How Much Will We Have To Pay Our Veteran 2004 QB Starter?

[mgteich]

I think that we need a veteran to be the starter in 2024 until the rookie is ready.

How much should we expect to pay for a solid starter/backup for 2024-2025 and 2025-2026?
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A veteran starter to be our #1 franchise leader seems to be $35M to $40M.

What is likely to be the cost of a starter who is expected t become a backup after half a year? Perhaps we really can get a Brissette or Tannelhill for $10M - $12M a year.

 

[ZotZot]

I would gladly welcome Brissette back home for 12 mil per!! He is the definition of a good solider

 

[Pape]

Whats a journeyman veteran going to give us that Bailey Zappe won't?

People mention Jacoby Brissette? Why on earth would you pay him 12-15 million dollars a season?

Why would we pay Kirk Cousins 35-40M in guaranteed money? Why would he want to come here, knowing that in a year or two he will lose the gig in favor of the #3 overall pick...

Its an asinine use of cap dollars paying for a veteran QB for a year or two of service.

Would rather take that 15 million you save on Brissette and offer it up to a Free Agent WR like Tee Higgins.

 

[mgteich]

Whats a journeyman veteran going to give us that Bailey Zappe won't?

People mention Jacoby Brissette? Why on earth would you pay him 12-15 million dollars a season?

Why would we pay Kirk Cousins 35-40M in guaranteed money? Why would he want to come here, knowing that in a year or two he will lose the gig in favor of the #3 overall pick...

Its an asinine use of cap dollars paying for a veteran QB for a year or two of service.

Would rather take that 15 million you save on Brissette and offer it up to a Free Agent WR like Tee Higgins.

so, your plan is to go with Zappe and hope to improve our 2025 draft position.

And yes, I would much rather have Brissette and Bourne than Zappe and Higgens

 

[Pape]

And yes, I would much rather have Brissette and Bourne than Zappe and Higgens

Why?

What is the net gain in signing a guy like Jacoby Brissette? You going to be that much better? That much worse?

Thing about bringing in journeymen quarterbacks is that they are journeymen for a reason. That reason is they don't win. If you have a serviceable qb to hold the fort down until #3 is ready to go, you use him. Anything else is just a waste of resource.

 

[mgteich]

Why?

What is the net gain in signing a guy like Jacoby Brissette? You going to be that much better? That much worse?

Thing about bringing in journeymen quarterbacks is that they are journeymen for a reason. That reason is they don't win. If you have a serviceable qb to hold the fort down until #3 is ready to go, you use him. Anything else is just a waste of resource.

We will likely have a backup started and playing half the year. Plus, a backup may need to play when the starter is injured.

You would have the WORST QB in NFL start for us in 2024. You believe that an upgrade from Zappe just isn't worth the money.

OK. I STRONGLY disagree, as I did in 2023. We should have had a veteran backup then. In 2024, it even MORE important, since he would be very likely to start several games.

 

[ZotZot]

I trust Jacoby with teaching a high draft pick at QB how to be a pro and how to be a leader. Jacoby has survived this long because of his professionalism and intelligence, I want any young player to follow in his every footsteps on and off the field. Jacoby is a solid QB who can make a play now and then, and knows his job is to help build up the "next guy". All that for 12-15 mil is a steal imo

 

[PaulThePat]

Whats a journeyman veteran going to give us that Bailey Zappe won't?

My brain couldn't cope after this bit.

 

[mgteich]

What is the net gain in signing a guy like Jacoby Brissette? You going to be that much better? That much worse?

Average QB play would likely made us a competitor for the layoffs in 2023; terrible play made us the #3 in the draft.

So, the difference between Zappe and Brissette would likely be several games.

 

[Pape]

Average QB play would likely made us a competitor for the layoffs in 2023; terrible play made us the #3 in the draft.

So, the difference between Zappe and Brissette would likely be several games.

Brissette has never had a winning record in his career. He is a place holder. You aren't going to get a significant bump in wins with him under center. If he was a playoff caliber quarterback, he wouldn't be (potentially) on his 6th team in his 8 year career.

You want to bring him in as a back up? I'd be cool with that. But lets not get to thinking he is going to allow this team to compete for a playoff spot as a short term starter. That's delusional.

 

[Pape]

I trust Jacoby with teaching a high draft pick at QB how to be a pro and how to be a leader. Jacoby has survived this long because of his professionalism and intelligence, I want any young player to follow in his every footsteps on and off the field. Jacoby is a solid QB who can make a play now and then, and knows his job is to help build up the "next guy". All that for 12-15 mil is a steal imo

really?


I want a rookie quarterback to be driven to succeed on his own merits, not learning how to "survive" from a career back up.

 

[jmt57]

NFL Quarterback Spending - Cap

A real-time look at how NFL teams are spending their 2024 cap dollars on Quarterbacks.

www.spotrac.com

Quarterback Contracts and Salaries | Over The Cap

Ranking the top NFL Quarterback contracts and salaries in the NFL

overthecap.com

Between the two sites above devoted to cap space, one can get a good idea of the cost of a veteran backup/bridge QB - assuming that is the path the Patriots want to take (rather than Zappe and a draft pick).

These are just the 2023 cap numbers, not AAV.

2023 Cap # Player
$8,500,000 Jacoby Brissett
$5,700,000 Taylor Heinicke
$6,011,666 Mitch Trubisky
$6,900,000 Tyrod Taylor
$3,000,000 Jarrett Stidham
$2,132,000 Andy Dalton
$1,932,000 Marcus Mariota
$5,711,765 Sam Darnold
$4,000,000 Drew Lock
$2,790,000 Mike White
$4,532,000 Jameis Winston
$3,500,000 Gardner Minshew
$2,750,000 Case Keenum
$2,667,647 Teddy Bridgewater

 

[mgteich]

NFL Quarterback Spending - Cap

A real-time look at how NFL teams are spending their 2024 cap dollars on Quarterbacks.

www.spotrac.com

Quarterback Contracts and Salaries | Over The Cap

Ranking the top NFL Quarterback contracts and salaries in the NFL

overthecap.com

Between the two sites above devoted to cap space, one can get a good idea of the cost of a veteran backup/bridge QB - assuming that is the path the Patriots want to take (rather than Zappe and a draft pick).

These are just the 2023 cap numbers, not AAV.

2023 Cap # Player
$8,500,000 Jacoby Brissett
$5,700,000 Taylor Heinicke
$6,011,666 Mitch Trubisky
$6,900,000 Tyrod Taylor
$3,000,000 Jarrett Stidham
$2,132,000 Andy Dalton
$1,932,000 Marcus Mariota
$5,711,765 Sam Darnold
$4,000,000 Drew Lock
$2,790,000 Mike White
$4,532,000 Jameis Winston
$3,500,000 Gardner Minshew
$2,750,000 Case Keenum
$2,667,647 Teddy Bridgewater

OK, so why was Zappe our 2023 backup?

 

[palialka]

I trust Jacoby with teaching a high draft pick at QB how to be a pro and how to be a leader. Jacoby has survived this long because of his professionalism and intelligence, I want any young player to follow in his every footsteps on and off the field. Jacoby is a solid QB who can make a play now and then, and knows his job is to help build up the "next guy". All that for 12-15 mil is a steal imo

This…I’ll gladly take Brissett as 1-2yr bridge QB at 10-12M a year while properly developing our next franchise QB over having the QB feces we had this season. Why the hell would anyone want to keep Zappe as the starter unless you just want to spin the wheels and have another top 5 pick next season?

Even with bringing in a proven vet QB, we’d still have enough money to resign key guys and go out and get some WR/OL help.

At least that would show we have some kind of a plan moving forward. Having a real GM would do wonders in making this happen.

 

[jmt57]

OK, so why was Zappe our 2023 backup?

Because entering the season Zappe had virtually zero expereience, and the Patriots were still fully all in on Mac Jones as their long term starter.

Entering 2024 neither of those are the case.


I'm not at all disagreeing with the concept of signing a veteran. Some on this forum might make a point that the cost of improvement (Veteran>Zappe) is minimal, and that money that could possibly be better utilized on another position if the Pats select a QB with their #3 pick. Others feel that bridge veteran is critical and compulsary.

Solid arguments could be made either way. I compiled those salary statistics to answer your question of how much a veteran/bridge QB will cost. Now we have a good idea of what the price will be.

 

[yukon cornelius]

Whats a journeyman veteran going to give us that Bailey Zappe won't?

People mention Jacoby Brissette? Why on earth would you pay him 12-15 million dollars a season?

Why would we pay Kirk Cousins 35-40M in guaranteed money? Why would he want to come here, knowing that in a year or two he will lose the gig in favor of the #3 overall pick...

Its an asinine use of cap dollars paying for a veteran QB for a year or two of service.

Would rather take that 15 million you save on Brissette and offer it up to a Free Agent WR like Tee Higgins.

well, he gives a career comp % of over 61%, and an over 2:1 TD to INT ratio

over the past 3 seasons, which was 21 starts, a completion % in the 65% range and 20 TDs/10 INT


those numbers are LIGHT YEARS better than what even best case zappe gives you

that's the kind of difference that would GET the FA WR to sign here

 

[yukon cornelius]

Brissette has never had a winning record in his career. He is a place holder. You aren't going to get a significant bump in wins with him under center. If he was a playoff caliber quarterback, he wouldn't be (potentially) on his 6th team in his 8 year career.

You want to bring him in as a back up? I'd be cool with that. But lets not get to thinking he is going to allow this team to compete for a playoff spot as a short term starter. That's delusional.

records are a team stat.......Brissette has never been a starter on a team that has won, sure......but his numbers over his last 18 starts are pretty respectable (65% comp, 20TD/10 INT) - on some lousy teams

 

[yukon cornelius]

really?


I want a rookie quarterback to be driven to succeed on his own merits, not learning how to "survive" from a career back up.

the most succesful young QBs have had a vet in the room to help them

your own merits sounds nice......this league chews up and spits out lots of merit every year

 

[yukon cornelius]

and not saying "give me Brissette or give me death", but there is a HUGE advantage and upgrade in signing a vet bridge, especially when you look at the $$ necessary to get them here.....even IF you draft a 1st RD QB, you need someone in that room besides zappe & mac & rourke (at least 2 of those 3 are going before camp breaks)

 

[mgteich]

Because entering the season Zappe had virtually zero expereience, and the Patriots were still fully all in on Mac Jones as their long term starter.

Entering 2024 neither of those are the case.


I'm not at all disagreeing with the concept of signing a veteran. Some on this forum might make a point that the cost of improvement (Veteran>Zappe) is minimal, and that money that could possibly be better utilized on another position if the Pats select a QB with their #3 pick. Others feel that bridge veteran is critical and compulsary.

Solid arguments could be made either way. I compiled those salary statistics to answer your question of how much a veteran/bridge QB will cost. Now we have a good idea of what the price will be.

Yes, thank you for compiling the stats on the cost of a veteran transition/backup QB. The cost was much less than I thought. For me, unless we are committed to starting our draftee on Day 1, we need a starter. At very least, we need a backup much better than Zappe, a really low bar.

Here's the baker's dozen. I think Mayfield and Winston have already agreed on 2024 deals.