Even before the NFL draft takes place on April 23 with the best quarterback crop in years, a lot of teams have filled their need in the backfield this offseason. Teddy Bridgewater to the Panthers, Philip Rivers to the Colts and Nick Foles to the Bears are just a few who have gone in free agency. But there are still a few teams in the market for a QB. One opening is in New England, which recently sent Tom Brady to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now, what’s next for the Patriots is the biggest question for the rest of the offseason.
The Patriots recently signed Brian Hoyer to a one-year contract. He played in the Patriots system before — with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in 2017 and 2018 — but most experts don’t expect him to be the starting quarterback for the Patriots. Hoyer is an 11-year veteran and a great locker room guy, according to reports. But he is a known backup at this point in his career. He started two games for the Colts last season in which he threw four touchdowns along with five turnovers.
The Patriots also have second-year QB Jarret Stidham out of Auburn, who has played in a couple of preseason games, but there is still a question if he is a starting-caliber quarterback.
Here are three other options for the Patriots:
Josh Rosen
The former 2018 top 10 draft pick seems to be the odd man out in Miami. Most experts expect the Fins to draft a quarterback with their first-round draft pick in 2020, and they also have 15-year veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick to mold whomever they draft. Many teams go into a season with only two quarterbacks on their roster, so Rosen would be the one on the outside looking in. Rosen was traded by the Cardinals during the draft last season for a second-round pick. He played backup quarterback for most of the season for the Dolphins — and started three games in which he struggled. There were many reasons for him to struggle in Miami such as offensive line issues, lack of a running game and injuries at the wide receiver position.
In New England, he would be set up for success playing for the greatest coach of all time, Bill Belicheck, and one of the better offensive coordinators in the league, Josh McDaniels. According to Bleacher Report, the Patriots were high on Rosen coming out of UCLA and were interested in drafting him in 2018. He was known for his throwing accuracy and arm taken, but also his lack of mobility which would fit well in New England’s system being that Tom Brady wasn’t very mobile outside of the pocket. In his first two seasons, Josh Rosen has been put in two of the worst situations possible; a fresh start in New England would be a great fit for both sides.
Matthew Stafford
The Detroit Lions have the third overall pick in the 2020 draft, which means they could potentially draft the Crimson Tide’s Tua Tagovailoa and look for a fresh start. Matt Stafford has been in Detroit since 2009 and has been putting up good numbers for seasons, but the team has not had the playoff success it expected from a No. 1 pick. With Stafford coming off of back surgery that cut his season short, he could be looking for a change of scenery. New England would be the perfect fit for him. The 11-year veteran would be able to keep the Patriots in playoff contention, and Stafford could add playoff success to his already padded resume.
Andy Dalton
The Cincinnati Bengals will more than likely pick LSU’s Joe Burrow with the first overall pick, leaving Andy Dalton on the trading block. Although Dalton could be a good veteran mentor for Burrow, some think he can still play meaningful snaps in the league. He is a veteran with a winning track record. From 2011 to 2015, Dalton got the Bengals to the playoffs. But the past few years two of his playmakers, AJ Green and John Ross, have been plagued with injuries. He is a good QB who could be thrown in the Patriots quarterback competition with Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham and possibly win the job. Andy Dalton had a down year this past season, which has changed his status among NFL fans from a middle of the pack QB to backup. But Dalton is still a serviceable quarterback who can lead a team to the playoffs if given the surrounding pieces.
