The Patriots have locked up their second-round pick, announcing today in a press release that quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has signed his four-year rookie deal. The agreement with Garoppolo means that only first-round defensive tackle Dominique Easley remains unsigned, with eight of the club’s nine draftees now under contract.
Garoppolo, the 62nd overall pick, was viewed as New England’s potential quarterback of the future when he was selected, but with Tom Brady and Ryan Mallett both still in the picture for 2014, he doesn’t figure to see the field anytime soon. In fact, owner Bob Kraft suggested last week that the rookie signal-caller is “disaster insurance” and that he hopes Garoppolo won’t see regular action for the Pats for quite some time.
Per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, the Eastern Illinois product will be in line for a signing bonus worth about $854K and an overall four-year contract worth approximately $3.484MM.