Robert Kraft says Jimmy Garoppolo is ‘disaster insurance’
In an interview with NFL Network, Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, spoke “highly” of his franchises supposed quarterback of the future in Jimmy Garoppolo.
On @nflnetwork, #Patriots owner Robert Kraft says Jimmy Garoppolo is “disaster insurance.” Says he hopes he won’t play for a “long time”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 30, 2014
Here are his exact words on the matter, so there is no confusion.
“You know in any business you always need disaster insurance that’s the most important thing, and now we have a young man that I hope he’s as good as everyone feels.”
What Kraft is basically saying is that in no time should we see Tom Brady step down from the mantle, handing the keys over the Garoppolo, Ryan Mallet, or whoever the Patriots have in line to succeed the three-time Super Bowl champion when his time in the NFL comes to a close. And if Gorappolo does manage to get playing time it’ll be due to injury to whomever is ahead of him on the depth chart.
Call it damage control, but between Brady and Kraft, the two aren’t giving the Patriots quarterback position any breathing room following the drafting of the 22-year-old Eastern Illinois quarterback in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
“From my point of view, and I think for my organization, we believe that Tom has a lot of play left,” said Kraft during the interview. “The way that he takes care of his body, the way he eats, the way he plays, the way he trains.”
In an interview with Peter King of the Monday Morning Quarterback, Brady spoke words similar to Kraft’s comment.
“It’s hard to explain this to people, but the commitment I make, in terms of keeping my body in shape and my nutrition right, should make me healthy. I feel better today than when I was 25, and I know that’s hard for people to believe, but I do. I work at it. Basically, I work all off-season to prepare my body to not get hurt. I can’t help the team if I’m on the sidelines. I’ve got to be durable.”
There has been lots of talk on Brady’s decline and while he isn’t the same quarterback skill wise from 2007 which some like to choose as his peak season, Brady has still shown enough on the field to be referred to as a top-5 quarterback. Just last season, making due with a receiving core that went without Danny Amendola, Rob Gronkowski, Kendall Thompkins, and Aaron Dobson for a large chuck of time, Brady threw for 4343 yards, his lowest amount since the 2010 season, 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Not bad for a quarterback who is 36 years old.