Patriots: WEEI host thinks Gardner Minshew trade should be offseason priority

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots might be in need of a new quarterback considering how inconsistent Cam Newton’s 2020 season was.

They might be able to find it on the trade market if they can pry Gardner Minshew away from the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Minshew had another solid season in 2020, but he was merely rearranging the deck chairs in the Titanic, as the Jaguars won just a single game and ended up with the top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

With Clemson wunderkind Trevor Lawrence a few months away from becoming a Jaguar, Minshew is likely going to be on the move.

While he was benched last season, Minshew was one of the lone bastions of competence on an awful Jaguars squad, and his stats could translate into more victories on a team that can put better pieces around him.

WEEI seems to agree, as Gary Tanguay believes that given the cap space New England has this offseason, their solid offensive line, and coaching that is 10 times better than Doug Marrone and his staff, Minshew could be a potential upgrade at quarterback in 2021 and beyond.

Gardner Minshew could be a long-term solution for the Patriots

Guess which 2019 draft pick has the highest career passer rating? It’s not Kyler Murray, who has the benefit of Kliff Kingsbury and DeAndre Hopkins. It’s Minshew, who produced despite playing on a team that was trying to lose. 2019 classmates Drew Lock and Daniel Jones are getting as many excuses made for them as possible, but Minshew has outperformed them both.

Minshew completed 66% of his passes and threw 16 touchdowns against five interceptions last year. While he has won just seven starts in two years, the Jaguars have been a tire fire on all levels. Despite all of that, Minshew has thrown 37 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions in 20 starts.

He’s by no means a perfect quarterback. His arm strength is average, and his accuracy down the field comes and goes. Despite that, his overall accuracy, ability to make plays on the move, and skill at getting the ball out quickly could help him become a stud in New England with the help of Josh McDaniels and a very good rushing attack.

New England shouldn’t let his win-loss record or his draft status prevent them from making a trade. Minshew has put up starting quarterback numbers, and the fact a potential franchise QB could be had without giving up tons of draft capital should be piquing Belichick’s interest.