Welcome back to “NFL’s Believe It or Not.” This week, I will focus on controversial comments from Jimmy Garoppolo, Patrick Peterson, and Ray Farmer.
I will start with recently drafted Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who said, “I haven’t thought about it too much, to be honest,” when he was asked about succeeding Tom Brady in the future. Garoppolo clearly chose to deflect these questions and spare Ryan Mallett’s feelings because there is no way that he isn’t excited about the possibility of replacing Tom Brady in one of the NFL’s most successful organizations. If he isn’t thinking about it, I’m sure the organization is. The Patriots are going to be expecting big things from Garoppolo in the future, as he was selected in the second round with the 62nd overall pick. I just can’t believe Jimmy Garoppolo here, and I’m sure most people don’t believe him either. He will have enormous shoes to fill in a few years, and he better start preparing himself for that moment.
Next up, Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson said, “Got to ask the Cardinals. I mean, I think I am but at the end of the day both sides have to agree to terms and we’ll see what those terms are and hopefully sooner than later,” when he was asked whether he was worth more money than Richard Sherman. Sherman recently received a monster contract from the Seattle Seahawks, worth $56 million for four years. Now, just to clarify, Patrick Peterson didn’t directly go after Sherman and state that he was better than him. The reporters were trying to create an exciting story between players on rival teams, so Peterson can’t fully be blamed for his comments. That being said, he did answer the question and say that he believes that he is a better cornerback than Richard Sherman. He could have deflected the question like Jimmy Garoppolo, but he answered it relatively confidently. Sherman is regarded by many fans as the best cornerback in the league, but Peterson certainly has an interesting case. While his interceptions aren’t on Sherman’s level, his coverage skills are top notch and he was named to his second Pro Bowl last season. Sherman, of course, responded to Peterson via his Twitter account, saying, “Want what I got? Get the stats I got! Least targeted. #opinionvsfact.” We’ll have to see how much money the Cardinals offer to Peterson. Right now, I expect his contract to exceed Richard Sherman’s, and it will be interesting to see how Patrick Peterson responds.
Finally, Browns general manager Ray Farmer recently said, “I would tell the fans that are in panic mode because we didn’t draft a wide receiver that patience really tells the tale. There are plenty of opportunities for us to address what everyone would believe is a need, but in our opinion, there is plenty of opportunity to add players, to change the roster and to really make a difference.” Yes, Ray Farmer, I’m sure the Browns will be able to pick up a bunch of fantastic wide receivers that were not drafted. Farmer had numerous opportunities to take a play making wide receiver in the draft, but he passed every time. Now that wide receiver Josh Gordon will likely be suspended for the season after another failed drug test, Greg Little and Andrew Hawkins will be the Browns’ starters. Farmer knew this before the draft, yet he passed up many opportunities to fix the situation. Sorry, but I don’t see any of these opportunities to change the roster now. Maybe this is why the Browns are seemingly looking for a new general manager every season.
Make sure to leave your own comments on these controversial topics below and come back next Thursday for another edition of “NFL’s Believe It or Not.”
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @alprez96. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter –@LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
For more on sports injuries, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Football fans…check out our two partnered NFL podcasts – Thursday Night Tailgate Radio and Overtime Ireland. Both shows bring you interesting commentary, critical analysis and fantastic guests including former and current NFL players, coaches and personalities.
