New England Patriots training camp: Jimmy Garoppolo is struggling
By Dan Zinski
Jimmy Garoppolo was drafted to provide the Patriots with an heir-apparent to Tom Brady, but so far Garoppolo has looked anything but Brady-like. Zuri Berry of Boston.com reports that the rookie QB has struggled so far in his first training camp with New England.
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Berry says that in addition to the usual struggles you expect from rookies, Garoppolo has suffered a series of self-inflicted gaffes. The rookie has fumbled the exchange from center at least three times already in camp, and during Saturday’s session he went full Jake Delhomme, getting picked off three times.
But of course the Patriots are not exactly ready to cut Garoppolo. They are chalking this all up to the usual rookie issues and say they can only judge Garoppolo on whether he is improving. Pats director of player personnel Nick Caserio said:
"Really the most important thing, you want to talk about any player that comes into a new program or new system is kind of learning the way we do things, learning the operation, learn your skill, refine your skill, go out there perform the task, your skill, execute and then move on. Really the most important thing is to try to see the players that are consistent on a day to day basis that make the improvements. Look, there are going to be some good plays, there are going to be some bad plays. That’s football. That’s just the nature of what we’re doing. The idea is to hopefully minimize those and eliminate them the best you can and then continue to move forward."
It’s still way too early to declare Jimmy Garoppolo a bust, but that won’t stop some panicky Patriots fans from whispering that Bill Belichick made a huge mistake by drafting him.
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