The comments below sound like you are describing someone who does not understand the value of the QB position. They sound as if you feel belichick would rather suck at the position than spend the money (or resources) it takes to be good at the position.
If I accept that belief then I would consider Belichick negligent. I do not believe he will act with negligence toward the QBs position.
Does that clarify it?
I get what you're saying...but...I'm still lost as to how you got there...?
But I don't know how they're going to handle the QB position and I can't see them paying anyone a ton of money given that it goes completely against how they do business.
I was just saying - and I feel like this is universally known here - they normally don't pay free agents top dollar and I don't think they're going to start now. Not considering they wouldn't pay Brady and the fact they've always made it a philosophy to not devote a high-percentage of cap space to that position.
So yes, while we have no one "yet", it's hard not to agree with @mgteich that New England could very well finish with the 4th best QB in the division next season. And - while, again, it's a strange situation to be in - none of us can believe otherwise until they do something about it.
I was just saying right now, they don't have anyone that is starting caliber at this point unless Stidham turns a corner, and I feel like Belichick believes that isn't the case based on how this year played out.
If they're not going to overpay for a top-tier guy (whoever that might be), they could be among the bottom QB wise within the division depending on how things go...sort of like how they finished this season if the guy they want in the draft isn't there again and if they take a shot at a lower-tiered free agent QB who struggles in his first season here.
Outside of Jimmy G - I don't really feel like the Patriots will have enough trust to pay anyone else a large sum. They just don't do it, which essentially takes them out of the market for top-tier quarterbacks. I don't really have a sense yet as to who they might target in the early or lower rounds of the draft because I haven't delved into that yet, but given that they don't really have anyone other than Stidham and Hoyer heading into next year, barring an improvement with the Jets, the Patriots could very well be battling it out in terms of QB talent at the bottom of the division.
And here, I was just saying again that they don't pay top dollar for someone unless they're 100% confident on the return. I think Jimmy might be someone they'd take a risk on there, but outside of that, I think they'd try and find a lower-tiered player or a draft pick. Again, like the post above, how that works out would be the question and it's not negligent on Belichick, it just comes down to who is available and how high they're willing to go.
I feel like you're trying to defend a point where there isn't a hill. We're just having a conversation about what they may/may not do and discussing hypotheticals. I'm not calling Belichick negligent at all. Honestly? Based on what we heard this season, I think he gambled on Brady staying and wasn't really prepared for that possibility and it left him scrambling at the end when he obviously didn't feel comfortable in Stidham and he took a risk on Cam. Through the first couple of weeks, it seemed like a great move. It just didn't work out.
I definitely believe he'll address it this offseason. I just have questions about how and who - which I think more or less describes the feelings of others in here as well.