NFL Rumors: Patriots Plan to Draft QB No Matter Tom Brady's Decision
If a rumor that surfaced last week is in fact true, then the New England Patriots may not be sold on Jarrett Stidham being their starting quarterback if Tom Brady leaves.
According to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report, regardless of what Brady decides to do this offseason, whether it be staying with the Patriots or playing elsewhere, New England intends to draft a quarterback in this year's draft.
"A quarterback will be drafted by New England this year, according to one source within the team. Whether that's in Round 1 or later depends on Tom Brady's free-agency decision. League sources still believe Brady returns to the Patriots for 2020," Miller wrote.
This may come as a surprise to some. For having such high praise of Stidham as a rookie in terms of his ability to comprehend the playbook and his play in the preseason and on the practice field, the decision to draft a QB in April doesn't quite go in line with how we expected the team to handle the 2020 Draft. However, if the Patriots do have concerns about how Stidham will play once he is thrusted into a starting role, then it makes complete sense for them to bring in a backup plan that is young, talented, and more importantly - cheap.
But what is most surprising about what Miller wrote is that New England intends to draft a QB even if Brady stays with the Patriots. If Miller's report is true, then the Patriots want to have multiple potential successors to Brady. This is similar to the approach they took in 2016 when New England decided to draft Jacoby Brissett despite already having Jimmy Garoppolo on the roster.
The Patriots are apparently once again preparing for the post-Tom Brady era by attempting to double-down on Brady's heir. But this time around, the end of Brady's career is actually right down the road.
