Fields is not a QB you trade for to be just a bridge. In 2022 he ran for 1,143 yards, the second-highest total ever for a QB. That kind of upside isn’t going to come cheap, and that’s the problem:
- You’d be bringing in a QB to an offense that isn’t already tailor made to this skill set
- You’ll have to pay in terms of draft capital (anywhere from a 1st to a 3rd round pick would be my guess)
- You’ll have to exercise his 5th year option, for a guy who is questionable as a passer, so you’ve got him for two seasons at the least. And if you don’t then you’re paying for a one-year rental on a team that is not built to contend
A proper bridge QB is someone you don’t need to commit strong assets to acquire. Best course of action is to sign a veteran QB this offseason, or trade for one for cheaper than what Fields will cost. Aiming for an older veteran QB will bring the cost of acquisition down considerably.
Now that we know Van Pelt is the QB it’ll have to be a guy who can run the west coast offense. I actually think a decent guy to target would be Jimmy Garoppolo. He has prior experience in the west coast offense, having run Kyle Shanahan’s version of it in San Francisco over the course of six seasons. He’s a familiar face to this franchise and would give the team a seasoned vet with experience at winning games, granted that was with much better personnel around him. You don’t bring a guy like Jimmy in expecting him to lead this team to the promised land, but rather to keep the seat warm for whoever takes the reigns later. He’s not durable so they may want to make sure there are 3 QBs rostered heading into the season.
I think many of us are still conditioned to seeing this team win lots of games and may not have the patience to see another losing season play itself out, but I believe that’s the reality we need to embrace for now. Two decades of unprecedented success but now it’s time for this team to really rebuild. The Pats are not a QB away from contending. The offensive line needs rebuilding, the wide receiver room needs to be ramped up, there are no tight ends under contract, etc. The focus needs to be on acquiring young, talented players that can make up the foundation for this team for years to come. Fields needs to go to a team with a better support system than what the Patriots can offer in order to have a chance at success. He isn’t a fit for the current state of this team, and he’s not someone I’d trust the future of this team to.
Edit - Alright some of you aren’t keen on Jimmy, I get that. Let’s hear some alternatives that don’t include Fields or sticking with Zappe/Mac, and how that QB fits into the plans.