3-Wide: How will Jimmy Garoppolo fare during Tom Brady's suspension?
3-Wide is a weekly feature in which theScore's NFL editors debate the hot topics around the league. Grab a cold towel and brace for hot takes.
How will Jimmy Garoppolo fare during Tom Brady's suspension?
David P. Woods: Assuming Brady actually misses the first four games of the season (which is no sure thing considering the possibility he's granted an injunction while his legal battle plays out), it's impossible to imagine the Patriots going 0-4. After all, Bill Belichick coached the Pats to an 11-5 record with Brady out hurt for the entire season in 2008. Can Garoppolo be much worse than Matt Cassel? 2-2 sounds reasonable to me. Wins over Jacksonville and Buffalo and losses against Pittsburgh and Dallas.
Michael Amato: Losing Brady is unquestionably a significant blow, but never underestimate a Bill Belichick-coached team. The Patriots can easily still go 3-1 based on their opponents in the first four weeks. Pittsburgh won't have Le'Veon Bell on opening night and then New England heads to Buffalo, where they almost never lose. It's not going to make a monumental effort to beat the Jags, but the Cowboys will be a tough test. Securing three wins during that stretch is a definite possibility.
Dan Wilkins: The Patriots may have been impressed with the strides Garoppolo made toward the end of his rookie season, but stepping in for a future Hall of Famer presents an entirely different situation that the second-year pro may not be ready for. With plenty of weaknesses elsewhere on the roster, particularly in the defensive backfield, the Patriots are simply not a contender without Tom Brady under center. New England will go 1-3 with Garoppolo at the helm.
Which Seahawks player is most likely to get a new contract before the season?
These answers were provided before reports emerged of Russell Wilson agreeing to a four-year, $87.6-million extension with the Seahawks.
Amato: The most likely candidate is Bobby Wagner, but the most pressing concern has to be Kam Chancellor. With Thursday's report that Chancellor is holding out of camp and with the news that Earl Thomas may not be ready for Week 1, the Seahawks can't afford to have a scenario where they both weren't in the lineup.
Wilkins: Russell Wilson is the most deserving player because of both the position he plays and the value he has to the club long-term, but that doesn't make him the most likely to receive a new deal. With the Seahawks having the option to use the franchise tag on Wilson for each of the next two years, temporarily avoiding a contract that impacts their ability to spend elsewhere on the roster, look for Bobby Wagner to sign first. He's long proven himself to be one of the NFL's best linebackers, and his deal would be far easier to construct than Wilson's.
Woods: It won't be Kam Chancellor or Michael Bennett unless the "new contract" is a tony financial Band-Aid. The Seahawks made a significant error in caving to Marshawn Lynch's holdout demands and now they are paying for it by watching their key veterans demand raises one by one. General manager John Schneider should reassert his old policy of not negotiating with players in the middle of their contracts. Chancellor and Bennett will have to live with their current deals. Wagner gets the first extension because his is essential and relatively uncomplicated. Then Russell Wilson.
Which team has the best throwback jerseys?
Wilkins: While the Patriots will be the team everyone loves to hate for a long time to come, there's no denying that their throwback look - red uniforms and white helmets - are about as good as it gets in the NFL. It would be no surprise to see New England go back to a similar look if they ever decided to make a change.
Amato: Although they were just released, Miami's jerseys based on the 1966 design look sharp. I wasn't a fan of the recent change to their uniforms and the logo on their helmet lacked character. Reviving the Dolphin that is wearing a helmet is a much better look.
Woods: I'm one of the few people who appreciates the Steelers' bumblebee throwbacks, but I can't in good conscience call them the best in the NFL. I would pick the Chargers, but they stopped wearing their wonderful powder blue throwbacks and now wear a modernized power blue alternate that lacks the charm of the originals. It's a tough call, but I'll say the Eagles have the best throwbacks. Kelly green just looks so good under the fall sun.
