The New England Patriots could use a new quarterback, but it doesn't sound like the team is too thrilled about dipping into the current pool of free agents to find that player.
NFL Media's Mike Giardi tweeted Wednesday that the Patriots are among the NFL teams "not enamored" with the group of free agent quarterbacks available at the moment.
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SIGN UP HERE The 2021 free agent class could look significantly different between now and when the market opens for business on March 17.
Curran: Patriots face a dicey proposition if they draft quarterback early
The COVID-19 pandemic prevented the salary cap from rising at its normal rate, and we've already seen many players from around the league get released in recent days as teams look for ways to save cap space and/or shed salary.
So, it's possible that a surprise quarterback could be released and become the top player at the position on the free agent market.
But right now, the options aren't great. Here's a quick rundown of the best free agent QBs (in no particular order).
- Dak Prescott
- Jacoby Brissett
- Mitchell Trubisky
- Andy Dalton
- Ryan Fitzpatrick
- Tyrod Taylor
- Colt McCoy
- Cam Newton
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The Patriots could wait for better free agent quarterback options to become available. They also could make a trade for a veteran. Another avenue is the 2021 NFL Draft, where the Patriots should have 10 picks, including the No. 15 overall selection in the first round. Five quarterbacks are expected to be drafted in Round 1, although it's unclear if any of them will be available at No. 15.
Upgrading at quarterback needs to be the team's top priority in the offseason after how poorly Patriots QBs played during the 2020 campaign. Luckily for New England, there are a few different ways it could obtain a better quarterback before Week 1 in September.