Door just opened for Patriots to trade Bailey Zappe to QB needy team

The Patriots head into their second preseason game of the year on Thursday with four quarterbacks on the roster, with at least one who will be cut by the end of the month. The assumption this offseason has been that Bailey Zappe will be the odd man out, as Jacoby Brissett is the expected starter with rookies Drake Maye and Joe Milton III following him on the depth chart.

That appears to be the plan for the team, as well, since Zappe has slowly moved from QB2 to QB4 in practice. However, there was an increasing belief that new head coach Jerod Mayo might decide to carry four quarterbacks during the upcoming season in case disaster happens at some point, and Zappe would provide much-needed relief.

While that remains a possibility, as Zappe has been in the league for two years now and has a handful of starts under his belt, a new opportunity for the Patriots to explore potentially trading the quarterback just opened up due to the latest news from the Vikings.

Minnesota was set to have rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy be their starter for the 2024 season after not re-signing Kirk Cousins in free agency earlier this year.

The Michigan alum spent a good amount of time on the field against the Raiders in their first preseason game last week, but apparently suffered an injury at some point during practice.

He has since been diagnosed with a torn meniscus, which surgery proved to be worse than initially thought, and he will now be sidelined for the entire 2024 season. That forces the Vikings to rely on Sam Darnold to be their starter, which might not be the most ideal scenario.

Bailey Zappe might look more appealing to the Vikings now with JJ McCarthy out for the year

If head coach Kevin O'Connell ultimately decides that Darnold isn't the most desirable guy for the job this season, the Patriots could be in business to deal Zappe for some draft compensation.

Although it might not be anything more than a sixth or seventh-round pick, adding more draft capital is never a bad idea for a team hoping to build their roster with incoming talent.

It would make a lot of sense for the Patriots and the Vikings to strike a deal, even if Zappe isn't miles better than Darnold. But Darnold has proven to be more erratic than the young quarterback and lost his job as a starter after years of disappointing performance.

Giving up a late-round pick for a guy like Zappe wouldn't be a huge loss for the Vikings, either, and he's been active at practice all offseason, making him a more attractive trade target for the quarterback-needy team.

There aren't many intriguing options available in free agency anymore, the most noteworthy being Ryan Tannehill. He would cost a lot more to sign, and because he hasn't been a part of a team since he last played for the Titans last season, he might not be the most football-ready either.

Regardless of whether it's something that ultimately happens, it might not be a bad idea for Eliot Wolf to get on the phone and inquire about the Vikings' possible interest in Zappe, especially if they weren't planning to keep him on the Patriots 2024 roster anyway.

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