Countdown to Camp: QBs -- The good, the questionable and the skinny (yes, Tom Brady too)

With Patriots camp set to open next week, we wanted to reset the roster at each position and give you a few things we’ll be keeping an eye on when they hit the field in Foxborough. First up? We look at quarterbacks.

Tom Brady’s presence makes this the marquee position on the team, even after an eventful offseason for the defending NFL MVP. Considering his age and the fact New England was armed with plenty of high-value draft capital, we would have bet you just about anything New England would have gone after another quarterback this spring. (And depending on who you believe, they tried to.) But they ended up taking a late-round flier on LSU’s Danny Etling, tacking him to the back of a depth chart that is headed by Brady and Brian Hoyer.

No. 1: Tom Brady



The good: Where to start? NFL legend, one of the best in the history of the game. You guys know the resume. If he can stay healthy and the offensive options (namely, Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman) play like they’re capable of playing, he’s likely on the short list for MVP honors again, and should have his team right there pushing for another Super Bowl come January.

The questionable: Will there be any sort of fallout from the reported discord between the quarterback and the coach? Will there be any on-field ramifications when it comes to his decision to stay away from the voluntary workouts this spring, especially when you consider how many new faces he has at wide receiver and running back? And will age finally catch up with him?

Skinny: His offseason decisions have certainly left him open to some second-guessing if he struggles out of the gate. (If he had shown up to the voluntary workouts, he wouldn’t have missed that throw!) But we’re not going to doubt Brady’s ability to answer the bell when it really matters.

No. 2: Brian Hoyer

The good: The Grover Cleveland of Brady backups, he’s shown himself to be a willing No. 2 behind the starter. He has a good handle on the offense, and makes good decisions with the football. Given his background, if he has to be a short-term starter, his track record suggests he won’t drive the offense straight into a ditch.

The questionable: He’s not Brady. If he has to play significant snaps at any time along the way, the Patriots will have to significantly alter their offensive approach from seek-and-destroy to survive-and-advance.

Skinny: He is what he is. Maybe the most likable of all Brady’s backups, the guy Randy Moss used to call “Hoy Dog” is an OK short-term solution who could guide the offense in a pinch. It will be interesting to see what sort of dynamic could develop between Hoyer and Etling, as the rookie had some nice moments over the course of the spring. That alone could make the second half of the preseason games a little more compelling.

No. 3: Danny Etling

The good: Has a nice clean delivery. Smart, he doesn’t appear to be overwhelmed by the prospect of being a backup in the New England system. In the spring workouts, he was part of a group that included wide receiver Jordan Matthews that was one of the first on the field every session and one of the last to leave. He’s willing to sit and listen and keep his eyes and ears open.

The questionable: He’s a rookie. Will he be able to keep up with the speed of the game? Will he be able to instantly recognize defenses, and will he be able to adjust as needed? One of the things that he really struggled with while at LSU was the deep ball — can he remedy those issues?

Skinny: He’s a developmental quarterback at this stage of his career, plain and simple. The biggest dilemma the Patriots could face with Etling? He might be too good to get him through to the practice squad, which could force them into a tough personnel decision come cutdown day. One other thing: I was struck by something former Patriots running back Kevin Faulk told me about Etling (scroll down to No. 4 in that story). “He’s a smart kid who makes consistently good decisions with the football,” said Faulk, who now works with the LSU program. “But I think the thing that really helped him out was how well he threw at Pro Day. I know that opened the eyes of some of our coaches, as well as the scouts. He was the only one throwing, and he was delivering good, consistent passes the whole time.” As for Etling’s career, Faulk says he’s the sort of kid who will benefit from a year in the system — likely as a practice squadder — as a developmental quarterback. “But he’s a smart kid, and you never know,” Faulk added.