Now that Tom Brady has decided to leave the New England Patriots and sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it leaves a massive void at a key position for Bill Belichick and his team. The New England Patriots are no strangers to seeing veteran players go and bringing in youngsters to replace them, but this is a little bit different.
While it’s unclear what Belichick is currently thinking, there are a number of intriguing options that are currently on the table. It’s hard to see the Patriots winning without Brady, but it’s also hard to see the Patriots not remaining at the top of the AFC East Division.
Stidham Currently Tops on Depth Chart
Former Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham is currently sitting at the top of the quarterback depth chart in New England. Stidham is the only current quarterback on the roster for the Patriots, but that will likely change in the coming weeks.
The former Auburn star was selected in the fourth round by the Patriots in the 2019 NFL Draft, but he has thrown just four total regular-season passes in the National Football League.
There are several interesting quarterback options currently available on the market as well. This list includes the likes of Cam Newton, Andy Dalton, and Jameis Winston.
Former Patriot Jacoby Brissett will likely also be available if the Patriots want to go out and sign him after the Colts brought in Philip Rivers to be their new starting quarterback.
The Patriots could also look for a quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft, but they won’t get to pick until No. 23 unless they can work out a trade to move up.
Patriots’ Starting QB Odds in 2021
Sportsbooks aren’t focusing on the 2020 quarterback race in New England, but they have started to list the odds for the 2021 job. Sportsbooks have just released the odds to be the Patriots’ 2021 starter, and there is an interesting name at the top of the list.
- Deshaun Watson +300
- Trevor Lawrence +500
- Jarrett Stidham +500
- Kyle Trask +700
- Dak Prescott +900
- Jacoby Brissett +1100
- Derek Carr +1200
- Andy Dalton +1200
- Taysom Hill +1200
- Cam Newton +1200
- Matthew Stafford +1200
The rest of the list has some interesting and intriguing options as well, but none bigger than Deshaun Watson. Watson is currently the starting quarterback of the Houston Texans, and he is one of the young stars of the NFL.
It’s unlikely that the Texans would want to part with their star quarterback, but this has already been an interesting offseason in Houston.
The Texans recently traded away DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for David Johnson. Hopkins was the number one target for Watson, and it appears that the young quarterback is unhappy with the team.
Sportsbooks think that the Patriots could be in play to land the young star.
Would Patriots Be Willing to Tank?
Another option that the Patriots could employ is to tank during the 2020 season to get in a position to select Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence is the starting quarterback of the Clemson Tigers and has led the team to back to back appearances in the College Football Playoff.
It’s hard to see the Patriots employing the “tanking” strategy, especially at the outset of the 2020 regular season. Most sportsbooks still have the Patriots as the favorites to win the AFC East Division, and Belichick hates to lose.
The Patriots have a history of making things work, but this will be an exciting season in New England.
