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JIM McBRIDE I SUNDAY FOOTBALL NOTES

These traits can make Jimmy Garoppolo a successful starter for Patriots

Jimmy Garoppolo has played in 11 games over two seasons for the Patriots, completing 20 of 31 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown.Barry Chin/Globe Staff

Jeff Christensen can talk all day about the traits that make Jimmy Garoppolo a quality quarterback. But he has a nonfootball description about the quality of his character that New England fans — both fervent and casual — can relate to.

“He’s just a normal Bostonian, Irish type-of-mentality kind of kid, you know?’’ said Christensen, Garoppolo’s former QB guru. “He’s grounded. He’s just a normal dude. And I think he’s going to be very good.’’

Erik Lora is another who can extol Garoppolo’s virtues on the field. But his initial thoughts when asked about his former teammate at Eastern Illinois had nothing to do with football.

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“Jimmy’s Jimmy,’’ said Lora, Garoppolo’s top target over their final two seasons together as Panthers. “He’s just a great guy to be around . . . He’s the guy you call when you need a dependable guy.’’

The Patriots have made that call.

With Tom Brady suspended for the first four games of the season, the team will soon find out (opening night is a mere seven weeks away), and those who’ve worked closely with Garoppolo are predicting positive results.

Christensen, who started working with Garoppolo when Garoppolo was a sophomore in high school, believes he’s in a perfect situation to succeed. One of the biggest reasons for Christensen’s optimism is the amount of time Garoppolo has spent in the Patriots’ system. He’s had the benefit of watching Brady on the field for two seasons and how he prepares off it for the better part of three years. He’s also been working under the watch of Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels.

Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 13,156 yards and 118 touchdowns in four seasons at Eastern Illnois.Paul Newton/Associated Press/File 2013

“Jimmy’s a visual learner,’’ Christensen said Wednesday during an airport layover as he crisscrosses the country working with his pupils, including current NFL starters Kirk Cousins (Redskins), Ryan Tannehill (Dolphins), and Brock Osweiler (Texans). “He’s also devoted, competitive, and a perfectionist. I have absolutely no reason to believe Jimmy will do anything but succeed.’’

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Observation skills are one thing, but a player must have the physical skills and mental makeup to be a starting quarterback. Christensen is confident in this area, too.

Asked about Garoppolo’s strengths on the field, Christensen, a Bengals draft choice out of Eastern Illinois in 1983, pointed to three specific traits.

“Well, No. 1 is he has that critical ability to retain information,’’ said Christensen, who played eight seasons in the NFL and now runs Throw It Deep Academy. “No. 2 is his technique. He has great footwork and his ball comes out so quick — and that allows him to throw the ball in tight spaces. And No. 3 is his moxie. He just has a natural ability to not let things bother him.’’

Perhaps no player knows more about Garoppolo’s style than Lora. Over their final two seasons in Charleston, Ill., the pair connected on 241 catches for 3,079 yards and 30 touchdowns.

“I’m a little bit biased but I think his quick release is unmatched. I think it gives defenders a little less time to react to a ball already thrown,’’ said Lora, who spent time with the Jaguars but is now retired from football. “His impeccable timing is another thing. He’s able to read a defense so quickly.’’

That ability, coupled with his penchant for making the right adjustments, was a hallmark for a Panthers team ranked No. 2 in the FCS in 2013.

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“Our offense at Eastern Illinois, that is what we were known for: our ability to go to the field and to adjust and react to what teams were doing, and that is definitely one of Jimmy’s strengths,’’ Lora said last week from his home in Miami.

Jimmy G in the game
A look at Garoppolo's game experience the last two seasons.
Season G-GS Cmp-Att Cmp% Yds TD Y/A Y/C
2014 6-0 19-27 70.4 182 1 6.7 9.6
2015 5-0 1-4 25.0 6 0 1.5 6.0
Career 11-0 20-31 64.5 188 1 6.7 17.1
Source: pro-football-reference.com

Lora, who spent the majority of his time playing in the slot in Eastern Illinois’s four-receiver sets, was also in awe of Garoppolo’s leadership skills. He noted how Garoppolo took over a “struggling team’’ during his freshman year and by the start of his sophomore season had established himself as the program’s rock. He also warned not to get fooled by his seemingly calm presence. There’s a fire burning inside.

“Jimmy liked to have fun but he was also the guy who would grab you by the facemask and say, ‘Hey, that’s enough. It’s time to go to work.’ ’’

Lora also was impressed by how Garoppolo would pick his spots as a leader.

“He got in guys’ faces when he thought he needed to — when he thought it was appropriate,’’ said Lora. “Sometimes he would let others do it but when he thought it was his time to do it then he would do it.’’

Christensen also had some insight into how Garoppolo gained his mental toughness.

“He’s a normal guy that’s got two older brothers,’’ Christensen said with a laugh. “So he got wailed on pretty good as a kid. But he’s just a normal cat.’’

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Christensen kept coming back to how this situation — running the Patriots’ offense — is perfect for Garoppolo.

“I think it’s kind of eerie how it worked out,’’ he said. “Many, many days we studied Brady film over the years when we were working out with him. ‘Let’s watch what Brady did with his feet here, let’s watch what he did here.’ Then we’d tailor our workouts around that.’’

Now it’s time to see if Garoppolo is a perfect fit in New England.

STATE OF FLUX

Fitzpatrick, Jets not on same page

The Jets run the risk of getting into a bidding war over Ryan Fitzpatrick.Bill Wippert/Associated Press

Ryan Fitzpatrick was in a signing mood on Wednesday. Unfortunately for the Jets and their devotees, it was not on a new contract.

Fitzpatrick played a practice round at the American Century Championship, a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada, and was quite receptive to those seeking his John Hancock on memorabilia but not to those inquiring about his contract status.

Who would have thought the Patriots’ quarterback situation would be sorted before the Jets got their signal-caller issues resolved?

After IK Enemkpali settled the issue last summer, literally knocking Geno Smith out of the quarterback competition, the Jets thrived under Fitzpatrick. The 33-year-old journeyman led Gang Green to a 10-6 mark, which included a five-game winning streak, and had them in playoff contention until the final week of the season.

It was an impressive run for Fitzpatrick and a bounce-back season for the Jets, who were coming off a disastrous 4-12 campaign in Rex Ryan’s swan song.

Fitzpatrick’s reward? An offseason of uncertainty as the Jets seem willing to enter camp with Smith poised to run with the ones. Second-year man Bryce Petty and rookie Christian Hackenberg are the backup plans.

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The Jets reportedly have offered Fitzpatrick a three-year deal worth $24 million with $15 million guaranteed. As a point of reference, Andrew Luck will make more than $24 million for this season. If Fitzpatrick were to play for that offer — an average of $8 million per season — it would put him 24th among NFL quarterbacks — just below Los Angeles’s Nick Foles ($12.27 million) and just ahead of Cleveland’s Robert Griffin III ($7.5 million), according to spotrac.com.

Foles likely won’t start for the Rams and Griffin is trying to revive his career. Ryan is coming off the best season of his 11-year career: 3,905 passing yards and 31 touchdowns. Surely he doesn’t deserve to be grouped with Foles and Griffin.

The common belief is that the Jets and Fitzpatrick would find common ground and that a mutually beneficial pact would be agreed upon. But the longer this drama goes on the worse it gets for the Jets.

The latest news in the saga isn’t good news for the team or its fans. Fitzpatrick has reportedly declined to renew the lease on the New Jersey home he lived in last season and receiver Brandon Marshall, an outspoken proponent of the team re-upping his runningmate, is in panic mode.

“I don’t know what’s going on. To be honest, me and Fitz talk every day, all the time, but I texted him the last two weeks three times and there’s no response,’’ Marshall said on actor Michael Rapaport’s podcast. “The only thing that he can do to make this right is to say he was on vacation, ‘I was out of the country.’ It’s not like him. It’s scaring me right now. It’s scaring me that my guy hasn’t texted me back.’’

The Jets run the risk of getting into a bidding war if another team suddenly finds itself in need of a veteran quarterback because of an early camp injury. Fitzpatrick would seem to be in the position of power here. The man already has made millions over the course of his career and he’s got a Harvard degree on his wall. He’ll find work somewhere.

ETC.

Dunn can relate to recent tragedy

Last week’s ambush in Baton Rogue, La., that resulted in three police officers being shot to death and three others being injured affected many and particularly struck a cord with former NFL running back Warrick Dunn, who hails from that city.

Dunn’s mother, Betty Smothers, was a Baton Rouge police officer killed in 1993. She was working a side job as a security officer and was shot to death as she escorted a businesswoman on an afterhours bank deposit. Three men were convicted for the crime.

Dunn refused to let the tragedy define him and went on to become a star running back at Florida State and in the NFL with the Buccaneers and Falcons, while also serving as the guiding force for his five younger siblings.

He wrote about the recent tragedy in an eloquent Facebook post.

Three days after his post, one of the men convicted of killing Dunn’s mother was kept off death row (the other two are on it) because a court in Louisiana ruled he had a mental disability that prevented the state from executing him. Of that decision, Dunn wrote:

“Justice still not served 23 yrs later, killer spends life in prison with 3 meals a day and breathes fresh air. My mother didn’t have the same opportunity. Closing this chapter of my life.’’

Extra points

J.J. Watt hasn’t missed a game in his five-year career.Jim Davis/Globe Staff/File 2015/Globe Staff

Tough timing for Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, who underwent surgery for a herniated disk in his back last week and will reportedly start the season on the physically unable to perform list. It is the latest in a stretch of recent injuries for the perennial All-Pro. Watt, who hasn’t missed a game in his five-year career, had a broken hand, a herniated disk, as well as groin and core muscle injuries during the 2015 season. He was clearly not 100 percent and in agony during Houston’s wild-card playoff loss to Kansas City. The Houston Chronicle reported Watt “should” be ready for the regular season. It’s tough and tricky to predict timetables for a return from back surgery, so this bears watching. The Patriots host the Texans in Week 3, a Thursday night tilt Sept. 22, and Watt’s availability for that one is definitely in question . . . Bills receiver Sammy Watkins may have inadvertently turned up the heat on coach Rex Ryan’s already hot seat. Speaking to ESPN’s Mike Rodak at his youth camp last week, Watkins, arguably Buffalo’s best player, said, “Honestly, I love Rex. It will be sad if somebody got fired off of losses. And I know it’s a business, but that’s how things work.’’ The Bills are coming off an 8-8 season, Ryan’s first at the helm, and are looking to break a 16-year playoff drought, the longest current skid in the NFL . . . Arian Foster, a player often linked to the Patriots this offseason — remember that trip to Massachusetts back in May? — came off the market last week when he signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins . . . Another big-name back may soon have a new address, too, as free agent Reggie Bush is mulling an offer from the Bills. Ryan’s running back corps needs reinforcements because Karlos Williams was hit with a four-game ban for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. The Bills will be in Foxborough in Week 4 . . . Ray Rice, who has been in NFL Siberia since 2014 when video of him knocking out his then-fiancee in a New Jersey casino elevator surfaced, is still hoping for another chance. Last week the running back, who collected more than 6,000 yards rushing and 3,000 receiving in six seasons with the Ravens, told USA Today he would donate his salary this year to programs devoted to preventing domestic violence. “All the scrutiny that I’ve got, it was deserved, because domestic violence is a horrible thing,’’ said Rice, whose NFL suspension was overturned on appeal. “Me donating my salary is something that’ll be from the heart for me. I only want to play football so I can end it the right way for my kids and for the people that really believed in me. But I know there’s a lot of people affected by domestic violence and every dollar helps. It’s raising awareness.’’ . . . Line of the week comes from Erik Lora, Jimmy Garoppolo’s old teammate at Eastern Illinois. Asked about his former QB’s mobility, the receiver said, “Jimmy’s never been known to be a runner because his arm is so accurate and so quick, but he’s no deadbeat, man. He can definitely run and he can make something happen with his legs.’’

Pretty hard to tell who was having more fun, Patriots receiver Julian Edelman or his campers during his recent Pro Camp at Reading High. Edelman’s personal interaction with each camper was a nice touch. He said it brought him back to his youth when he would attend 49ers fullback Tom Rathman’s camps as a kid in Northern California . . . Rest in peace, former Vikings and Cardinals coach Dennis Green, who died of an apparent heart attack on Friday at the age of 67. Green’s epic and memorable rant after his Cardinals blew a 20-0 lead and lost, 24-23, to the Bears (“They are who we thought they were, and we let them off the hook.”) in 2006 will live on forever thanks to YouTube . . . Steelers running back D’Angelo Williams provided a little bulletin board material last week when he weighed in on Tom Brady’s suspension. “I’m glad [the Patriots] got problems, I don’t care. Everybody has problems, and I am glad they have theirs.’’ Williams made the comments before the Steelers’ most recent problem came to light. Williams’s backfield mate, Le’Veon Bell, faces a four-game ban for missing a drug test. The Patriots — and Brady — will be in Pittsburgh for a Week 7 date Oct. 23.

Summer fun

With July winding down, the gridiron is starting to heat up. Training camps are getting under way, as the Saints rookies were first to report on July 20. Here’s a look at the sites and reporting dates for each team:

AFC
Team Location Rookies Veterans
Bills St. John Fisher College, Pittsford, N.Y. July 28 July 29
Bengals Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati July 26 July 28
Browns Cleveland Browns Training Complex, Berea, Ohio July 25 July 28
Broncos Bowlen Memorial Broncos Centre, Englewood, Colo. July 24 July 27
Texans Houston Methodist Training Center, Houston July 25 July 30
Colts Anderson University, Anderson, Ind. July 26 July 26
Jaguars Practice Fields at EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Fla. July 25 July 27
Chiefs Missouri Western State University, St. Joseph, Mo. July 26 July 29
Dolphins Nova Southeastern University, Davie, Fla. July 28 July 28
Patriots Gillette Stadium, Foxborough July 24 July 27
Jets Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, Florham Park, N.J. July 27 July 27
Raiders Napa Valley Training Complex, Napa, Calif. July 24 July 28
Steelers Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, Pa. July 27 July 28
Chargers Chargers Park, San Diego July 29 July 29
Titans Saint Thomas Sports Park, Nashville July 29 July 29
NFC
Team Location Rookies Veterans
Falcons Under Armour Performance Center, Flowery Branch, Ga. July 27 July 27
Panthers Wofford College, Spartanburg, S.C. July 27 July 27
Bears Olivet Nazarene University, Bourbonnais, Ill. July 27 July 27
Cowboys River Ridge Playing Fields, Oxnard, Calif. July 29 July 29
Lions Detroit Lions Training Facility, Allen Park, Mich. July 23 July 28
Packers St. Norbert College, De Pere, Wis. July 25 July 25
Rams University of California-Irvine, Irvine, Calif. July 27 July 29
Vikings Minnesota State University-Mankato, Mankato, Minn. July 28 July 28
Saints The Greenbrier, White Sulpher Springs, W.Va. July 20 July 27
Giants Quest Diagnostics Training, East Rutherford, N.J. July 28 July 28
Eagles NovaCare Complex, Philadelphia July 24 July 27
49ers SAP Performance Facility, Santa Clara, Calif. July 30 July 30
Seahawks Virginia Mason Athletic Center, Renton, Wash. July 29 July 29
Buccaneers One Buccaneer Place, Tampa July 25 July 27
Redskins Bon Secours Training Center, Richmond July 27 July 27

Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globejimmcbride. Material from interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.