For the Patriots, armed with the No. 3 overall pick, selecting a QB might make the most sense, especially in what appears to be a quarterback-rich draft in which as many as five signal-callers could go in the first round.
However, there are other potential routes to consider; namely, free agency, which begins March 13. Barring an unexpected franchise tag before the end of the window (March 5), here are 10 free agent options for the Patriots to consider — some with connections to the new coaching staff, and some who are intriguing for other reasons.
Joshua Dobbs led the Vikings to wins in his first two games with the team after Kirk Cousins went down, but his success didn’t continue.
Joshua Dobbs led the Vikings to wins in his first two games with the team after Kirk Cousins went down, but his success didn’t continue.JOHN LOCHER/ASSOCIATED PRESS
10. Joshua Dobbs
The 29-year-old stepped in for the Vikings when Kirk Cousins went down early last season, and enjoyed surprising success, winning his first two starts and burnishing his rep as a stopgap presence who can win on short notice. However, his inconsistency quickly left him back on the bench, and by the end of the season, he had been relegated to third-string status. Dobbs should draw interest on the market, but figures to compete for a backup job.
9. Drew Lock
The 27-year-old isn’t the first name you’d consider, but it’s important to note he has a brief history with new quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney; the two were together in Denver for Lock’s first year in the league. (Lock won four games as a rookie, tying John Elway’s franchise mark for wins by a first-year quarterback.) Lock made a pair of starts last year with Seattle, stepping in for an injured Geno Smith, and Denver’s former second-round pick had some impressive moments. (In all, he went 48 for 76 for 543 yards and three touchdowns in four games last year.) But he’s another one likely to compete for a backup job somewhere.
Injuries have derailed Tyrod Taylor in recent years, but the veteran backup has proven he can still play.
Injuries have derailed Tyrod Taylor in recent years, but the veteran backup has proven he can still play.
8. Tyrod Taylor
At this stage of his career, Taylor’s value might be as a veteran mentor; he’s played for six teams since entering the league in 2011. (Call him the poor man’s Ryan Fitzpatrick.) The primary reason the 34-year-old is on this list is if the Patriots are inclined to draft a quarterback at No. 3, but can’t land a veteran bridge/mentor type such as Jacoby Brissett or Gardner Minshew. In that case, Taylor would be an option. He finished last year with a 64 percent completion rate, 1,341 passing yards, and five touchdowns in 11 games (five starts) for the Giants.
Carson Wentz’s days as a starter might be over, barring a career resurgence.
Carson Wentz’s days as a starter might be over, barring a career resurgence.
7. Carson Wentz
After a positive start to his career in Philadelphia, where he had the Eagles pointed toward a Super Bowl before a season-ending injury and the emergence of Nick Foles, it’s been a lost three seasons for Wentz, who has played for three teams in that span. He doesn’t have any connections to the new coaching staff, and is coming off a mostly forgettable year as a backup with the Rams, where he threw for 163 yards and a pair of touchdowns in two games. The 31-year-old is likely nearing the “veteran backup” phase of his career, which might make him appealing to a team in need of depth.
Joe Flacco was the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year with the Browns alongside Alex Van Pelt, now the Patriots’ offensive coordinator.
Joe Flacco was the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year with the Browns alongside Alex Van Pelt, now the Patriots’ offensive coordinator.MATT PATTERSON/ASSOCIATED PRESS
6. Joe Flacco
Working with Alex Van Pelt in Cleveland, Flacco was one of the best stories of 2023, as the veteran came off the couch to help the Browns to the playoffs. It’s debatable what the 39-year-old has left in the tank — if you sign him, you are still taking a quarterback in the first round, or signing another one in free agency. But he’s worth including in this conversation for the connection with Van Pelt.
Gardner Minshew has always had his own style, and he made it work in Indianapolis last season.
Gardner Minshew has always had his own style, and he made it work in Indianapolis last season.
5. Gardner Minshew
If you’re looking for a bridge guy with bona fides, Minshew is your man. He was expected to serve as a veteran backup to Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis last season, but a shoulder injury to the rookie thrust Minshew into the starting role. He performed admirably, throwing for 3,305 yards and 15 touchdowns in 17 games while keeping the Colts on the fringes of the playoff race until late in the season. Minshew, who turns 28 in May, could serve the same role in New England if the Patriots go quarterback at No. 3.
After a year in Washington, could Jacoby Brissett be headed back to New England, where he was drafted in 2016?
After a year in Washington, could Jacoby Brissett be headed back to New England, where he was drafted in 2016?
4. Jacoby Brissett
Now we’re talking. Like Minshew, Brissett’s role would be that of a bridge guy, someone a quarterback who could keep the offense competitive while a rookie becomes game ready. Brissett, 31, has played in a number of systems, he’d be cost-effective, and is one of the best-liked guys in the league. The big question is whether or not the former Patriot feels he has reached the point where he’d be comfortable as a veteran backup/mentor, or is he interested in competing for a starting job? But if New England goes quarterback at No. 3, a return to Foxborough as a guide for a rookie signal-caller would make sense.
3. Ryan Tannehill
This is the point where we start turning from stopgap/bridge guys to quarterbacks who still might consider themselves long-term starters. Tannehill had a good run with the Titans, winning almost twice as many games as he lost, completed more than 64 percent of his passes each season, and had a 2:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. That said, the 35-year-old feels like a consolation prize. Tannehill is probably more a quarterback who could turn a nine-win team (Pittsburgh?) into one capable of winning a playoff game or two, as opposed to the sort who could oversee a rebuild (New England).
Baker Mayfield had a good relationship with Alex Van Pelt in Cleveland and is coming off the best season of his career in Tampa.
Baker Mayfield had a good relationship with Alex Van Pelt in Cleveland and is coming off the best season of his career in Tampa.
2. Baker Mayfield
The dark horse. Mayfield and Van Pelt worked together in Cleveland, and the quarterback has spoken highly of his old offensive coordinator, specifically his coaching style and communication skills.
“He is not that far removed from his playing days. Just a real relatable guy. Very understanding,” Mayfield said of Van Pelt in 2021. “The open communication is pretty essential to what has been our success so far. AVP is just like that. He wants to talk through it and hear our thoughts as well.”
Would it be enough — along with something in the $30 million range annually — to entice Mayfield to New England? That might be a tough sell. He’s coming off his best season, as he set career highs in completion rate (64.3 percent), passing yards (4,044), and touchdown passes (28). But while he figures to be one of the most sought-after quarterbacks on the market, his past working relationship with Van Pelt could give New England an edge.
Kirk Cousins, coming off an Achilles’ injury with the Vikings, wouldn’t come cheap or be a long-term answer.
Kirk Cousins, coming off an Achilles’ injury with the Vikings, wouldn’t come cheap or be a long-term answer.
1. Kirk Cousins
Cousins has never been known as a big-game quarterback. He’ll turn 36 in August. And he’s coming off an Achilles’ injury that limited him to eight games last season. But he’s considered the best of the best, at least this offseason.
The veteran, who has thrown for 39,471 yards, is an accurate passer (career 67 percent completion rate) and a terrific locker room presence. At his age, he would have to understand that if he signed with the Patriots, he’d probably be forgoing a shot at the Super Bowl, instead settling for trying to revive New England’s offense.
Cousins would be expensive — probably $30 million-plus annually for two or three years. And given Cousins’s age, the team that signs him is likely dipping back into the market for a starter in the next few seasons, and ldrafting a youngster in the later rounds.
But if you were a New England team looking to win as soon as possible, you could talk yourself into an offense led by Cousins, Marvin Harrison Jr. (at No. 3), and a rebuilt offensive line.
