As everyone turns the page from head-scratching Super Bowl loss to the offseason, the focus is becoming increasing clearer that the expectation is the Patriots must draft Tom Brady‘s successor in a couple months.
Last year, we knew we were likely headed into the last season of the Brady-Jimmy Garoppolo duo, and barring something catastrophic, it was likely that Garoppolo would end up elsewhere. What we didn’t know, and should have, was that Garoppolo would be hung around the Patriots’ and their fan’s necks for the rest of his career. The questions of how much compensation the Pats should’ve gotten, of whether getting rid of Brady a few years early to get another 10 with Garoppolo was worth it, and so on.
As Patriots fans we’re stuck with Jimmy Garoppolo and his “woulda/coulda” relationship with the Patriots. But it’s not quite as bad as what is coming down the pike for the poor rookie signal caller who will be saddled with not only being the heir apparent to Brady but also have his career constantly compared to what Garoppolo does in San Francisco. The weight of those implications must be seriously considered by the Patriots.
Drafted quarterbacks are no strangers to pressure, especially when they’re taken high in the draft and immediately dubbed a franchise savior. The Patriots draftee will be in a different position, but one that will be almost more difficult.
On one hand, he gets to apprentice under Brady and get the same education that Garoppolo got, though there is no guarantee of how quickly the rookie could be called on. Brian Hoyer is a quality veteran to have and the Patriots could win games with him if needed. But if Hoyer were needed for extended time the focus would quickly turn to the rookie and whether he should be thrown into the fire.
And that’s just in a worst case scenario of Brady getting hurt. Even if Brady stays healthy the rookie will be critically torn apart in each and every training camp practice. Garoppolo’s poor training camps and preseason performances will be cast from memory as the rookie tries to find an impossible middle ground between the GOAT and the one who got away for not enough draft compensation.
The Patriots won’t explicitly draft a quarterback this season assuming he’ll replace Brady eventually. They’ll draft one they like, plug him in and see how it goes. That’s the kind of in-the-moment coaching and development that Bill Belichick has preached and practiced for so long, but outside the walls in Foxboro the feeding frenzy will be on.
Getting drafted first overall by a team like the Browns is a monumental challenge for a rookie quarterback. Most would prefer to go to a good team with a starter in place so they can apprentice before they take centerstage, but whichever rookie quarterback the Patriots take will step into his own personal can of worms of impossible comparisons and expectations.
Perhaps the wisest thing for New England to do would be to acquire two young quarterbacks this offseason one way or another. It will mitigate the pressure a bit and provide additional competition to push both. Though whoever is acquired with a higher pick or greater compensation will have the bigger target on their back regardless.
Taking Garoppolo before they really needed to was a nice move. He wasn’t necessarily going to be “the next one” and thus the focus and pressure on him was lighter and allowed him to grow behind the scenes. When his time came he was ready and excelled.
The next young quarterback the Patriots draft won’t have that luxury.
In sports, when you are in position to win titles you don’t trade the best player in the league for a “maybe is great” after 6 quarters of play. You trade sometimes your best prospects to get good pieces to get those titles. Brady is not just a guy who was great. He is still the best player in NFL. You go for the shot to win 1, 2 or 3 more with this guy and worry about succession after. The fact that anyone thinks they went the wrong way doesn’t realize how spoiled and delusional they have become.
Yep, exactly right.
But Mike is right too that the ghost of Jimmy G will be haunting the Pats next QB along with the specter of the GOAT.
Personally, I’m OK with the fact that the Pats don’t have the biggest contract in the league hanging over their heads, and won’t for years.
Do you (or anyone else) have a favorite QB in this draft?
Not yet. I don’t touch college prospects until now, just dipping my toe in. Draft stuff will start coming in March.
Good luck. Looking forward to the eventual article(s). I think the only thing that the “experts” can agree on is that there is no QB that everyone can agree is the top prospect. I think this draft could be very telling on what each expert’s most important qualities are in a QB.