Reviewing New England’s early-season options if indeed Tom Brady’s suspension holds up to start 2015:
1. Jimmy Garoppolo: This is easy. Garoppolo is already on the roster as the backup quarterback, and the Patriots used a second-round pick on the Eastern Illinois product last year for a reason. He presumably knows this offense well, and although he threw only 27 passes as a rookie, Garoppolo completed 70.4 percent of those, with one going for a touchdown. Still, it’ll be a tough test.
2. Matt Flynn: Here’s the safest option to provide insurance for Garoppolo. Flynn has starting experience and is a refined career backup who has been used as a safety net in Green Bay and Seattle (those teams are pretty good). He’s in his prime at 29 and has a solid 85.9 career passer rating.
3. Michael Vick: If the Patriots want a guy with lots of real experience, Vick could be an intriguing option. But that career completion percentage of 56.1 is rather daunting, as is the fact Vick turns 35 in June. If you’re cast aside by the Eagles and Jets, are you good enough for the Pats? That might depend on Garoppolo’s performance this summer.
4. Ryan Lindley: He’s got some starting experience, but Lindley was a disaster in Arizona. He has a career passer rating of 50.3.
5. Tarvaris Jackson: Yes, he was Russell Wilson’s backup, but the 32-year-old has thrown just 14 passes the last three years.
6. Jason Campbell: The 32-year-old wasn’t terrible in Cleveland in 2013 but he’s been cast aside by four teams in as many years. His best days are long gone.
7. Garrett Gilbert: The second-year SMU product is the only other quarterback currently on New England’s roster. He was drafted in the sixth round last year by the St. Louis Rams but didn’t stick and was added to the Pats’ practice squad in December. Problem is he’s never thrown a pass in a regular-season NFL game and he had a passer rating of just 62.4 during the 2014 preseason with St. Louis.
