Heading into this offseason, the key question was clearly going to be centered on how the Patriots would shape their quarterback room heading into 2024, and what the plan would be as they prepare to begin a new chapter under new head coach, Jerod Mayo.
With the club having so many needs heading into free agency, the Patriots are in a tough spot. Any plan right now, at least in terms of the draft, is more or less centered around hypotheticals and essentially contingent on how the board falls before they make their pick at number three overall.
Between the time free agency begins and the draft, the club won’t really have a clear-cut answer as to who will be throwing passes in Foxboro after April’s draft. For players who rely on building a resume and reaching incentives, it’s going to make the pitch to any offensive free agents pretty difficult.
That’s why the obvious move may be to bring in a veteran to at least have a name to pitch toward any potential skill players, with the idea of then developing whoever their rookie is behind that person.
That strategy worked when they re-signed Cam Newton following the 2020 season, and there were reports that him being in New England helped nudge several players who signed that offseason into coming to Foxboro.
But now, the key question is, who will that be? One key name that makes the most sense continues to be former Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who has a relationship with new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and would likely be at a reasonable enough price tag where the Patriots could afford to carry him on its roster along with their rookie QB.
One name that was reported on Friday was Joe Flacco, with Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot reporting that the Patriots are possibly interested in signing the long-time Ravens quarterback as both their bridge veteran starter, as well as someone who could help mentor their future signal-caller.
At 39-years old – and certainly not looking Brady-esque despite a performance that earned him the 2024 Comeback Player of the Year – he’s a signing that does make sense in terms of giving the Patriots a seasoned, Super Bowl-winning veteran who would also be a good mentor for a young quarterback.
Some people aren’t thrilled about that notion, but you have to take Flacco for what he is. Whether or not you think he can play isn’t the issue. But he might be a person who can help set up a winning foundation for whoever will carry the torch after him.
Either way, the club needs a name in place to attract free agents, and signing either player as early in free agency as possible is likely going to be critical to that process. Because as it currently stands, there’s too much uncertainty for whoever they might try to convince to pick up and come to Foxboro, so signing a veteran simply makes that much more sense.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The above appeared in a recent notebook column here.)
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
