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The Patriots are equipped with a vast salary cap space and valuable draft capital.
Bill Belichick can theoretically be extremely aggressive this offseason, and it could be argued that he definitely should be after New England fell 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” moves during the offseason for all 32 NFL teams.
“Some of them are realistic, others are more far-fetched, but each would make a significant change and improve a team’s chances of winning future Super Bowls,” the article explains.
Unsurprisingly, Football Outsiders highlighted the Patriots quarterback’s predicament by offering his “bold move” for New England.
The Patriots own the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but Football Outsiders have proposed that New England trade for their future QB.
Here is their justification:
The most likely scenario is that all five first-round passer will be gone by the time the Patriots’ pick arrives at No.15. Rumors say the Patriots have been kicking the trades and veteran free agents instead. , and first-round trade is not a particularly Belichickian movement; the Pats last advanced on draft day in 2012. Yet, barring a move from Deshaun Watson, bringing in a veteran isn’t going to revive the next Patriots dynasty. If the Pats want the best chance of settling their quarterback position for the foreseeable future, they can’t count on finding another Brady in the draft dregs; they must be daring.
It’s impossible to overstate the importance for New England of finding a quarterback now that Tom Brady is winning Super Bowl titles with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Cam Newton experiment didn’t go well in 2020, and the Patriots just have Jarrett Stidham and Jake Dolegala under contract for 2021.
The Patriots have been linked, at least in speculation, to nearly every quarterback available. Still, no one knows how Belichick will approach the situation. Everything – the free agency, the trades and the project – remains a possibility at this stage.
To complicate matters for New England, there could be a quarterback run early in the draft, with Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Trey Lance and Mac Jones widely considered the top five options.
As unusual as it sounds, the Patriots might ultimately have no choice but to trade if they truly believe in any of these signalers. Or New England could be stuck in picking the next level of QB prospects.
Here’s more from Football Outsiders on the idea of New England trading in for a quarterback:
The Patriots won’t be in Trevor Lawrence’s draw, but they have a chance of catching Zach Wilson, Justin Fields or Trey Lance. A trade with Cincinnati at # 5 (for # 15, # 46 and a fourth round?) Would place New England in the catbird seat for a ferryman of their choice, while the trade with Dallas in the 10th slot would at least jump over the 49ers and Vikings. The Patriots have the capital project to pick up their guy; the question is: do they have the will?
The Patriots won’t be reckless. Whatever they choose to do this offseason will likely be calculated, especially considering that it comes to the quarterback position a year after letting Brady walk in free agency.
It may be time to push the boundaries, however, as New England’s decisions over the next few months could shape the long-term future of the franchise, for better or for worse.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas / USA TODAY Sports Images
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