The Patriots are equipped with an ample salary limit and valuable withdrawal capital.
Bill Belichick can theoretically be extremely aggressive in this off-season, and one could argue that he definitely should be, after New England stumbled in its first losing season since 2000.
But what will this aggressiveness entail?
ESPN.com published an article on Wednesday in which Football Outsiders suggested “bold” off-season moves for all 32 NFL teams.
“Some of them are realistic, others are more elaborate, but each would provide a significant change and increase a team’s chances of winning future Super Bowls,” explains the article.
Unsurprisingly, Football Outsiders pointed to the situation of the Patriots’ quarterback by offering their “bold move” for New England.
The Patriots hold the 15th overall position in the NFL’s 2021 Draft, but Football Outsiders proposed that New England negotiate to get its QB of the future.
Here is your reasoning:
The most likely scenario is that all five passers in the first round will be gone when the Patriots’ choice reaches 15th. Rumors say that the Patriots, instead of kicking the tires in negotiations and veteran free agents, and negotiating to rise in the first round is not a particularly bellicose move; the Pats went up for the last time on draft day, in 2012. Still, without a maneuver by Deshaun Watson, bringing in a veteran is not going to kick-start the next Patriots dynasty. If the Pats want the best chance to establish their position as a defender in the near future, they cannot count on finding another Brady in the middle of the draft; they need to be bold.
It is impossible to overstate the importance of New England finding a quarterback now that Tom Brady is winning Super Bowl titles with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Cam Newton’s experience did not go well in 2020, and the Patriots hired only Jarrett Stidham and Jake Dolegala for 2021.
The Patriots were associated, at least by speculation, with almost all available defenders. Still, no one knows how Belichick will approach the situation. Everything – free agency, commerce and the draft – remains a possibility at this point.
To complicate things for New England, there may be a race for quarterbacks at the start of the draft, with Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Trey Lance and Mac Jones widely considered to be the top five options.
Atypical as it may seem, the Patriots may ultimately have no choice but to negotiate if they really believe in one of those signal callers. Or New England may be stuck choosing the next tier of potential QB customers.
See more from Football Outsiders about the idea of New England negotiating for a quarterback:
The Patriots will not be in the Trevor Lawrence draw, but they have a chance to grab Zach Wilson, Justin Fields or Trey Lance. A deal with Cincinnati in 5th place (for No. 15, No. 46 and a fourth round?) Would put New England in the pass of a passer of his choice, while negotiating with Dallas in 10th place would put them on less skip over the 49ers and Vikings. The Patriots have the recruiting capital to pick up their guy; the question is: do they feel like it?
Patriots will not be reckless. Whatever they choose to do in this off-season will likely be calculated, especially with regard to the position of defender a year after letting Brady go into free action.
It may be time to push the bar, however, as New England decisions in the coming months could shape the franchise’s long-term future, for better or worse.
Miniature photo via Mark J. Rebilas / USA TODAY Sports Images