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7 quarterbacks the Patriots could target outside of NFL Draft this offseason
Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield are both expected to land hefty deals this offseason.
When it comes to the Patriots’ expected pursuit of a new franchise quarterback, most of the discourse has revolved around collegiate talents like Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye.
But even with the No. 3 overall pick in their possession, it’s not a foregone conclusion that New England will select a QB when it lands on the clock in the 2024 NFL Draft.
And with New England expected to be flush with cap space this offseason, the Patriots could turn to free agency or the trade market for a QB — especially if they either hone in a playmaker like Marvin Harrison Jr. with the No. 3 pick or opt to trade down during the draft.
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Even if New England does add a Daniels or Maye, the case can also be made that the Patriots need to bring aboard a veteran QB that can teach a blue-chip rookie the ropes — and serve as valuable insurance on the field.
Here are seven quarterbacks that the Patriots should keep tabs on this offseason:
Justin Fields
Expect to hear this hypothetical trade countless times between now and the 2024 NFL Draft.
Even if the Chicago Bears value Fields and his untapped potential at just 24 years old, the prudent move for the franchise might be to deal the former Ohio State QB, net a coveted draft pick in return, and then draft USC’s Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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And if the Patriots either…
A: Don’t like whichever QB falls to them at No. 3 overall
B: Are dead-set on selecting someone like Marvin Harrison Jr. at No. 3
C: Opt to trade down from No. 3 in order to secure more valuable draft capital
… it makes sense that New England would want to explore a draft-day trade where they still land a young and unpolished QB like Fields — especially if Chicago intends on moving him.
It’s a move that NFL Media’s Chad Reuter mapped out in his mock draft earlier this month, while ESPN’s Field Yates also noted that New England could deal its 2024 second-round pick in order to pry Fields out of Chicago.
There’s a lot to like about Fields’ dual-threat skillset, especially if he’s paired with a draft-day addition in Foxborough like Harrison Jr. Still, there are questions regarding just how high Fields’ ceiling is at the NFL level.
In three seasons with Chicago, Fields has thrown for 40 touchdowns but has also been knocked for 30 interceptions, while his career-high for completion percentage in a single season is just 61.4 percent (2023).
Kirk Cousins
Given their fiscal flexibility this offseason, the Patriots could decide to plug up the various vacancies across their offensive depth chart (WR, OT, TE, etc.) through the 2024 Draft — and opt to spend big in free agency on a veteran signal caller.
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It may not be the sustainable path forward for New England in terms of building a long-term contender. But if Robert Kraft and Co. are looking at instant returns, opening up the checkbook for Cousins could be an appealing option.
Cousins will be 36 years in August and is coming off of a season-ending Achilles injury suffered in October. Still, the former Washington and Minnesota QB is a four-time Pro Bowler and has thrown for over 4,000 passing yards seven times in his career.
If Cousins is healthy, New England could revive its offense in short order around him, Harrison Jr. and a reworked O-line. Still, New England would have to pay a hefty price for Cousins — and the team could find itself looking for yet another franchise QB just a few years down the road.
Baker Mayfield
Mayfield might be a far more appealing free-agent target than Cousins, given his age (28). After being mired in QB purgatory for a few years, the former No. 1 overall pick revived his career with the Buccaneers in 2023 — throwing for 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and completing 64.3 percent of his pass attempts.
Mayfield has some connections to New England after working with current Patriots OC Alex Van Pelt and QB coach T.C. McCartney during their time together in Cleveland.
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Still, the writing seems to be on the wall that a reunion in Tampa Bay makes sense for all parties — especially after the Bucs hired former Rams OC Liam Coen as their new offensive coordinator.
Russell Wilson
For months now, it seemed like a given that the Broncos were set on cutting ties with Wilson after two lackluster seasons in Denver — especially when factoring in the fiscal ramifications.
Wilson is guaranteed $39 million for the upcoming 2024 season. He also has $37 million in injury guarantees that become fully guaranteed if he is still on the roster on the fifth day of the 2024 league year that begins in March.
Denver could cut Wilson at some point in March in order to keep some of the guaranteed money from landing on their books. And considering that Wilson is already guaranteed $39 million from the Broncos in 2024, he might be willing to sign for an affordable deal with whatever team he eventually lands with.
Wilson may not be the same player he was during his prime years with Seattle. But he still threw for 3,070 yards with 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2023, with his completion percentage ranking 10th in the NFL.
But with Wilson set to turn 36 in November, the Patriots could find themselves in a similar situation as the Cousins scenario. Even if Wilson does thrive here for a year or two, it’s far from a sustainable option.
Jacoby Brissett
Bringing back an old friend in Brissett makes plenty of sense for the Patriots, be it as a veteran backup or as a tempoary stopgap in 2024. The 31-year-old signal-caller is already familiar with Foxborough, but also started 11 games with the Browns when Van Pelt was Cleveland’s offensive coordinator.
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He’s far from flashy, but Brissett is a serviceable option with 48 starts under his belt at the NFL level. The former third-round pick by New England could hold his own if pressed into a starting job, but would also be a valuable resource if the Patriots opted to take either Maye or Daniels with the No. 3 pick.
Joe Flacco
Flacco revived his career with Van Pelt in Cleveland in 2023, with the 39-year-old QB going 4-1 in five regular-season games after signing with the Browns in late November. A breath of fresh air for a decimated Cleveland QB room, Flacco threw for 1,161 yards and 13 touchdowns (with eight picks) over those five games before falling to Houston in the playoffs.
The Patriots might be pushing it as far as valuing Flacco as a viable QB1 option in 2024. But he could be a valuable asset as a veteran backup, especially if he wants to keep working with Van Pelt.
Gardner Minshew
Yet another bridge option if the Patriots want to try to stay afloat at the position while bolstering the rest of the roster, Minshew more than held his own last season with the Colts.
For all of the doom and gloom that permeated out of Indianapolis after the team lost rookie QB Anthony Richardson to a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 4, Minshew was a serviceable option for a Colts team that went 9-8.
Minshew, 27, earned Pro Bowl honors in 2023 for his efforts — throwing for 3,305 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Again, he’s far from a flashy option, nor does he have franchise QB potential.
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But if New England is staring at a multi-year rebuild and wants to kick the QB issue further down the road, Minshew could be a solid contingency plan.
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