NFL Notes: Jimmy Garoppolo, Dez Bryant, LeSean McCoy

Jimmy Garoppolo

Jimmy Garoppolo tells of Joon Lee of B/R that he tried his best to stay out of Tom Brady‘s way earlier on his Patriots’ career while absorbing whatever he can.

“I was going to watch and literally absorb everything I could from him without being an annoyance,” Garoppolo said. “I didn’t want to ask a ton of questions. I didn’t want to ruffle any feathers. You have to play the politics a little bit.”

By the end, he and Brady developed a “healthy, competitive” relationship.

“The competitiveness between the two of us was very similar. If I’m playing my best friend in one-on-one basketball, if we are both into it, by the end, we are going to hate each other,” Garoppolo said. “That’s how it is. All the good competitors have that. We got along, but there were always times where we wanted to kill each other. It was a healthy, competitive relationship.”

When asked if he planned to take Brady’s job, Garoppolo says he maintained quiet confidence in himself that he could be the better quarterback.

“I’ve always had that mindset,” Garoppolo said. “I knew that [Brady] was better than me in my first day in the NFL. Naturally, you’re the rookie and he’s the veteran, but you have to have that mindset, that you want to be the starter.”

“Even when I was a little kid, my brothers, whenever we would play, I would literally always think I was going to win. I wouldn’t, but I would always think that. It’s like when I go to New England, when I first got there, I thought in my head, ‘I’m better than this dude.’”

Garoppolo was asked if he felt he was a better quarterback, Garoppolo reiterated that he had “quiet confidence” in his ability.

“It was always a quiet confidence,” Jimmy says. “I would never speak that.”

“…I’m not stupid. You have to pick your battles, but I had belief in myself that I could do certain things, and it’s always worked out pretty well. It will always be in me, that drive that comes from my dad telling me that someone is always working harder, that I’m always in last place and I need to catch up to someone else.”

Dez Bryant

• According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, mentions that if free agent WR Dez Bryant wanted just any job, he would have already signed.
• However, Rapoport mentions that Bryant is being “choosey” about his next team and looking to join a team that can win now.
• Rapoport tosses out the Browns as a potential fit for Bryant if they’re looking for someone to step in while Josh Gordon is away from the team.
• Rapoport adds that it’s possible Bryant continues to wait for an injury to create a better role for him on a team poised to compete in 2018.
• We have him featured in our Top 50 Available 2018 NFL Free Agents list.

LeSean McCoy

• The NFL said Monday the matter involving Bills LeSean McCoy “remains under review” and there has been no change to his status.
• Mike Rodak notes that it’s unclear if McCoy’s status could change before Bills hit the practice field Thursday evening.
• McCoy will reportedly be in attendance for the start of Bills’ training camp this week. (NFLTR)