With some down time before training camp we decided to do our first of what should be many looks at the Patriots roster. Today we handle the quarterbacks and we will analyze a different position each day in the coming weeks.
Locks:Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett
Bubble:None
Long shots: None
BREAKDOWN:The entire legal, labor and football worlds await the conclusion of the Deflategate scandal, one that feels like it may never come. But the bigger issue in New England is a more simple one. Will Tom Brady be available to play this September or will the courts uphold his four-game, league-imposed suspension? Other than that, the quarterback depth chart in New England is set in stone. Brady is the living legend in the top spot, showing no signs of slowing down as he approaches his 39th birthday, that a year after leading the NFL with 36 touchdown passes and ranking fourth in the league with a 102.2 rating. Entering his third season Jimmy Garoppolo is clearly entrenched as the backup, though he's yet to prove himself in much game action. If the former second-round pick gets to play in September it could go a long way in determining his future options as a potential NFL starter. Jacoby Brissett is an obvious developmental talent with a strong arm taken with a surprise third-round pick. Unless an injury changes things, the Patriots will keep three quarterbacks on the roster in 2016 after going with just two last fall.
