The New England Patriots locked up the potential heir apparent to Tom Brady by agreeing to terms with second round pick Jimmy Garoppolo to a four-year deal on Monday.

The Patriots surprised many during May’s 2014 NFL Draft with the selection of the former Eastern Illinois quarterback with the No. 62 overall pick, the highest the Patriots have taken a quarterback since the team drafted Drew Bledsoe first overall in the 1993 NFL Draft.

Brady has made it perfectly clear that he is not thinking about retiring any time soon so if Garoppolo is to be the starting quarterback for the Patriots, he better be patient as it could be three-five years before Brady is ready to walk away from the NFL and start the countdown on his induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

With Ryan Mallett a potential trade target and scheduled to hit free agency in 2015, Garoppolo could be one play away from seeing action in a meaningful game in a year if Mallett is traded as it what is widely expected to happen prior to him testing free agency. Although, the Patriots are hopeful Garoppolo won’t have to see the field for a “long, long time.”

That would be the best thing to happen for Garoppolo as well as he can watch and learn from one of the best quarterbacks of all-time in Brady and one of the best head coaches of all-time in Bill Belichick and when he does take the field with the Patriots or elsewhere, will be ahead of the curve and mentally equipped to take on the challenges of the NFL.

Garoppolo had one of the quickest released in the draft this year and was even mentioned as a possible late-first round pick in the days and weeks leading up to the draft after a successful career with Eastern Illinois and showing well in offseason games and workouts.