Patriots Rumors: Team interested in Baker Mayfield
Recent New England Patriots rumors involve the 2018 NFL Draft, as the team is reportedly interested in Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield.
With the NFL Draft less than three weeks away, we are going to see New England Patriots rumors begin to pop up. It is anyone’s guess who the Patriots will select as they have a few positions of need.
One of the positions of need for New England is at quarterback. Tom Brady didn’t show any signs of slowing down in 2017 despite being 40-years old. He will be 41 when this season begins, which means the Patriots will be in the market for a long-term answer.
Right now, the only other quarterback on the roster other than Brady is 32-year old Brian Hoyer. Because of that, a quarterback could be an option for New England during the draft. When the Patriots could target that quarterback is anyone’s guess as they have enough capital to move around the draft board.
When the Patriots traded Brandin Cooks to the Los Angeles Rams, they became players for some of the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft class. New England has the No. 23 and No. 31 picks, which they could use to move up in the first round. Altogether, the Patriots have five selections in the first three rounds.
One quarterback the Patriots have been linked to is Oklahoma State’s, Mason Rudolph. New England had a private workout with the former Cowboy. There is a strong chance that Rudolph will be available when the Patriots come on the clock.
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Another quarterback that most likely won’t be available at that time is Oklahoma’s, Baker Mayfield. There is a good chance that Mayfield goes in the top-10. However, he is someone that New England is reportedly interested in.
According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, the Patriots have an affinity for Mayfield.
"The Patriots’ blockbuster trade with the Rams Tuesday night gave Bill Belichick more draft capital ammunition to try to trade up for Tom Brady’s heir apparent. Could the Evil Empire rocket all the way up to No. 2 by making a deal with the Giants? A few teams in the Top 10, including the Jets, are fully aware of the Patriots’ affinity for Mayfield,"
The last two quarterbacks that the Patriots drafted were traded last season. Jacoby Brissett was traded to the Indianapolis Colts prior to the regular season, while Jimmy Garoppolo was traded to the San Francisco 49ers prior to the NFL trade deadline.
If the Patriots trade up and land Mayfield, he would be in a great spot to learn and develop. Mayfield played in a spread offense in Oklahoma, meaning he spent almost all his time in the shotgun. Landing in a place that would allow him to develop for a period of time could lead to better success at the next level.
Last season at Oklahoma Mayfield completed 70.5 percent of his passes for 4,627 yards and 43 touchdowns, throwing only six interceptions. He also added 311 yards on the ground with five additional scores.
If New England is intent on landing Mayfield, a draft day trade will have to occur. For Bill Belichick, that is nothing new. He has completed 61 yards since taking over operations for New England.