The Quest for 7: Patriots Updates, Brady's successor? Tight End mock, Links 2.14.20

Morning! Welcome to The Quest for 7, where volunteer writer, Steven Viner, scours the net for seven Patriots related articles from other sites offering different points of view on the six-time champs. Paid subscribers not only get to read all seven, but they also get to check out his always fiery "Steve's Soapbox" at the end.

1. Boston Sports Journal's own Greg Bedard looks for diamonds in the rough amongst quarterbacks who might be available, but mostly finds gravel. His column gives us the realistic Patriots' QB options from the NFL ranks in a post-Tom Brady world. There are some intriguing finds in this group, but honestly ... this list scares the crap out of me.

2. Matt Dolloff of 98.5 the Sports Hub is calling for the Patriots to redo their tactic from three years ago, in hopes of tempting Brady into a return. With the way the Patriots have been drafting lately, I wouldn't mind them using their picks for proven veterans like these.

3. In honor of this man-dreading holiday, Danny Heifetz of The Ringer wrote this clever and at times hilarious piece on the QB commitment index for each team. If you're dodging frying pans and sleeping on the couch from botching Valentine's day, the descriptions of each relationship alone will be enough to cheer you up.

4. Most are thrilled with this, I am in the minority. Isaiah Houde of Patriots Wire informs us that Nick Caserio will be returning to the Patriots, and has signed a multi-year contract. Whether it's mostly Caserio or Belichick making the final draft selections, their system has been in a funk for some time, and I wish a fresh perspective was brought in.

5. This former Patriot Director of Personnel has had enough, and he can't take anymore. Dan Lyons of The Spun reports how Scott Pioli is sick of people using Brady's life to further their writing careers. Wherever TB12 chooses when he puts the pen to paper, there'll be a lot of Homer Simpsons backing into the bushes.

6. With the tight end situation resembling last seasons Celtics team, it wouldn't hurt to check out Kevin Hanson of Sports Illustrated's tight end rankings in the upcoming draft. Dear lord baby Jesus with your golden fleece diapers, please let us get a good one! Plus, as a bonus, Ken Zalis of The Pressbox gives his 2020 NFL mock draft.

7. With 7 starters about to hit the free agency market, poking potential holes everywhere, Mike Dussault of Patriots.com ranks what he feels is New England's positions of need. His order seems ... "off?" to me. But hey, keep an open mind.

STEVE'S SOAPBOX

The place where Steve gets to give his take of the day from the perspective of a Patriots fan.

Everyone outside of New England is talking about his age and the decline. The one thing no one is mentioning about Tom Brady?

He is a bleeping lunatic.

I’d bet my framed autographed Brady jersey that he is better next season. Don’t care that in football years he built the pyramids. Don't care that he showed slippage in 2018. He still won the Super Bowl that year, and it's tough to level-up the work ethic after another long season when you’ve just won it all and everyone still considers you at the top of your game. Now, following a down season showing evidence of decline, everyone's back to bringing up his age. Even Brady's non-biological father and grandpa — Belichick and Kraft — are showing the prodigal son tough love.

Normal people who have half the success of Brady either slack a little or get flat out complacent. Normal people don’t watch film more than in previous years after winning a third ring. Normal people don’t change their entire diet and workout regimen to transform their body for flexibility after a fourth ring. Normal people don't train their asses off to get a tiny bit better at moving in the pocket or to fix the slightest of mechanics that only a trained eye would barely see after a fifth ring. Luckily for Patriots fans, Brady isn't normal.

I guarantee this: Brady’s going to work harder this offseason, than last offseason, and maybe harder than any offseason in his life. It’s in his DNA. He’s one in a trillion. I’m calling it now, whether it’s with the Patriots, or another team, he will be at all the passing camps, mini-camps, training camps, summer camps, boot camps, whatever camps. He’s already calling Edelman to get his butt back to the East Coast to work. He isn't normal. He’s a lunatic, psychotic … in a good way. Remember Belichick and Kraft … exactly who you’re potentially letting go.

Be on the lookout for more The Quest for 7 features. Want extra Salty Tears and Soapbox? Click on my name above and scroll down for previous Quests!