Josh McDaniels explains Brian Hoyer signing

Jim Davis | Boston Globe

You know the old saying, "When one door closes, another one opens."

Well, while Jimmy Garoppolo may be off to the other side of the country, the New England Patriots were able to bring back a familiar face to be a strong, solid backup to quarterback Tom Brady.

Insert: Brian Hoyer.

Patriots' offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Josh McDaniels, spoke to reporters at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, after the team's lone practice of the bye week. In those interviews, McDaniels showed his appreciation for Garoppolo and their time together and explained why bringing back Hoyer was a good call.

"Brian's a smart guy," McDaniels said. "He's got, obviously, some years in our system and our terminology, so it will be kind of a cram session here, but I don't expect that to take forever because Brian's an intellegent guy that had plenty of exposure to what we do, and I know he'll work hard. Hopefully, we can catch him up really quickly."

McDaniels also says that the foundation of their system hasn't changed too much since Hoyer's last tenure in New England. The OC was in Denver and St. Louis for the majority of Hoyer's previous stint, but the two did get to work together at the end of the 2011 season and beginning of the 2012 season, before Hoyer was released that summer.

And for those reasons, McDaniels is confident in Hoyer's capabilities.

He's from Ohio, so I have a fondness for those guys," McDaniels said. "You know, he's a football kid. He's all about football and loves the game, cares about playing quarterback the right way, smart guy, works hard, good teammate, so there's a lot to like. I spent a short amount of time with him. Looking forward to working with him here going forward in the second half of this season."

As for Jimmy G's departure, McDaniels noted that they understand the business side of it, but he really enjoyed working with the young quarterback and wishes him nothing but the best.

"You had a guy in your room that you really enjoyed being around, you coached, that spent a lot of time learning and grasping what you were doing, and you saw him grow and get better and mature and improve throught he course of time, and now he's not here," McDaniels said. "I wish him nothing but the best. I really, really think a lot of this guy. He's got a bright future, he's a great person and I hope he does well for himself out there."

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