Patriots: Brian Lewerke’s return makes it clear Bill Belichick sees something

Former MSU QB Brian Lewerke is back with the New England Patriots.

To many fans’ surprise, the Patriots chose not to address the quarterback position in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Of course, as we expected, Bill Belichick had a wait-and-see plan all along that involved supplementing Jarrett Stidham with a former NFL MVP, but it was a bit jarring to see New England’s haul consist exclusively of post-draft signings J’Mar Smith and Brian Lewerke out of MSU.

It was also equally jarring to see both Smith and Lewerke in New England’s initial group of roster cuts last weekend.

What might potentially have seemed like a short-sighted move has now been righted, though, as the Patriots have re-signed QB Brian Lewerke, days after letting him go in the team’s very first round of cuts. By any metric, it’s got to be clear at this point that Bill Belichick likes this kid.

Michigan-based collegiate career, slightly inconsistent tenure … huh, seems unfamiliar.

Lewerke was a bit skittish with the ball, and wasn’t as much of a game manager as he likely should have been at MSU, but all things considered, the 23-year-old left school as a three-year starter, and became the career leader in total offense with 9,548 yards, including 8,293 passing yards. He also left campus with the Michigan State records for starts (38) and wins (22).

And yes, for all those out there worrying, of course this deal will have minimal financial impact on the 2020 cap. It’s a flyer, and one that clearly comes from the top.

Where Lewerke fits into the picture for 2020 and beyond, we have no idea, and this makes four  QBs in the room, including Brian Hoyer, for however long it takes this kid to be reassigned to the practice squad.

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But, no matter what, it’s now become clear Belichick wanted Lewerke in his corner for what will be a very pivotal season in New England, full of high-quality tutelage from the Hoodie, Hoyer, Cam Newton, and even Stidham.

There’s a lot to be learned in 2020, with a lot of varied voices to teach it. Belichick sees potential in Lewerke, and scrambled to make him a part of the Patriots’ present in any way he could. We’ll wait for the first glowing training camp reports — if we know Belichick, they’re just around the corner.