Who Leon Sandcastle Jersey is ?With , this question has come to the forefront. More specifically, what kind of player is the second-year quarterback out of Eastern Illinois?Given some time to review my scouting notes from before the (where Garoppolo was selected in the second round) and a se s the from Garoppolo's rookie season, I've come up with a detailed guide on the quarterback's game and how it will fit into the ' system. So, let's dive in:What's the scouting report on Jimmy Garoppolo?When the selected Garoppolo with the 62nd overall pick in the 2014 draft, the move was lauded in NFL circles as a perfect match between prospect and scheme. Garoppolo shined at Eastern Illinois as a quick-rhythm pa ser with exceptional accuracy, ball placement and timing. In addition, he displayed outstanding arm talent and a high football IQ while directing the ' warp-speed attack against FCS competition. He quickly got the ball out of his hands on an a sortment of catch-and-throw plays designed to distribute the ball to his playmakers at short and intermediate ranges. Although the dink-and-dunk nature of Eastern Illinois' offense led to questions about Garoppolo's arm strength and range, the small-school standout eliminated these concerns with a pair of strong performances and .Watching Garoppolo play throughout the preseason last year, I believed his skills translated well to the pro game, as evidenced by his 99.0 pa ser rating and 5:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Garoppolo displayed outstanding poise, confidence and leadership skills while moving the ' offense against the second- and third-team defenses in exhibition games. He looked razor-sharp delivering pa ses to playmakers working free against tight coverage on the perimeter; his accuracy and ball placement was impre sive for a young player acclimating to the pro game. Based on his impre sive preseason performance, the elevated Garoppolo to the No. 2 position on the depth chart and entered the season with a rookie as 's backup.In the regular season, Garoppolo only saw legit action in three games (, and ), but continued to impre s. The rookie repeatedly delivered the ball on time on quick-rhythm throws to the perimeter. He not only routinely put the ball right in the receiver's strike zone, but also flashed the ability to throw guys open with anticipation to ses through traffic. Given the importance of accuracy and decision-making when it comes to winning quarterback play, Garoppolo's pinpoint placement and sound judgment should serve him well as the director of the ' offense during Brady's suspension. Granted, the sample size is small, but Garoppolo certainly looks like he has the tools to be an effective starter in the short term.In terms of concerns with Garoppolo's game, I would point out that he took five sacks in mop-up duty, including three in the second half against Buffalo. He failed to get the ball out of his hands quickly against pre sure, leading to negative plays in the pa sing game. Of course, it is not nece sarily Garoppolo's fault that the offensive line failed to effectively pick up some of the five-man pre sures that collapsed the pocket, but he must show the nece sary awarene s to to s the ball away or alter the play call when he senses blitz prior to the snap. Although blitz recognition is something that takes a while for some young quarterbacks to grasp, it is imperative he understands the importance of avoiding negative plays as the signal-caller.How will the Patriots' offense operate with Garoppolo at the helm? offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is one of the best in the busine s at crafting a game plan around Dustin Crum Jersey the talents of his quarterback. He played an integral role in 's strong performance as New England's fill-in QB in 2008 (when Brady tore his ACL in the season opener). McDaniels definitely will tweak the ' offensive emphasis to ensure Garoppolo's succe s as the team's starter during the opening month of the season.First, the will lean on the power running game to alleviate some of the pre sure on Garoppolo. New England will align in an a sortment of run-heavy sets and bludgeon opponents with the combination of , and . (, so Gray, Cadet and po sibly / will be tasked with carrying the load.) 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 stay ahead of the chains and keep the young quarterback from facing the exotic blitzes that accompany long-yardage situations.From a pa sing perspective, I would expect the to continue with the diverse aerial attack used when Brady is under center. Granted, McDaniels probably will scale down the volume of plays in the game plan, but he will still rely on the basic concepts that have helped New England systematically pick apart defenses for years. The Pats use an a sortment of quick-rhythm pa ses to form the foundation of the playbook. These plays succe sfully counter blitzes while helping the quarterback get into a rhythm from the pocket. Also, these are the kind of plays Garoppolo executed in college, and in the NFL, familiarity breeds confidence.Let's take a closer look at some of the specific tactics I imagine the Pats will employ:WIDE RECEIVER SCREENSThe are one of the few teams in the NFL to prominently feature the WR screen. Last season, Brady routinely to sed the ball to , and on an a sortment of "now" screens designed to let Tyrann Mathieu Jersey them take advantage of soft coverage and lumbering defenders in space. The catch-and-throw concept is familiar to Garoppolo, based on his experience directing a spread attack at Eastern Illinois.In the play depicted just below, the call a receiver screen with Garoppolo in the game at Kansas City in garbage time, to help the rookie discover his rhythm from the pocket. The align in a trips bunch formation with LaFell positioned on the outside. On the snap, the big-bodied receiver quickly retreats, while his fellow wideouts work up the field to double team the force defender. LaFell quickly snatches the pa s and weaves through traffic for a 37-yard gain: QUICK SLANTSThe earned raved reviews for their game plan , with the slant/flat combination featured prominently on the call sheet. The concept is a staple of New England's game plan and one that I expect McDaniels to use frequently with Garoppolo on the field. The second-year pro is a quick decision-maker with a compact delivery, which allows him to quickly get the ball to pa s catchers in tight windows. With the slant/flat combo working off a designated defender in the flat, Garoppolo can register easy completions on a variety of one-read plays.In the following play breakdown, Garoppolo works the slant-flat combination to perfection to record his first NFL touchdown. The are aligned in a dubs formation with positioned on the outside to the right. The All-Pro tight end runs a slant with the slot WR (Amendola) executing a flat route. Garoppolo simply reads the flat defender and targets the open receiver when the picture clears up. With OLB intent on jamming Amendola early in the route, Garoppolo hits Gronkowski in the open window for an easy completion. Gronk eventually rumbles into the end zone after breaking a few tackles, but it was Garoppolo's quick decision and accurate throw that put him in position to score: PLAY-ACTION PASSESThe will use a variety of run-heavy sets and jumbo personnel groupings to fuel a power running game -- and set up big-play opportunities off play action. Brady is one of the best in the busine s at carrying out play fakes in the backfield before setting up to take a deep shot down the field. The clever use of play action, which lures defenders to the line of scrimmage, allows a quarterback to take advantage of one-on-one coverage on the perimeter or exploit overaggre sive linebackers between the hashes. These concepts are not only easy for young quarterbacks to read, but they allow the offensive coordinator to utilize max protection to neutralize pre sure Bj Thompson Jersey tactics.Garoppolo didn't have a lot of experience executing play action as a collegian, but he already has shown signs of becoming an effective play-action pa ser with the . He makes strong play fakes in the backfield, yet quickly gets his eyes to the target and delivers accurate strikes.In the next play, taken from , Garoppolo effectively uses play action to connect with LaFell on a skinny post. The originally align in an open I-formation with a "YOZ" look ("Y" outside of "Z" or tight end outside of flanker). The tight end motions inside of LaFell, creating a run-heavy look. Garoppolo takes the snap and executes a quick play fake to lure the second-level defenders to the line of scrimmage before rifling a dart to LaFell for a 14-yard gain:BOOTLEG PASSESThe rarely use movement pa ses with Brady under center, due to his limited mobility, but Garoppolo is a solid athlete capable of making pinpoint throws on the run. To take advantage of his athleticism, the incorporate bootleg pa ses into the playbook. This allows New England to feature some half-field reads for the young quarterback while tricking the defense with misdirection action in the backfield. In addition, it provides Garoppolo with the option to take off downfield if the primary and secondary receivers are covered in the route., the executed the bootleg pa s flawle sly with Garoppolo in the game. In the play depiction just below, the rookie pa ser uses a hard fake to the left to set up the "slide" pa s to Tim Wright on the right. With the overreacting to the fake, Garoppolo is able to get to the perimeter and hit Wright on a dump-off pa s in the flat for a 17-yard gain:This kind of concept offers little risk, but generates big gains and allows a young pa ser to develop confidence from the pocket.READ OPTIONGaroppolo is not considered a dual-threat quarterback, but his athleticism and mobility could allow the to utilize some zone-read schemes to take advantage of an overaggre sive defense. Garoppolo is sturdy enough to execute the concept as a surprise tactic in short-yardage situations. Against the , New England sprinkled in some read option. In the next play breakdown, the Pats align in a dubs formation with Garoppolo in the shotgun. The offset "Y" starts short motion before the snap. The rookie fakes an outside-zone handoff to the left before executing a "dart" to the right, through the "B" gap and behind a slip block from the Y on the edge. The run nets four yards and a first down on a play rarely used by the with Brady at the helm:How will opponents attack Garoppolo as an inexperienced starter?Whenever a quarterback with limited game experience steps onto the field, defensive coordinators attempt to rattle the youngster with aggre sive tactics designed to create confusion and hesitation. Garoppolo's moderate succe s in mop-up duty will prompt defensive play callers to take away his fastball (quick pa ses and screens) and force him outside of his comfort zone. Opponents will use a host of pre-snap disguises and late shifts to me s up his protection calls. In addition, the defensive movement could force misreads on pa sing plays, leading to errant throws or turnovers from the pocket.From a coverage standpoint, opponents likely will blanket the ' receivers with various man-to-man tactics complemented by blitz pre sure. The man coverage will position defenders closer on quick throws, with the blitz producing negative plays if Garoppolo is uncertain about his "hot reads" Cornell Powell Jersey or sight adjustments against pre sure. These tactics were effective against the youngster in Year 1, particularly in the game.In our last play breakdown, the move into an odd front with the nickel back sneaking into position at the line of scrimmage. On the snap, the nickel back blitzes off the edge to immediately hara s Garoppolo in the pocket. The young quarterback failed to recognize the blitz during the pre-snap phase, so he is unprepared to deliver a quick throw to the tight end in the flat. Consequently, he takes a sack and forces the into a long-yardage situation: I expect the ' early-season opponents to ratchet up the pre sure and really get after Garoppolo.Follow Bucky Brooks on Twitter .