Figuring out the quarterback position will clearly be a priority for the Patriots this offseason, but how they go about doing so remains to be seen.
The most exciting option for fans might be drafting one in the first round, either with the 15th overall pick that they’re now locked into or via trading up for a higher pick.
While trading for a veteran may not be quite as exciting of an option, CBS analyst and WFAN host Boomer Esiason said on The Greg Hill Show Monday morning that it shouldn’t be dismissed as a possibility for the Patriots.
“They’ll scour the league. I’m telling you, there will be a couple quarterbacks out there that will be available that we’re not even thinking about right now,” Esiason said. “It’s hard to project, but I’m sure guys like maybe Matt Ryan or Matthew Stafford could be in play. Jimmy Garoppolo could be in play. Sam Darnold could be in play. Mitch Trubisky could be in play. I’m not sure if any of those excite anyone up there in New England. But at this point, I think it’s all hands on deck, and they have to look at everything. And that’s the most important position, so they have to figure it out.”
Esiason pointed out that while everyone dreams about hitting on a first-round pick and getting 10-15 years of greatness, it doesn’t always work out that way, and sometimes bringing in a veteran is a more viable path to winning games and making the playoffs, even if it’s not a super long-term fix.
“Everybody would love to draft their guy and have a 10-to-15-year run, let alone a 20-year run like Tom Brady had, and get the guy who is going to be the leader of the team for the next decade or so," Esiason said. "That would be the prime way of going about it, but then you have to evaluate all the situations, all the deals that potentially come your way, and try to figure out who is available. Is Jimmy Garoppolo available to be brought back?
“It’s a hard thing, but it also goes to show you how vital and how valuable guys like Philip Rivers and Tom Brady really are. Both of those guys moved to new teams, both had to get used to new players, new coaches, and both of those guys took their franchises to the playoffs. So that’s why I say it is a quarterback-centric league.”