Why the New England Patriots should consider picking a quarterback in 2020 NFL Draft
The 2019 season for the New England Patriots ended very quickly, as they were defeated by the Tennessee Titans in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. With their season done, it was time to look at whether star quarterback Tom Brady has played his last game as a Patriot, or in general. Several rumors are going around but one thing is clear, Brady is unlikely to retire and will in all probability play another (or more) season, whether it is with the Patriots or with a different team. It is hard to see him not playing for the Patriots, but this is the NFL and anything can happen here.
In the event that Brady decides to change his mind and retires, or moves on and signs with a different team, head coach Bill Belichick needs a replacement to keep the Patriots in competition. Besides Brady, the Patriots currently have Cody Kessler and Jarrett Stidham on their roster. It is safe to say that neither would be capable of taking over the reins after Brady. The free-agent QB market will be hot and there are some names that have come up in trade rumors such as Carolina Panthers' Cam Newton.
But in the event they aren't able to sign a player as capable as Brady, they should certainly look towards the draft. Especially the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft, which will have a heavily loaded QB class. While quarterbacks such as Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, and Justin Herbert are set to be picked by QB-needy teams, there will still be plenty of players that the Patriots should have on the radar. After all, even the 1st round QBs will be linked to the Patriots, even though they have a lower chance of drafting them.
Two top names that pop up are Jake Fromm and Justin Fields. Both QBs are very athletic, but drafting Justin Fields would probably give New England a QB that the team has never seen. They missed out on Lamar Jackson, who was rumored to be drafted by the Patriots as well, but Fields could be the athletic QB the team needs to keep the Patriots dynasty going. He might have to sit on the bench for a year to learn and understand the system, but Belichick will make sure the system fits around him.
Either way, it is somewhat time for the Pats fans to panic. Even though every top player is rumored to the Patriots, Brady is coming to an end and he can't last much longer, especially given the decrease in play this season.