With the recent additions of David Andrews, James White and Lawrence Guy, the Patriots have done very well restocking their roster. On paper – where football is not played, mind you — the Patriots don't have many weaknesses.
Depending on what happens with Stephon Gilmore, cornerback could use a pop of talent. Linebacker is a bit thin.
And then there's (always) quarterback.
What will the Patriots do there? There's been a few developments there that could affect the Patriots at some point. Let's go through the potential paths beyond Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham (if he's even long for Foxborough, we'll have to see):
DRAFT
As of today — and things can and will change — the most likely path to the Patriots' quarterback of the future, and perhaps present, is through the draft. Outside of Cam Newton, the Patriots have always preferred to grow and nurture their quarterbacks from within. Tom Brady, Matt Cassel, Brian Hoyer, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett — all homegrown. When you're talking about the next 15-year franchise quarterback for this team, it's very likely going to have to come from the draft. And the Patriots are on the lookout for that.
Even if Jimmy Garoppolo should somehow land here in the next two months, he's going to be 30 this season. And considering his injury history, he may only be a bridge to the next franchise quarterback.
The easy thing to say, after looking at all the Patriots have put into the team for the next 1-3 years and looking at their lack of roster spots with 78 players, is the Patriots will put a lot of assets into trading up in the draft and getting their preferred QB.
Giving you an advanced warning: that train is going to go into overdrive in the next week as Patriots coaches, who started to venture out to pro days this week, will be visible at two high-profile pro days. Yes, expect to see Belichick on your TVs watching two of the higher-profile quarterbacks. That doesn't mean he's there for them. It will still ignite a firestorm of attention during the dead spot in the NFL news cycle between free agency and the draft.
Trading up for a QB could happen, but I doubt it.
This whippet hit of free agency is not going to last. Not every player is going to be a keeper, and even if they are, you can't keep everyone two or three years down the road. The Patriots will need to start hitting in the draft — hopefully last year's group was a good start — quickly. The free agents buy the Patriots time to restart the draft-and-develop pipeline that dried up for them a few years ago. The Patriots aren't a QB away from being The Patriots. They're a few drafts away, and the quarterback is only part of that.
For similar reasons, if the Patriots do stay put at No. 15, I wouldn't necessarily pencil them for a quarterback if one falls to them. If there is a run on a QBs in the top 5, that's going to push some very talented players down toward the Patriots, and they could end up with a cornerback, receiver or impactful front seven player that would normally be a top 10 pick. Not sure Belichick would pass that up. This may be the only chance Belichick gets to draft that type of talent.
Waiting until the third round is also possible, but I put it in the lower percentage bracket as well. In the third round, you're waiting and taking whatever falls to you among a handpicked group prospects. That's how they ended up with Stidham.
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If the Patriots are intent on finding a future franchise quarterback — and I believe they are — then I see them following their usual playbook of targeting a few guys, estimating where he will be taken, and manipulating the draft from there. It could involve a trade down, and then going and getting a specific quarterback either in the bottom of the first round, or in the second. I don't think the fifth-year option is all that much of a concern for the Patriots.
MINSHEW AND A PICK
Well, I thought I had some new nuggets of information, but I read back my column from March 2nd and realized I pretty much said everything there, including:
- Jimmy Garoppolo is still Plan A for the Patriots (more on that in a minute).
- Beefing up the defensive line will be a priority (hello Matthew Judon, Kyle Van Noy, Davon Godchaux, Lawrence Guy, Henry Anderson and Montravius Adams).
- It was now "fait accompli" that Cam Newton would be back with the Patriots (check), with a Gardner Minshew, Newton and draft pick a possible final outcome.
- The Patriots were expected to be in on the big-ticket WRs and TEs, including Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith and Nelson Agholor — and won't be in on Corey Davis, Will Fuller and A.J. Green.
- The Patriots weren't really into Marcus Mariota and his unwillingness (at that time) to rework his deal for a possible trade (he did this week, and as I reported, he got a no-trade clause which further proves the Patriots' point about him).
“Just recently I was talking to somebody in the league who I really trust…He said, ‘Do not take the Jimmy Garoppolo trade off the table,’” Russini explained.
“That is something New England is still sniffing out. Bill [Belichick] doesn’t like to put his cards out on the table, so most think, ‘Oh well if we all know about that, that probably won’t happen.’ But there is definitely a tone in the league that it could still go down.”