The best-case scenario(s) for Bailey Zappe

[ctpatsfan77]

Since we're in the doldrums of the offseason, let me ask this two-part question. I admit that they may have the same answer, but they probably don't.

• What is the best-case scenario for Zappe's development, as far as Zappe himself is concerned? Does he start? If so, when? Does he finish his contract?
• And what's the best-case for Zappe's development as far as the Patriots are concerned, given that they have Mac Jones?

 

[moosekill]

Best case is he becomes the greatest qb ever, wins multiple championships and becomes Goat 2.

 

[moosekill]

If you assume Mac continues to be the #1 qb then you hope he looks really good in preseason and in some blow out playing time and year 3-4 the patriots trade him for a high draft pick,

 

[borg]

Zappe will be a Joe Judge masterpiece

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

You have to look at Hoyer's contract to realize that the Pats are going to have to either carry 3 QBs or cut Zappe and hope he clears waivers.

Hoyer is signed through 2023:

Brian Hoyer Contract Details, Salary Cap Charges, Bonus Money, and Contract History | Over The Cap

Brian Hoyer contract and salary cap details, including signing bonus, guaranteed salary, dead money, roster bonuses, and contract history

overthecap.com

The last time they cut Hoyer at the end of camp, his dead money was only $100,000. I think they did that because he was a vested veteran and told him their plans to bring him right back. They could do that again this year, however, it would come with a $3 million dollar cap hit! Currently the Pats only have $1.7 mil in cap space, so I doubt they are going to take that kind of cap hit. Plus they would have to sign him back to a new contract after they put whoever they need to on IR. So if its for the same money he is currently making, that would be another $1.6 million.

So either they keep 3 QBs or risk Zappe getting claimed after he gets cut. No way he would be ready to take over the back up job, this year, with all that in consideration, it makes the pick in the 4th round a head scratcher.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Since we're in the doldrums of the offseason, let me ask this two-part question. I admit that they may have the same answer, but they probably don't.

• What is the best-case scenario for Zappe's development, as far as Zappe himself is concerned? Does he start? If so, when? Does he finish his contract?
• And what's the best-case for Zappe's development as far as the Patriots are concerned, given that they have Mac Jones?

I think that the two questions have pretty similar answers.

Best case is he becomes Jimmy G or Matt Cassel. He becomes a backup whom they are confident can come in and let the team win if Mac goes down. If Mac proves not to be developing or something bad happens to him physically (*crosses fingers*) then, yes, if Zappe has come on a long way, he could start. But that's really unlikely on both ends.

Whether he sees out his contract depends on the quarterback(s) they draft next. It was significant that Stidham went from being sole back-up (no Hoyer) to not even being kept around to see if he could give Zappe and Hoyer competition in camp. That could happen to him too. His best case is that, like Jimmy G or Cassel he, gets to the end and gets a chance to try for a starter's job at a quarterback-needy team. I think it's very unlikely that someone comes in with a nice offer to the Pats before then.

 

[Patsgofor4]

You didn’t specify that the best case scenario had to also be realistic, so……The best case scenario would be for Zappe to look fantastic in practice, preseason games and garbage time during the regular season year 1 but never see the field as a starter this year because Mac is healthy the entire season and his year 2 is even better than his rookie year (as most of us expect).

Then in his year 2 offseason and training camp Zappe looks so good that he is offering legitimate competition to Mac and other teams start to look closely at him as a trade option. Zappe is the primary backup in his second year and has to start one game that year, after Mac suffers a mild ankle sprain. He plays well and leads them to victory over Jets.

The following off-season, Zappe is widely recognized as a starting caliber quarterback but he can’t be beat out Mac, because Mac is now a top-5 QB in the league and just lead the Pats to a SB win in his 3rd year. A quarterback-desperate NFC team then trades their first round pick for Zappe.


I would be really surprised before Hoyer ends up being cut. Hoyer is one of the main reasons that I am not too worried about Mac’s development, after losing JMD. Other than BB, nobody who is currently with the organization knows this offense better than Hoyer does. He is the essentially the co-QBs coach, without the title. If Hoyer had retired this off-season and the Patriots had signed him as the quarterbacks coach, I suspect that there would have been very little hand-ringing about that. His mentorship of Mac will be very valuable this year.

 

[Wozzy]

You have to look at Hoyer's contract to realize that the Pats are going to have to either carry 3 QBs or cut Zappe and hope he clears waivers.

Hoyer is signed through 2023:

Brian Hoyer Contract Details, Salary Cap Charges, Bonus Money, and Contract History | Over The Cap

Brian Hoyer contract and salary cap details, including signing bonus, guaranteed salary, dead money, roster bonuses, and contract history

overthecap.com

The last time they cut Hoyer at the end of camp, his dead money was only $100,000. I think they did that because he was a vested veteran and told him their plans to bring him right back. They could do that again this year, however, it would come with a $3 million dollar cap hit! Currently the Pats only have $1.7 mil in cap space, so I doubt they are going to take that kind of cap hit. Plus they would have to sign him back to a new contract after they put whoever they need to on IR. So if its for the same money he is currently making, that would be another $1.6 million.

So either they keep 3 QBs or risk Zappe getting claimed after he gets cut. No way he would be ready to take over the back up job, this year, with all that in consideration, it makes the pick in the 4th round a head scratcher.

A lot of this is contingent on Hoyer making the team. Roster bonuses are fully guaranteed, but if he doesn't make the team out of camp they're only on the hook for a certain amount. Also as a vested vet, he doesn't have to clear waivers and can sign wherever he wants, which very likely will be back here. In which case they can move him to the practice squad, use one of their protected PS spots on him and have him as a player/coach. If by some chance he signs with another team who really needs an immediate backup, that team will have to eat some of that money. Either way, money won't be the defining factor in them carrying three QB's, and they most likely won't carry three on the active roster. Zappe could also get a redshirt year on the IR (Foxboro flu) if he doesn't look anywhere near ready, but I have high hopes for him.

 

[signbabybrady]

Best case scenario 20-0 rookie year and league MVP.

 

[n6249c]

Best case is he becomes the greatest qb ever, wins multiple championships and becomes Goat 2, and plays his entire career with the Patriots.

FIFY

 

[n6249c]

So what happens if Mac has a rough camp, maybe gets dinged up, looks like he did at the end of last season not early in the year, and Zappe comes in and just lights it up, looks as good or even better than Mac did last year? Or say Mac gets rolled up on halfway through camp and is out six weeks with a high ankle sprain while Bailey takes over and runs the table until Mac is ready to return? Could lightening strike twice and the incumbent QB lose his job permanently because of temporary injury?

 

[ctpatsfan77]

So either they keep 3 QBs or risk Zappe getting claimed after he gets cut. No way he would be ready to take over the back up job, this year, with all that in consideration, it makes the pick in the 4th round a head scratcher.

Belichick has never cut a fourth-rounder before his rookie season began.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

A lot of this is contingent on Hoyer making the team. Roster bonuses are fully guaranteed, but if he doesn't make the team out of camp they're only on the hook for a certain amount. Also as a vested vet, he doesn't have to clear waivers and can sign wherever he wants, which very likely will be back here. In which case they can move him to the practice squad, use one of their protected PS spots on him and have him as a player/coach. If by some chance he signs with another team who really needs an immediate backup, that team will have to eat some of that money. Either way, money won't be the defining factor in them carrying three QB's, and they most likely won't carry three on the active roster. Zappe could also get a redshirt year on the IR (Foxboro flu) if he doesn't look anywhere near ready, but I have high hopes for him.

No it’s not, if they cut Hoyer it’s a 3 million dollar cap hit.

 

[venecol]

The best case scenario for Zappe is to avoid pictures like this:

 

[sb1]

The best case scenario for Zappe is to avoid pictures like this:

Either the Raiders are ok with him wearing an apple watch in OTAs or he's in another photo shoot with his wife. LOL

 

[jlu52]

View attachment 43296ottt
Gotta' be Josh'in me with that ****-

 

[Brotherblues]

Belichick has never cut a fourth-rounder before his rookie season began.

People really need to stop suggesting that Zappe is a candidate to get cut as a rookie 4th rounder. He'd have to crap the bed worse than Amber for that to happen. Even then, he's more likely come down with a bad case of the Foxboro flu rather than get cut outright.

 

[goheels22002]

This thread, and the sheer lack of interest it spawned, brings a merciful end to patsfans.com. In the words of Dr. Seuss, "Don't cry because it's over; smile that it ever happened."

 

[mgteich]

No it’s not, if they cut Hoyer it’s a 3 million dollar cap hit.

Zappe is making the 53 man squad. And yes, the question is whether Hoyer is worth a roster spot. The ap hit is somewhat irrelevant if he is worth less than another player who would be on the 53 instead (e.g. a 5th WR)

 

[bresna]

If Mac Jones gets "Mo Lewised", Zappe might get a chance to show us that "best case" scenario.