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The Patriots might be making Bailey Zappe look a lot better than he actually is, and New England potentially could cash in on its great handling of the young quarterback.
Zappe looked like a capable starting signal-caller in his first two NFL starts: a 29-0 win over the Detroit Lions in Foxboro and a 23-point victory over the Browns in Cleveland. The rookie was especially sharp this past weekend at FirstEnergy Stadium, completing over 70% of his pass attempts for 309 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Still, one AFC personnel executive doesn't seem to believe the Patriots will keep rolling with Zappe once Mac Jones is healthy. In fact, the anonymous exec isn't even convinced that the Western Kentucky product is a legitimate starter. That doesn't mean Bill Belichick and company won't be able to use Zappe as a trade asset, though.
"I think they trick someone into a draft pick for him," the exec told Pro Football Focus' Doug Kyed. "I think he's smart, consistent and runs the offense well. He's not a real guy, in my opinion."
The Patriots are fortunate that the needed emergence of Zappe has coincided with the lightest portion of their 2022 schedule. Aside from being able to win these games with the 23-year-old behind center, inferior competition paves the way for Zappe's trade value to be boosted. If the undersized QB plays deep into the campaign against better teams while the Patriots are battling for a playoff spot, he might be exposed and his stock in turn could drop significantly.
The exec also pointed out that it's not terribly uncommon for quarterbacks to be overvalued based on small sample sizes (see: Matt Flynn). If the Patriots are able to effectively utilize Zappe in Jones' absence and then ultimately get their return on investment for the 2022 fourth-rounder (or better), it would be another addition to Belichick's catalog of masterful moves.
