NFL Notebook: What does Bill Belichick really want in the next quarterback?

We all know that Bill Belichick lucked out with his drafting of Tom Brady (with a big assist from Dick Rehbein). If Belichick had any inkling Brady would be a starter, let alone with the greatest quarterback of all time, Belichick would have selected him before the 199th selection in 2000.

Brady's 20-year run was glorious. So many wins. Six Super Bowl titles. An unprecedented run.

But Brady's consistently great performance also resulted in something else: Belichick never really having to invest in the quarterback position.

Everyone knows the Patriots are at a crossroads at quarterback. Barring a re-signing and transformation by Cam Newton in the offseason, the Patriots will need a new starting quarterback. And that's uncharted

territory for Belichick.

Even going back to his five-year tenure with the Browns (1991-95), Belichick has never a) signed or traded for a franchise quarterback, or b) spent a first-round draft pick on one (he's used just one second and four third-round picks).

So many people think Belichick needs to make a big signing, trade or trade-up in the draft to secure the Patriots' next starting quarterback.

But he's never done any of that, partly because Brady made that move largely unnecessary (Belichick could have done it the 2018, '19 and '20 offseasons but chose not to).

Are we sure Belichick believes a team needs a dynamic quarterback to win? Or does he think that it's just like any other position?

Let's look at his history, and what he's said:

ALL BELICHICK'S MEN

A look at all the players to play quarterback for Belichick, back to the Browns, with how they were acquired and height and weight:



Cleveland years

Belichick inherited Bernie Kosar and didn't make any grand moves at the position until he released him in the middle of the 1993 season.

Former Bears starter Mike Tomczak was signed on Sept. 14th, 1992, and Vinny Testaverde was signed to a one-year deal with a club option in 1993. Testaverde knew he was there to be Kosar's backup, and there really wasn't much controversy until Testaverde played well in place of Kosar.

Even when Testaverde was signed to an extension in 1994 at age 31, Belichick made little effort to get younger at the position. Georgia's Eric Zeier was the highest pick in the third round. He was never a full-time starter in six seasons with Ravens and Bucs.

Patriots years

Inherited Drew Bledsoe and drafted Brady as a future bet. Once Brady ascended and Bledsoe was traded to the Bills, and didn't make a big investment — if you can call it that, since Belichick counts the second round as the risk round — until drafting Jimmy Garoppolo 62nd overall in 2014.

Even after Garoppolo was traded during the 2017 season and Brady and his wife made it clear to Robert Kraft in the 2018 offseason that they wanted to leave New England, Belichick used only two draft picks — a 7th and 4th — at the quarterback position. He also didn't make a meaningful free agent or trade move to prepare for Brady's departure. Belichick just waited until the end of free agency in 2020 and signed Cam Newton for $1.5 million.

WHAT BELICHICK HAS SAID

"You know, that's what good quarterbacks do, they make plays when things don't go perfectly, which a lot of times they don't, and Tom does a good job of that." — Belichick on Brady, January 16, 2005.

"I think a number of things that were strengths then are strengths now; I just think they are stronger. Management of the team, understanding the system, decision-making, recognition of defenses, being able to put the team in the right situation, whether it be play-management or play-calling in a two-minute situation, whether it be protection call, whether it be a run adjustment. Whatever it is, I think his ability to do that was good and I think it's better." — Belichick, September 2, 2003.

Former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah has shared the directives given to scouts by Belichick on what to look for and what he prioritizes.

https://twitter.com/MoveTheSticks/status/1245062206296690688

On the QB:

#1 is to make good decisions — then arm, size, physically tough, leadership, guys look up to and have confidence in, a real competitor. Accurate rather than guy with a cannon. Emphasis on our game will be on decision, timing, accuracy — guy needs to be confident, intelligence is important but not as much so as field awareness & judgment. Can’t be sloppy fundamentally unsound guy with ball handling, [techniques] etc. Footwork, drops, release, etc. — QB has to be able to throw the ball with accuracy.

"It used to be that good defense beats good offense. Good defense doesn't beat good offense anymore," Saban told ESPN. "It's just like last week. Georgia has as good a defense as we do an offense, and we scored 41 points on them. That's not the way it used to be. It used to be if you had a good defense, other people weren't going to score. You were always going to be in the game.

"I'm telling you. It ain't that way anymore. ... I don't like it. But we just have to make sure we have an offense that's that way and that explosive, which we have."