Tom Brady Suspension Gives Sneak Peek into Jimmy Garoppolo Era for Patriots

Things are coming full circle for the New England Patriots. Fourteen years ago, young second-year quarterback Tom Brady got his shot to prove himself when the face of the franchise, Drew Bledsoe, was knocked out of the game by a huge hit from New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis. Now, young second-year passer Jimmy Garoppolo will get his shot to show his worth now that Brady has been knocked out of the first four games of the season by a huge hit from the New York offices of the NFL. 

The Patriots drafted Garoppolo in the second round in 2014 as an insurance policy to Brady. They couldn't have envisioned they would need to call on his services this quickly. This is certainly not the end of the Brady era for New England, but the first four games of the 2015 season will give us a look into the beginning of the Garoppolo era. 

And rest assured, it's coming. What, you expect Brady to be throwing the ball with the same accuracy and hanging tough in the pocket at 50 years old? The end is coming, whether it's a year or two (or three or four or five) down the road. 

The Garoppolo era will probably get started in much the same way as the Brady era: Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will draw up game plans that are suited to Garoppolo's strengths, and that can also mask some of his deficiencies. They won't ask him to do too much heavy lifting in their offense and will let him thrive as a game manager until he gets his sea legs.

Make no mistake; Garoppolo has the talent to be much more than a "game manager," as noted by NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah:

None of this is to imply that being a game manager is a bad thing—just the opposite. A game manager could qualify as a top-10 quarterback, given the current landscape of that group.

Whether you call Garoppolo a game manager or something else, you can expect to see a lot of the running game. New England has gotten away from the running game in recent years. From 2007-2010, the Patriots had a ratio of 55.3 percent pass plays and 44.7 percent run plays; from 2011-2014, that ratio has tipped to 58.3 percent pass plays and 41.7 percent run plays. 

McDaniels played an integral role in Matt Cassel's strong performance as Brady's fill-in after a torn ACL took Brady out in Week 1 of the 2008 season. That year, the Patriots finished the season ranked fourth in rushing attempts, sixth in rushing yards, seventh in yards per rush attempt and fourth in team rushing touchdowns. 

NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks highlighted the different ways in which the Patriots can "bludgeon" opponents with the running game:

"

The threat of pounding the ball out of "12" (1 RB, 2 TEs, 2 WRs), "13" (1 RB, 3 TEs, 1 WR) and "22" (2 RBs, 2 TEs, 1 WR) formations will force opponents to employ more single-high-safety looks, creating one-on-one opportunities on the outside. This will help Garoppolo rack up completions on high-percentage throws on early downs. Most importantly, the presence of a strong running game will help the Patriots stay ahead of the chains and keep the young quarterback from facing the exotic blitzes that accompany long-yardage situations.

"

The Patriots have fortified the depth chart at the tight end position this offseason by adding veteran Scott Chandler as an unrestricted free agent, selecting Arkansas tight end A.J. Derby in the 2015 NFL draft and signing street free-agent Fred Davis. Of those three additions, though, Chandler is the most likely to pair with Rob Gronkowski as an in-line blocking tight end who can also present the threat of a pass.

That's a key in the 12 personnel grouping. With Chandler and Gronkowski, the Patriots have two tight ends who can both block and catch passes, which would give Garoppolo some flexibility when it comes to checking to a pass or a run against certain looks—assuming, of course, that the coaching staff would even afford him that luxury.

The Patriots will mold the offense to his strengths, but as far as simplifying things, Garoppolo shouldn't hold out much hope. 

"There's not much simplifying," he said last year. "You've got to know what you've got to know."

As far as accentuating his strengths, the best thing the Patriots coaches can do for him is allow him to throw in rhythm. He doesn't have a huge arm, but he can get the ball where it needs to be. What he does have, however, is a quick release and good footwork in the pocket. We should see him on a lot of three-step drops throwing slants over the middle and hooks on the outside, screens to his wide receivers and play-action passes. 

None of that is breaking news, though, as the Patriots have employed those concepts and routes in their offense for years. Brady had the sixth-highest percentage of play-action pass attempts, according to Pro Football Focus, and the play-action passing game may be an even bigger part of the Patriots offense this year if they focus on the running game as much as they should.

There may be some limitations with Garoppolo at first; as mentioned, he doesn't have a huge arm, though he can push the ball downfield, and he also doesn't have the command of the offense that would allow him to make the kind of checks at the line that Brady makes. That being said, do not write him off as a limited quarterback simply by virtue of what he does while (or if) Brady is suspended.

Whatever we see from Garoppolo at the beginning will only be an appetizer of what he can do. If Patriots fans are lucky, the main course won't come for another couple of years at least.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand.