NFL Rumors: Patriots Were Ignoring Calls Regarding QBs Leading Up to Draft
Just one more pro-Jarrett Stidham post for the people in the way back who haven't been listening.
A nugget from Bleacher Report's Matt Miller's scouting notebook this week mentioned how he spoke with a "top" agent prior to the draft. That agent told him he had tried to speak with the New England Patriots about some of the free agent quarterbacks and quarterback prospects he was representing. However, his calls went unanswered.
Rumors started circling at the NFL Scouting Combine in late February that the Patriots were ready for life after Brady should he decide to walk in free agency, with one top agent telling me that he was trying to set up calls with New England to talk about his free agency or quarterback prospects in the draft.
Those calls, per the agent, came and went without a response from the Patriots. "They like the guy they have," he told me in a predraft call.
The Patriots seemingly have their eyes pegged on 2019 fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham being their starting quarterback next season. If that fails, then they have a security net - i.e. Brian Hoyer - who has plenty of experience in New England's system, but doesn't bring a very high ceiling of play along with that experience.
While bringing in another talented veteran like Andy Dalton, Cam Newton or even a drafted player would have made sense for the Patriots if they wanted to spark a quarterback competition this summer in New England, there's been nothing done up until this point of the offseason that suggests that's what they would like to do. The Patriots want to know what they have in Stidham next season, which is why bringing in another player to compete for the starting job doesn't make sense and would ultimately eliminate that goal.
