As a substitute of getting veteran Jacoby Brissett, high-upside signal-caller Justin Fields and the No. 3 general choose within the 2024 NFL Draft to deal with their quarterback state of affairs, the New England Patriots have Brissett, their third general choice and a modest sixth-round choose within the 2025 draft.
Fields was traded from the Chicago Bears to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday. Pittsburgh despatched a conditional sixth-rounder to Chicago for the 2021 first-round choose. If Fields performs greater than half of Pittsburgh’s snaps in 2024, unlikely given Russell Wilson is considered because the workforce’s starter, that conditional sixth-round choose turns into a fourth-rounder.
It looks like a worthy funding for a workforce just like the Steelers, who don’t have their long-term reply at quarterback written in stone.
Aren’t the Patriots in an identical spot?
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New England clearly is in a extra favorable state of affairs given the place it’s drafting. The Patriots are anticipated to draft a quarterback — probably Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels — in late April. They nonetheless may have completed so in the event that they traded for Fields. The hope is claimed quarterback prospect develops into the franchise signal-caller and stays in New England for years to come back.
However is it a certain factor? Properly, no. There’s volatility when speaking about draft prospects, even ones ranked as excessive as Maye and Daniels. And that is a very powerful place in sports activities we’re speaking about. A sixth-round choose for a quarterback, who has began 38 video games in three seasons and has untapped potential, doesn’t really feel like a loopy ask.
A second- or third-round choose? That may not have been sensible given the place New England’s roster stands. The Patriots want to deal with quarterback, offensive deal with and huge receiver within the draft. However provided that sixth-round picks normally flip into depth items or particular groups gamers — sure, Tom Brady was a sixth-rounder — the transfer for Fields may have been price it.
The Patriots obtained a sixth-rounder for Mac Jones final week, too, although that choose is in 2024 not 2025.
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This additionally isn’t to say that Fields robotically would turn out to be the starter in 2024 or long-term reply after that. It merely would have been completed to amass a quarterback and see if mentioned QB may compete for that spot. It will have been one other dart throw in hopes of hitting a bullseye.
Maybe Fields would have match effectively with Patriots first-year offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt? Maybe his capacity to make use of his legs would have helped given New England nonetheless wants a starting-caliber offensive deal with? Or maybe it by no means works out and the Patriots lower Fields in August and transfer ahead with Brissett and the rookie? Or maybe Fields performs in New England in 2024 and turns into a free agent after the season?
That’s now not an choice for the Patriots. Some absolutely will likely be joyful concerning the resolution to not commerce for Fields. But when New England opts to not draft a quarterback No. 3 general, or if that quarterback doesn’t work out long-term, the Patriots probably will likely be kicking themselves for preserving their 2025 sixth-round choose.
What do you assume? Do you assume the Patriots ought to have traded for Fields? Or are you content New England stayed away? Hold forth within the feedback beneath.
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