New England Patriots: What is Plan B at quarterback?

Is Bill Belichick really about to put all the eggs in the New England Patriots’ basket into the lap of an unproven fourth-round draft pick at quarterback?

Following a free agency period that yielded no high-profile trades or signings and a draft in which the team did not select a quarterback, fans and analysts have largely come to accept the idea of second-year man Jarrett Stidham beginning the season under center for New England.

Passing on the likes of Andy Dalton and Cam Newton in March, as well as guys like Jalen Hurts and Jacob Eason on the second day of the draft, indicates an unmistakable confidence in the Auburn product.

As is with all things in sports, however, nothing is definitive regarding the team’s future at the quarterback position.

Despite an impressive showcase in the 2019 preseason, Stidham’s inexperience and inconsistent college tape will require a backup option under center. Between a strong 2021 draft class and several aging, yet capable veteran options, one can almost guarantee that Bill Belichick is already working on Plans B, C and D in the event of their necessity.

2021 NFL Draft class could be loaded with potential QB prospects

For years, the 2021 NFL Draft’s talent pool has been defined by one player: Trevor Lawrence. The rising junior out of Clemson, standing at 6’6, possesses a rare combination of arm talent, precision, and mobility. Indeed, Lawrence resembles a blue-chip quarterback prospect in almost every way.

Pocket presence and field vision, however, will need to be improved somehow for Lawrence to be considered worthy of the first pick next April. Though both traits are surprisingly well-developed for such a young passer, Lawrence still abandons clean pockets and forces open receivers to wait for the ball far too often.

While his draft eligibility has been highly anticipated for so long, Lawrence has encountered very legitimate competition for next year’s first overall pick.

Ohio State’s Justin Fields and Trey Lance out of North Dakota State have made serious waves in the scouting community over the past year.

Fields’ mobility, pocket awareness, and smooth release have caught the eye of pro-level evaluators and allowed him to produce a 41:3 touchdown to interception ratio in 2019.

More recently discovered is Lance, whose preposterous arm talent officially has the attention of scouts all throughout the league. In terms of delivery speed and ball velocity, Lance’s only equivalent across all levels of football would have to be former league MVP and reigning Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes.

The comparison may seem outrageous, but the tape on his 28-touchdown, zero-interception season paints a very simple and obvious picture: If Trey Lance can’t spin a football, nobody can.

Gifted with tremendous athleticism like Lawrence and Fields, as well as surprising processing speed and anticipatory skills, Lance could soon become the favorite for the 2021 Draft’s top selection.

Veteran options could also become available spring of next year

Next year’s free agency class, at the quarterback position, does not feature too many exciting names.

Two young passers to keep an eye on, however, are Chicago’s Mitch Trubisky and former-Buccaneer Jameis Winston, who is primed for a backup role in his one season under contract for New Orleans.

Winston and Trubisky were selected first and second overall in the 2015 and 2017 drafts, respectively. Despite what most would consider a disappointing start to their careers, the potential which prompted their early selections can still be harnessed in the right system.

The expiration of young star Deshaun Watson’s contract is worth mentioning, but one can almost guarantee that Houston will work out a deal with the savior of its franchise. Along with Cam Newton, Andy Dalton, and even Aaron Rodgers, however, the Patriots have been mentioned routinely as possible suitors for a trade involving the budding superstar.

For obvious reasons, however, their services will likely yield an unrealistic price-tag; one that the Patriots cannot and will not meet.

Despite their names circulating in multiple trade rumors, the contracts of Rodgers and Watson would surely require the abandonment of multiple first-round picks. Dalton and Newton are not as highly coveted, but likely aren’t serious options for the team at this point regardless.

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots do have a number of alternative options in the event of Jarrett Stidham’s failure under center. But as of now, the only exciting ones are too highly coveted.

If ‘Stid the Kid’ is unable to produce in 2020, the Patriots will have trouble finding a long-term solution at quarterback.