Every position is important on the football field, but if you whiff at quarterback, you could be setting your franchise up for years of failure.
The New England Patriots, particularly coach Bill Belichick, knows this all too well after benefitting for nearly two decades from having legendary quarterback Tom Brady under center.
Things have been pretty set from the very beginning for the Patriots at the quarterback position this year, as far as from a personnel perspective.
Let’s delve into it now that the initial 53-man roster is set. Today, we’re going to take a look at the most set in stone group thus far. Here’s how things look at quarterback for the Patriots.
Who is on the roster?
- Mac Jones
- Brian Hoyer
- Bailey Zappe
Mac Jones has been the clear starter since he was selected in the 2021 NFL draft at No. 15 overall. He has had a shaky training camp, but that is more about the scheme being implemented than anything else. After a strong rookie season, there is optimism in New England.
However, he has work to do, and it will be the most important season of his career. The jury is still out on rookie Bailey Zappe, but when New England picked him in the fourth round, the plan was clear: To develop a long-term backup who could help the team win games in case of an injury to Mac Jones that sidelines him for an extended period of time. Zappe should be the primary backup quarterback, and he has looked promising. But it is too early to tell.
And we can’t leave out Hoyer the Destroyah! Brian Hoyer has been a staple for the QB room the past few seasons and is an ultimate pro. However, at age 36, we know what he is, and that is a fringe NFL backup. His upside, however, comes from his mind, as he is one of the smartest guys on the team. Hoyer has a career in coaching when it’s all said and done and has been instrumental to Mac Jones’ development thus far.
Strengths
The strength of this position group is that all three quarterbacks are extremely intelligent and have above average accuracy, which has been a must-have in New England since 2000.
I wonder why that trend started?
But it is clear that this group has a ton of promise between Mac and Bailey to make quick decisions in a west coast, zone run scheme that is run quite similarly in San Francisco.
And then there’s Mr. Dependable Brian Hoyer. The longtime NFL backup adds brainpower to the offense as both a player and an extra coach for Jones and Zappe.
Weakness
Although the quarterback room is accurate and cerebral, there are some glaring weaknesses. Mac Jones looks like a franchise quarterback so far, even if we don’t know what’s to come next, and if he takes strides forward.
The issue is that there are a lot of question marks after Jones, particularly with little sample to sleep well at night for Zappe or Hoyer. If Jones goes down with an injury, even if it’s at the end of a game, there is reason for concern the other two could finish a game, or win it if need be.
Quarterback Grade: C
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