1) There are lots of folks who seem to be more Brady fans than patriot fans. One poster suggests that the patriots would be the black hole of the NFL if Brady were to be pushed out. Another would root for Brady to beat the patriots badly. That same poster would root for Brady even if he were a jet. One says that he is a football fan first and a patriot fan second, but seems to really mean a Brady fan second.
2) I will simply state my personal opinion. I was not a fan in 1960 as some here have been. I'm a newcomer (1979; I didn't experience 1976 as a patriot fan. But I am a PATRIOT fan first. I have been royally pi$$ed when several players went including Milloy, Law, and Seymour. But I recall the team before Kraft. I recall the Toilet Bowl. I recall experiences bad coaching for real, and bad drafting for real. Now we win 10 game every year, and tie or win the division every year. We are truly spoiled. There is no team with this kind of success. I understand that some would prefer a different kind of team, one where boom or bust was acceptable. That just isn't the way Kraft runs a team. And yes, I would also root for the patriots if we were a boom or bust team.
If Brady leaves, I will mourn his loss. Many HOF quarterbacks did not play their last game for their primary team. However, the team will move on, and I will root for the patriots for the next game, perhaps not with great enthusiasm for a couple of games (as when Milloy was fired), but root for my team just the same.
3) Brady fans seem to think that the team should fold for 2-3 years after Brady goes and Belichick shouldn't sign anyone on the off chance that Brady is not available for a game or a season. For them, it just doesn't matter because we will lose if Brady isn't here, so why bother having a top backup. belichick has a different approach. He wants to have a backup in case Brady goes down. And he now 3 times invested a top draft choice in a position that he considers important: backup quarterback. I presume that many of you don't bother with insurance since you just won't get sick.
For me Garapollo is the replacement for our last backup quarterback who was in his contract year. OBVIOUSLY, if Brady stays healthy both Brady and Polo will finish their contracts at the same time. Maybe Polo will be re-signed as a backup or starter, or not.
Belichick has NOT replaced Brady. Backup QB is an important position. It is good to have a backup who can step in when your QB is injured. Folks here seem to want Brady to be replaced by the #1 draft choice. That is an Indy gambit, not something that Kraft would do. IMHO, Kraft has no intention of ever having the first pick in the draft. I don't know what would make folks think that he would let that happen.
BOTTOM LINE
Brady is our HOF quarterback (just like his hero Montana). He is our hero. We root for him. And when he goes, another QB will replace him and we will root for him.
And just BTW, many, many fans rooted for Bledsoe (including Kraft who considered him like a son) and switched allegiances when he went.
