The Patriots could go a few different directions under center if Tom Brady departs in free agency.
If you ask Nate Burleson, New England’s best route would be pursuing the quarterback who helped end its 2019 campaign.
“Just think about an individual that has won games up against Tom Brady,” Burleson said Tuesday on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.” “Think about an individual that if there was an award called the ‘Most Improved, Comeback Player,’ he might have won it this past season. Think about a young quarterback that has already received money, that is working for his next big deal, that is athletic, that is as tough as it gets and that is ready to prove himself. I got a guy that makes perfect sense and top of that, he might be a little bit more inexpensive than Tom Brady. How about Ryan Tannehill to the Patriots? He’s beaten Tom Brady five times in his career, including playoffs. You know who has more victories against Tom Brady? Only Peyton Manning. That’s the only other quarterback. Ryan Tannehill is fearless.
“Think about this past playoff win he had up against Tom Brady. We all thought that the Patriots were gonna do what they do best, right? They get into the playoffs and they smack up a team of lesser talent, lesser coaches. That’s not what they did and they were led by Ryan Tannehill. Of course, he had help with Derrick Henry and that fantastic group of men on the other side of the ball playing defense the way they did. But Ryan Tannehill right now — with what he did in Miami and how he reinvented himself with Tennessee — this could be an individual that can go anywhere. He’s proven this past season he can go anywhere and win. Now, just like Peter King said, maybe the Patriots are sitting back saying, ‘All right, Tom. We’ll let you walk away and we’ll take any of these free-agent quarterbacks.’ Out of the free-agent quarterbacks, I dare you to give me a better player that is more exciting than Ryan Tannehill right now. I don’t think there is.”
One has to assume Burleson is opining for this course of action in the event Brady signs with the Titans. While Tennessee previously was viewed as a legitimate potential landing spot for Brady, it appears the franchise is beginning to cool on its interest in the six-time Super Bowl champion. A report from ESPN’s Dianna Russini on Tuesday indicated the Titans plan on moving forward with Tannehill, whether it be via a new contract or the franchise tag for the time being.
In terms of more realistic options for the Patriots among veteran QBs, a few pundits have identified Andy Dalton as a potential replacement for Brady in Foxboro.
