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Report sheds light on Patriots’ quarterback plan in NFL Draft, free agency originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots need to make a change at quarterback following a disastrous 2023 season that saw them sink to the bottom of the AFC standings with a 4-13 record.
Neither Mac Jones nor Bailey Zappe represent a good short- or long-term option at the position. Their inability to protect the football was a huge issue for the offense and one of the primary reasons why it scored a league-low 13.9 points per game.
So, what’s the plan to improve at quarterback?
MassLive’s Mark Daniels, Chris Mason and Karen Guregian reported Thursday that, “According to multiple sources, the Patriots are planning to draft a quarterback with the No. 3 pick. One NFL executive, outside of New England, relayed that it’s widely expected in league circles that quarterbacks will be selected with the first three picks in April.”
But that’s not all.
Instead of having Jones or Zappe be the backup, MassLive reports, citing a source, that “the Patriots plan on signing a veteran free agent quarterback, too. The team is in no rush to start a rookie immediately and could play that veteran if they think it would benefit the younger quarterback to sit for a season.”
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It might be enticing to take a generational wide receiver talent like Ohio State star Marvin Harrison Jr. with the No. 3 pick in the draft. But the Patriots have enough salary cap space to sign a wide receiver in free agency or make a trade for one.
It’s also not a good year to find a long-term solution at quarterback via the free agent market. Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield are the best options by far, but they might not even leave their current teams. Each player would also be super expensive to sign, which limits how much cap space the Patriots would have to address other weak…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/report-sheds-light-patriots-quarterback-193855466.html
Author : NBC Sports Boston
Publish date : 2024-02-29 19:38:55
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