Everyone wants to know which quarterback prospects are receiving interest from the New England Patriots. And no one wants to give up that information.
That’s because no one is looking to incite a reaction out of the Patriots. NESN.com recently reached out to an agent inquiring whether his client — a top-rated quarterback prospect — had any contact with the Patriots.
“Are you trying to get the Patriots to hunt down my firstborn?” the agent replied.
We think he was joking. But this is an annual tradition. We reached out to an agent last spring as well, gauging the Patriots’ interest in his client, a Day 3 quarterback prospect.
“Would love to answer that, but then I have to deal with the wrath of (the Patriots), and that isn’t good,” the agent said.
Leaked interest won’t preclude the Patriots from taking a quarterback. But it is a headache not worth self-inducing. The only thing that might remove a quarterback from the Patriots’ draft board is if he meets with the team then is quoted about the interaction.
The Patriots are protective over their pre-draft contact in general, but that’s especially true with quarterbacks, according to one agent.
More Patriots: Quarterback Options In Each Round Of 2020 NFL Draft
And this information usually does inevitably get reported. Just on Sunday, ESPN reported that FIU quarterback James Morgan recently FaceTimed with the Patriots.
It was reported last April that Jarrett Stidham visited the Patriots. Then they drafted him. A Jimmy Garoppolo visit also was reported in 2014 before the Patriots took him.
Still, many agents don’t want to take the risk when it comes to the Patriots. So, if you’re hearing radio silence between the Patriots and your favorite quarterback prospect, don’t be concerned. That player’s representatives might not want to be on the receiving end of an angry phone call.
The Patriots are likely to take a quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft after releasing Cody Kessler last week. The Patriots now have just two quarterbacks on their 90-man roster in Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer.
Stidham currently is the prospective Patriots starter, while Hoyer is a solid backup who can compete for the starting role in training camp and preseason. How the Patriots handle adding a third quarterback will hint at how they feel about Stidham.
If the Patriots take a quarterback in the first round or trade into the second round to grab one, then that player likely would compete with Stidham and Hoyer for the starting role. Some early-round options include Tua Tagovailoa, Jordan Love and Jacob Eason.
If the Patriots grab a signal-caller in the third round, then he might compete with Stidham for the starting job in the future. Jalen Hurts and Jake Fromm are mid-round quarterback prospects.
If they grab a late-round option like James Morgan, Nate Stanley, Anthony Gordon or Cole McDonald, then the Patriots likely view that player as a developmental backup.
The Patriots met with Love and Fromm at the NFL Scouting Combine.
