Adam Schein believes the Patriots will bolster their quarterback depth by week’s end, but not in the form of an incoming rookie.
New England ranks among the most QB-needy teams entering the 2021 NFL Draft. While the Patriots potentially could target one of the top signal-caller prospects Thursday night, they’d likely need to move up from No. 15 in order to do so. Any trade of that variety probably would be pretty expensive for Bill Belichick and Co.
A cheaper move for the Patriots could be reuniting with old friend Jimmy Garoppolo. Among Schein’s nine “sizzling draft takes” shared Tuesday was New England making a play for Tom Brady’s former backup.
“Garoppolo is done as The Guy in San Francisco,” Schein wrote for NFL.com. “It’s an open secret. Meanwhile … The Patriots are officially back after an amazing offseason. They just need a new quarterback. I’m certainly in favor of trading up if Justin Fields or Trey Lance falls. But Bill Belichick could just stay at No. 15, add a much-needed receiver and still trade a pick (third-rounder?) for a quarterback he wanted to keep in New England in the first place.
“Jimmy G is better than this version of Cam Newton, and he’s obviously quite familiar with Josh McDaniels’ system. There’s just so much logic here. Get. It. Done.”
Schein’s take probably isn’t all that far-fetched. The 49ers — who own the third overall pick in the 2021 draft — reportedly will soon make a “major effort” to trade Garoppolo. Furthermore, New England might make the most sense as a trade partner for San Francisco given quarterback needs and situations around the league.
Taking on Garoppolo would require some financial juggling for the Patriots, but it might be worth it for a signal-caller who Belichick clearly holds in high regard.
