Patriots Finally Get a Legitimate Backup QB: Jimmy Garoppolo

We all know that Ryan Mallett is horrible and will never be a starter in the NFL. Also, Tom Brady turns 37 in August so while he's still playing at a very high level and signed through 2017, it's time to start thinking about the future as well since Mallett's contract runs out this year and there are rumors of Houston wanting him. The Pats showed their true intentions tonight in this most important department by using a second-round pick (62nd overall) on Eastern Illinois' Jimmy Garoppolo.

I actually saw him in a couple games since I love watching the FCS playoffs but I'm not going to be able to dissect his game like I'm Mel Kiper or local homeboy Tood McShay. This is what we know: he's relatively big (6-foot-3, 222 pounds), mobile with a good arm and he won the Walter Payton Award (the Heisman for FCS players). I was hoping that the Patriots would select Alabama QB A.J. McCarron and not just so I could ogle that smokeshow Katherine Webb, he seemed like a perfect fit. Still, Garoppolo is intriguing and the good news is that he might only be the third quarterback this season so he has plenty of time to learn the playbook and get used to life in the NFL.

None of us want to admit it or really think about it (for obvious reasons) but at some point, Brady won't be New England's starting quarterback anymore. Odds are that day isn't too far away so the sooner the Patriots address this the better. As I said, the limited amount that we've seen Mallett in the preseason is enough to show that he's a complete stiff. A very poor man's Drew Bledsoe if you will: huge, cannon arm, not mobile at all and really slow to get rid of the ball. Brady and Peyton Manning are the outliers in today's NFL. You need a quarterback these days that can at least move a little bit so in that regard, Garoppolo could be the guy somewhere down the road. Stay tuned.

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Say It with Me Patriots Fans: Value

Objective Patriots fans (an oxymoron) have to say that tonight's first round pick-defensive tackle Dominique Easley (29th overall)- in the 2014 NFL Draft was both a good sign and a bad sign for the team. The fact that New England kept the pick and didn't start its usual frustrating pattern of trading down for mostly buckets of crap was nice as hopefully they have realized that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick won't be around forever. You have to do everything you can to win with them and surround them with plenty of talent to maximize their championship window. Still, did they really have to take a guy with two ACL tears at the University of Florida (to both knees) this high?

If he didn't get hurt, he could have been a mid-first round pick but who were they bidding against now? When he's healthy, Easley can play defensive end and defensive tackle. New England's defensive linemen are either old and recovering from injuries or young scrubs. In the past, Belichick has enjoyed success with former Gators: Aaron Hernandez and Brandon Spikes most recently come to mind, Chad Jackson and Jermaine Cunningham not so much. It Is still scary that Belichick seems to always pick players that were recruited by or played for his close buddies (Nick Saban and Urban Meyer) or Rutgers in college.

The only thing more pointless than mock drafts is draft grades that come out the same night/weekend of the actual event. Who knows anything until these guys actually get to training camp and start playing in preseason games let alone complete a few seasons in the NFL. Until then, we'll just conclude that everyone is perfect. Rounds 2 and 3 are tomorrow night (7, ESPN2) at Radio City Music Hall. For what it's worth, New England has two picks: No. 62 in the second round and No. 93 in the third. I'll eat my hat if they keep both of those as well. Their other most obvious needs are safety, linebacker, tight end, wide receiver and backup quarterback so expect nothing but offensive and defensive linemen.

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