New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has hinted that the club may have chosen the successor to quarterback Tom Brady by selecting Jimmy Garoppolo in the 2014 Draft.
The Patriots picked Garappolo 62nd overall, their highest pick on a signal caller since Belichick became head coach in 2000, which could pave the way for the Eastern Illinois man to replace Brady when his contract expires in 2017.
He told reporters: "The situation we have at quarterback, I think that we felt as an organisation that we needed to address that to some degree in the future. I think you're better off being early rather than late at that position.
"We know what Ryan's [Mallett] contract situation is, we know what Tom's age and contract situation is, and I don't think you want to have one quarterback on your team. I don't think that's responsible to the entire team or the organisation."
The Patriots selected defensive lineman Dominique Easley with their first-round pick in the 2014 Draft.