NFL Notebook: A QB with the 14th pick looks like a pipedream after Richardson, Levis workouts; other combine takeaways

Not everyone in Patriots-land is enamored with Mac Jones, especially when it comes to the fanbase.

Despite a promising rookie campaign, Jones struggled through his sophomore season to the point he was booed off his home field. Despite all the evidence during and after the season about what a disaster the Patriots' offensive coaching was, some still want to heap most of the blame on Jones. 

Amazing, but so it goes. Some of this is just rooted in the fact that Jones doesn't look the part of today's franchise quarterbacks. Patriots fans know they had it so good for so long with Tom Brady, and they don't like the fact they're left out of the elite QB conversation. So they're always looking for the next big thing.

Not that I disagree. Until you absolutely know you have The Guy, you should keep your options open. The Patriots might even agree. Their decision to part ways with veteran Brian Hoyer when the new league year starts is a flashing sign that they will be adding another young QB this offseason. With Jones and Bailey Zappe similar in playstyle, it would make sense that they roll the dice on a player with athletic upside. It's something we've been advocating for since the end of the season.

After the scouting combine, however, you can just about eliminate any chance of the Patriots sitting at 14 and taking a physically gifted QB and developing them. Could they move up for one? Sure, and it can't be totally ruled out given some of the strange things that have gone on at One Patriot Place in the past year. Stunning would be an understatement if Bill Belichick OK'd that type of move with plenty of holes to fill on his team.

Florida's Anthony Richardson and Kentucky's Will Levis went from a nice dream of being available at 14, to full-blown hallucination with their workouts over the weekend. Obviously the underwear Olympics and throwing routes on air aren't everything — intangibles, toughness, leadership and ability under pressure are more important to a QB in the NFL than physical gifts — but assuming things look good in the other areas, both players will go in the top 12 — at least.

Richardson had perhaps the best testing workout of any QB in recent memory. He's the size of Cam Newton and more explosive.

His throwing workout was equally impressive as he displayed a huge arm and touch. Levis looks the part of a franchise pocket quarterback and his arm was explosive.

Richardson likely vaulted himself into the top 3 among QBs in this draft behind Bryce Young and CJ Stroud. 

Both have big accuracy issues and inconsistency to be dissected (Richardson showed the good and bad of Newton in college), but several teams starving for a talented QB but several teams that will gamble on that type of athletic upside and bank on development, even if he has to sit for a year or two. They see the success of rare athletic QB like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson — who all had some knocks on them coming out of college — and fantasize at the upside, just like some Patriots fans when it comes to a Jones alternative.

So where does that leave the Patriots and the first round? On the outside looking in.

I mean, just look at the QB thirsty teams in the top 11:

1. Chicago: Could very well take a QB if they love one and don't think Justin Fields can advance as a passer and can trade him.

2. Houston: Has to draft a QB.

4. Indianapolis: Has to draft a real QB, unless Chris Ballard wants to get fired immediately.

5. Seattle: Could draft the heir apparent to Geno Smith, with Richardson being ideal to develop.

6. Detroit: Same comment as Seattle, but with Jared Goff.

7. Las Vegas: Certainly looking for a QB since Chase Garbers is currently the only one on the roster.

8. Atlanta: Is said to be in the QB market but does have Desmond Ridder (2022 3rd-round pick) on the roster.

9. Carolina: Has to get a QB.

11. Tennessee: Could be looking for one with Ryan Tannehill a free agent and Malik Willis still a project.

So in front of New England stands five teams that are absolutely desperate for one of the four QBs, four that could very well take one if a QB is on the board — and teams don't like to drop down very far in a trade-down.

So unless something strange happens, the Patriots look like they have close to zero shot at one of the top draft QBs.

Those looking at next group of QBs to possibly take a flier on, Tennessee's Hendon Hooker had a positive medical check-in as recovers from ACL surgery (yes, he's 25-years old but with QBs playing later into their careers, does that really matter?). UCLA's Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who the Patriots coached at the Shrine Bowl, stood out this week.

DIME PACKAGE

1. The Mac-bashing continues. Now there are reports that the Patriots' coaches couldn't coach Mac Jones that hard. So the guy who played for notorious hardasses Corky Rogers (high school) and Nick Saban (Alabama), had to be babied this past season ... is that what I'm supposed to believe? Maybe the simple explanation had nothing to do with Jones and more resided in the fact that he was being coached by two people (Matt Patricia, Joe Judge) who knew less than Jones about the QB position and had no standing to correct Jones on anything. Or that Bill Belichick realized pretty quickly that he completely effed this whole thing up, knew he put Jones and others in a terrible position and just wanted to get through the season without causing the entire team to totally implode?

2. Let me say this loud enough for people in the back: Belichick has long ago admitted to people privately that he completely screwed up the offense and the season, wants to forget it happened and just move on. It's time you do the same. What happened this past season had very little to do with Jones, even if you don't want to believe that.

3. We'll see how this changes after free agency, but unless there is a no-doubt Day 1 starter at offensive tackle or cornerback available at 14, I think the leader in the clubhouse is for the Patriots to trade down. Receiver is tempting, but unless Matt Groh completely has the draft controls now, it's hard to see the Patriots doing that even if the draft position is justified.

4. Patriots are expected to up the experience in the front office with the return of former scout Patrick Stewart, who left for the Eagles and then Panthers. He's well-respected around the league and one area where he could help is helping improve value in the draft. Both Cole Strange and Tyquan Thornton were overdrafted last year, and the feeling around the league was Groh didn't have the contacts to research a player's value. Stewart can help on that front. It's unknown how long Stewart will be here because the Panthers just added Adrian Wilson in an executive role, which could have forced Stewart out. It's also unknown if Eliot Wolf or someone else will be leaving after the draft. That's normally when front office changes are made, so it's a bonus that Stewart came available now. 

5. Vikings could be parting ways with WR Adam Thielen and S Harrison Smith in cap moves. Not interested in Thielen, but Smith would b a great Devin McCourty successor if he retires. Of course, it would have to make sense financially, and I could see someone else (Buffalo?) going harder at a final piece.

6. The Patriots are most likely to trade for a veteran receiver than add one in the first round (could change if they trade down). DeAndre Hopkins is certainly one to watch — the Bill O'Brien situation is way overblown with most of the issues in his last year came from ownership orders — and Allen Robinson. Yes, dust off those A-Rob blog posts from a couple years ago. 

7. ESPN's Dan Graziano reported not much progress has been made between the Patriots and Jakobi Meyers. That's not a surprise. At this point, the Patriots let the player go to market and stay involved until the end. 

8. If the Patriots are looking to add a real-deal impact slot receiver in the draft (would be ideal if Meyers left) — and not going the project route late in the draft — Boston College’s Zay Flowers and Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba jumped off the page. Smith-Njigba had the type of 3-cone time (6.56 seconds) that used to make Belichick salivate. Flowers didn't perform that drill, but he looked more explosive than Smith-Njiga in the on-field drills. I would love to get one of those guys if the Patriots traded down in the first.

9. If the Patriots trade down, pick up a second-round pick and can get some combination of Flowers/Smith-Njigba, TE Darnell Washington (who tested off the charts, blocked like a freak and made one-handed catch) and a starting RT with the first three picks, I'd be a happy man. 

10. At cornerback, Maryland's Deonte Banks and Oregons's Christian Gonzalez had terrific combines. Tested great and the skills were smooth.