3 reasons Bill Belichick should pull trigger on blockbuster trade to get Anthony Richardson
As Anthony Richardson is well aware, the NFL Draft is upon us. Today, C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, Hendon Hooker and other quarterbacks will find new homes. Dreams will come true today, but how many?
Bill Belichick could also make a dream come true for a quarterback today, but it's going to take a gutsy move and there likely is only one option that will be available on the table.
At this point, the Panthers will probably be flipping a coin between C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young. Young's size is his biggest drawback and to get a player at first overall, there should be zero doubt. Stroud is coming off a two-season run in college that saw him throw for 85 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Who will Bill Belichick take with his first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft?
The Houston Texans have seen a surge of analysts bracing for the team to pass at quarterback. That would be suicide at second overall. Davis Mills, a third-round pick who struggled in college, is simply not the answer. He has won five games in 24 tries over the past two seasons and regressed last season, throwing for 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
#Patriots director of player personnel Matt Groh is scheduled to speak with reporters via Zoom after Day 1 and Day 2 of the draft.
Bill Belichick will speak sometime after the draft concludes on Saturday.
This is Bill Belichick's moment. After years of sitting idly by and taking the league and heat as it comes to him, he's finally realized that Mac Jones isn't the one and finding players for a bargain isn't possible. Tom Brady was a one-time thing.
Here are three reasons why the head coach should pursue Anthony Richardson:
#1 - Least painful way to get into quarterback-picking territory
It won't be cheap. The Cardinals have revealed that they were open to trades, but most expect it won't be for a bargain. If the Patriots are serious about moving up, it will affect the rest of this year's draft as well as next year. However, based on how long the Patriots have failed to live up to expectations, getting a top pick organically may not be possible for Belichick.
It wouldn't be a Bill Belichick draft without a curveball, right?
My final #Patriots 7-round mock starts with a surprise, as Belichick beefs up the trenches and gets faster on both sides of the ball
bostonherald.com/2023/04/27/pat… https://t.co/pJjFuogEly
If he surrenders for a season, he will effectively lose the Brady-Belichick debate for good. However, if he trades up and nabs Anthony Richardson, he'll open the door to potentially proving that he played a bigger part in No. 12's ascendance than it seems right now.
#2 - Belichick has spent plenty of time with Richardson's predecessor
Richardson has drawn comparisons to Lamar Jackson, Michael Vick and Cam Newton in the past few months. He's raw, but Belichick will still believe he can tune him up. Plus, if he lets him sit, it would give Mac Jones one last shot to prove his worth.
Belichick has already flirted with a mobile quarterback, so he's already done enough to understand what he needs to do to utilize Richardson better.
#3 - Gettting Richardson could damage AFC opponents for years to come
Belichick is seen by many as someone who looks multiple moves ahead. He can't stop the Texans from drafting a top quarterback, but he can stop the Colts and the Titans from getting a potentially massive upgrade at the position. If he were to trade to get Anthony Richardson, it would hold off a potential rival for 10 years from now.
Additionally, with the Colts and Titans picking ahead of the Patriots, the odds are that Richardson will be off the board by the middle of the first round. Mac Jones was the last quarterback taken in the first round of his draft year, and he hasn't gone according to plan. Will Belichick truly want to play the waiting game once again?