The New England Patriots raised a lot of eyebrows when they used their second-round draft pick to grab former Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The team already has franchise star and future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady and quality backup Ryan Mallett. So why waste the 62nd draft pick on a rookie quarterback?
The Boston Herald reports that the Patriots are favoring Garoppolo as the future of the franchise over Mallet despite the later having been with the team for two years now. The rookie has only gone through one minicamp in a Patriots' uniform, but New England's interest in the quarterback started well before taking him in the second round. The team was so impressed by the Eastern Illinois standout that they felt taking him as early as possible was the best move to make.
The Herald continues to report that the Patriots see a lot of Brady in Garoppolo, especially in the way he throws the ball around. Former NFL Quarterback and current throwing coach to Garoppolo, noted that that the rookie has very similar mechanics to Brady. They both have the same delivery motion and throw the ball with a mirroring zip. It is those sort of things that attracted New England to the quarterback who flew under the radar for most of the draft. Head coach Bill Belichick stopped short of saying where the rookie fell on the depth chart, only nothing that he liked what he saw in the brief period of time.
All of this likely means the end of Mallett in New England. The backup quarterback is entering the final year of his contract and has plenty of interest surrounding him. There are still teams calling about a trade for Mallett who has yet to throw a pass in an NFL game, but has some of the highest stock in the league. The Houston Texans are still keeping the door open for deal.
The Patriots will not release Mallett. If anything, they will simply let his contract run out at the end of the season and let him head elsewhere. His value will still be just as high barring any sort of unexpected event. Ato ne point Mallett looked poised to be Brady's successor, but Garoppolo gave a solid first impression and if Mallet remains on the roster for the year, he is not expected to return.
