New England Patriot Jimmy Garoppolo earned his first true NFL start at the beginning of this season, following Tom Brady’s four-game Deflategate suspension. Although Garoppolo did have an impressive performance in the first couple of games, he injured his throwing shoulder and never returned to the starting role.

According to ESPN, Garoppolo threw for 496 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions in the six quarters he played in. Additionally, he showed the ability to read defenses and make good decisions while on the field. Teams like the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans have expressed interest in acquiring him, but the willingness of the Patriots’ organization to listen to such offers has drawn criticism from fans of the team. In my opinion, the Patriots’ organization must do what’s best for the team rather than appeasing fans.

Following the interest in Garoppolo and the lack of developed talent in this year’s draft, the Patriots are poised to demand a king’s ransom for Garoppolo. The team, although coming off of a Super Bowl victory, still has weaknesses that must be addressed if it wants to make yet another title run. With Brady still healthy, the quarterback position is not an area of concern for the team. Additions like cornerback Stephon Gilmore and running back Rex Burkhead would alleviate the Patriots’ issues, but trading Garoppolo for a high-end player in either position would provide the team with more support around Brady.

Although fans see Garoppolo as their next franchise quarterback–and they may still be correct–it is important for the Patriots’ organization to maximize Brady’s prime years and build on their weaknesses if they want to make another Super Bowl run. While I can’t say I look forward to success from the Patriots, I hope the organization makes the correct decision to support their starting quarterback in his prime years and improve on weaknesses rather than hold back players for the fans.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Aditya Belamkar at [email protected].