The New England Patriots did something very uncharacteristic of themselves in this NFL Draft and took a quarterback early despite having Tom Brady and Ryan Mallett on the roster. Jimmy Garoppolo signed on and was immediately thought to be the heir of the Brady throne. However, Mallett was still on the roster and a very capable backup. After playing an extended around of time in the preseason, it appears Garoppolo will indeed be the future of the franchise.
Right now, Brady sits at the top of the Patriots depth chart with Mallett in second and Garoppolo in third, but that could soon change. In the team's first preseason game, Mallett went 5 of 12 for 55 yards while Garoppolo went 8 of 12 for 142 yards and a touchdown. That is a pretty solid stat line from the rookie and could earn him a jump in rankings before training camp is over.
According to ESPNBoston.com reporter Mike Reiss, there is growing belief that Garoppolo will be the permanent backup when the season begins. Reiss writes that the Patriots coaching staff was very impressed with the progress of the rookie, praising his release, accuracy and decision making skills. All of this is happening while Mallett is in a contract year.
"When players and coaches review the film and see a rookie at that position making that type of effort and being ripped out of the pile by opponents, it can only yield one reaction: Instant respect. Playing quarterback in the NFL requires so many different things, and one of them is leading in a way that makes others want to follow them; Garoppolo's presence has stood out to me in that regard, with Thursday night's effort further reinforcing it," Reiss wrote.
There is a chance that Mallett could be traded, but there is a very small chance that any team even makes a deal at this point in training camp. The backup quarterback will likely head to free agency. In his NFL career, Mallett has tossed four pass, completing one throw for 17 yards. Those stats do not garner much attention.
Meanwhile, the Patriots are still waiting for a wide receiver to step up. Josh Boyce struggled liking up wrong on the field. Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman did not play while Brandon LaFell had just two catches for 16 yards. Boyce was second in receiving, but his mistakes in other areas is raising a few eyebrows.
