenberg.

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I agree with everything you said but this. You may be getting a teeny little ahead of yourself. Draft hangover Brady6? If your still pumping out 6-7 thousand posts a year by 2017 I'll be sure to call you out on this (yeah right).

OhExaulted1 said:

I agree with everything you said but this. You may be getting a teeny little ahead of yourself. Draft hangover Brady6? If your still pumping out 6-7 thousand posts a year by 2017 I'll be sure to call you out on this (yeah right).

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I'm way ahead of myself

BB always does what is best for the team. Brady will be 41 in four years. If he is better than his backup by a decent margin. He stays if he wants. He has surgery after every offseason, most likely plays hurt every season. 41 is an old QB. If JG develops and has what it takes, he gets the big contract. If he does not show franchise material in two years, they try again. Brady will take the QB competition like he does every year. Fierce and helpful. We would not draft a QB in the second round just to have a decent backup. We could get that in Free Agency. This kid is going to get a shot for the heir apparent. We will see

Ivan said:

I agree, he doesn't need that motivation, but that doesn't mean he won't run with it, and that is exactly what I see happening. Until now Brady knew that he was the man, period, no one was taking his job any time soon, and while i still don't think anyone is taking his job anytime soon i think he will take both using a 2nd on a Qb and Belichick's comments about planning for the future as motivation to once again prove he is the best.

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Brady is the man, period, and no one is taking his job any time soon.

They drafted a backup with a late 2nd round pick. If they're willing to repeatedly spend early 2nds on CB's and safeties that don't pan out, is it so awful to spend them on the most important position, worth three of any other position? Because it sure makes sense to me.

Besides, football is entertainment, the preseason can drag, but little is more exciting in the preseason that watching a new young QB spread his wings. Relax and enjoy the show. I know I will.

JMC00 said:

That's weird. Because Gronk has showed that he can be relied on to play a full season as much as he hasn't.

Or did you forget he played in every game his first two seasons?

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But, but, but...he got injured! And I had him in on my fantasy team!

Seems as though folks are overthinking this a bit, BB and crew are preparing for a a Brady afterlife, when it is time for him to move on from an active role, they will be prepared and not scrambling for a back up. This may or may not be Grappolo, if not they will do the same thing next year.

Many great franchises have suffered when their "great" quarterbacks have retired and they have tried to just plug in a "jag", Jeff Garcia comes to mind.

Ivan said:

I guess I should have made it clearer in the OP, he doesn't need any motivation I just think he will use it that way.

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I think Tom will psych himself up using the rook. Really competitive guys like Tom & Rodney Harrison are not above knowingly creating situations to help them enhance their focus on the goal.

PatsWickedPissah said:

I think Tom will psych himself up using the rook. Really competitive guys like Tom & Rodney Harrison are not above knowingly creating situations to help them enhance their focus on the goal.

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Right, sorta like when I joined this site, you knew you had to pick up your posting.

scott99 said:

You make a very good point. Brady says he still has a chip on his shoulder, and plays every game like someone can take his job. Only problem is that the team didn't do much to help Brady in the offseason and draft.

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The Pats didn't do much for Brady? They grabbed multiple OLinemen and WRs in the draft and free agency.

He still isn't in the position to have anyone take his job, but that day is getting closer.

I agree that Tom doesn't need any additional motivation, he's recently been criticized for being too pumped for his on field reactions, his teammates talk about what an off field competitor he is winning the prized parking space award & gotta win at dominoes, etc.

BUT, I always looked forward to how creative Rodney Harrison was working himself into a foam-in-the-mouth rage by the "lack of respect of the week" he'd found from the media or the other team.

Seacoast Fan said:

Right, sorta like when I joined this site, you knew you had to pick up your posting.

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Let me know when your new Michael Sam jersey arrives!

MrNathanDrake said:

they drafted 3 Olinemen to help Brady out + Brandon LaFell and re-signing Edelman

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Yeah I'm sure Lafell instills fear in DBs.

MrNathanDrake said:

They really need to do something at TE still tho. Dustin Keller maybe?

Gronk can't be relied on to last 16 games. We've seen this the past 3 years.

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Either they think they're all set at TE or they're going to a less TE influenced passing game. There's also the possibility that they have someone ready to step in that we aren't thinking about.

I snapped these photos of Brady the night Garoppolo was picked: