The pressure is on Eliot Wolf as he prepares for his first draft as the New England Patriots' de facto general manager.
In addition to being the first draft of the post-Bill Belichick era, it's a pivotal one for a Patriots roster that needs an overhaul. The quarterback, wide receiver, and tackle positions are in dire need of upgrades after an underwhelming free-agency period for New England.
Most are clamoring for Wolf and the Patriots to select a quarterback -- likely either LSU's Jayden Daniels or UNC's Drake Maye -- with the third overall pick. That would be the safe pick, but according to our Tom E. Curran, Wolf's best course of action would be to go against the grain.
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In the latest episode of Quick Slants, Curran explains that trading down would allow New England to build out the rest of its roster and set its future QB up for success.
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"Eliot Wolf, you’re the Patriots' de facto GM but you’re on audition. You’re a temp," Curran said. "You just flailed around on the open free-agent market, and now you have the third overall pick. How you gonna play this? Safe? You gonna take the quarterback? Buys you time. You don’t have to worry about someone like Drake Maye turning into Michael Jordan someplace else if you don't take him. You just do what everyone’s been saying to do for months. It's the safe thing.
"You know what takes guts, Eliot? Takes guts and brains? Admitting your roster situation is so bad you’re not ready to add a quarterback. Telling everybody there’s no Christmas because you have to pay for the electricity and you have to pay for the groceries."
Curran went so far as to compare the new-era Patriots to the lowly New York Jets if they continue putting their young quarterbacks in poor situations. Fellow Patriots insider Phil Perry issued a rebuttal, stating that the smart thing for Wolf and the Pats is to draft a QB at No. 3.
You can watch the full Quick Slants segment below:
Both sides argue valid points. As Curran notes, whichever QB the Patriots select at No. 3 would be thrown into an offense severely lacking in talent. That contributed to Mac Jones' demise in New England, so why should we believe it won't happen with another young QB?
On Perry's side, selecting a stud QB at No. 3 could alter the direction of the franchise. We watched the Houston Texans turn things around with rookie signal-caller C.J. Stroud last season. Perhaps Daniels or Maye can do the same for the Patriots in 2024.
Either way, it's a crucial draft for the Patriots beyond the third overall pick. With several holes on the roster, they'll need to hit on more than just one premier talent if they hope to contend in the near future.
Watch the full episode of "Quick Slants" below, or on YouTube: