New England Patriots: Remaining roster holes after the 2020 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: Quarterback
There’s a method to this. There has to be.
While the speculation about the Patriots going after a quarterback early in the draft were there leading up to Round 1, no such moves were made to bolster the position until after the NFL Draft itself. New England brought aboard Brian Lewerke of Michigan State and J’Mar Smith of Louisiana Tech as undrafted free agents, but pump the breaks on them being anything more than camp competition and developmental projects.
This points to the one idea many thought would be the case all along: Jarrett Stidham will be the guy under center for the foreseeable future.
New England’s moves (or non-moves) confirm what Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller said before the NFL Draft about the Patriots thinking their fourth-round pick from last year’s draft would be ready for full-time starting duties this season.
Perhaps. But let’s see.
On the positive side, Stidham has a clear path to securing the starting job and won’t have too much competition aside from the UDFAs and the veteran, Brian Hoyer. If it works out well enough, Stidham could be a solid fit for the foreseeable future.
If not, well, it puts New England in a position to land a franchise-type quarterback a year from now.
Still, until Stidham proves otherwise, a quarterback has to be considered a remaining need.