I'd rather see Brady on opening night, but if the suspension is not lifted, I am quite confident about how the Patriots will do with Garoppolo at the controls. He was quite impressive last season as a rookie. So much so, that no one was unhappy when Ryan Mallett was let go.
Garoppolo has a quick release, can make the throws and will definitely benefit from getting pre-season and regular season snaps with the first unit, if that comes to pass.
The Patriots are going to be one very pi$$ed off team come opening night whether Brady is under center or not. This is a circle the wagons time for a team that just won the Super Bowl. Let's not forget how much talent there is on this team, and how battle-tested they are after last season's ups and downs, and all of the distractions they're having to work through. Make no mistake about it, the Patriots are one very dangerous team coming into 2015.
Bill Belichick knows how to prepare teams for situations like this. With a full summer to prepare for a few games without Brady, I expect that Garoppolo will have the right game plan to execute what he can do well, and his teammates will support him every way they know how.
The defense will be fun to watch unfold as they utilize the speed, depth, youth and aggressiveness that front seven will be able to unleash.
We're all looking forward to seeing what the secondary looks like. There's a big group of defensive backs battling for spots along side Butler, McCourty and Chung. We know that Ryan and Harmon can play, and they're coming into their 3rd year, and the mix of guys they brought in is interesting. Watch to see if CBs Justin Green and Bradley Fletcher can prove that they are over the injuries that short-circuited their time with Dallas and Philadelphia, respectively. Both were promising coming into the NFL.