“That Wasn’t by Design” – New England Patriots GM Bill Belichick Explains Why His Side Didn’t Draft a Quarterback

The New England Patriots are the most successful NFL side in the last 20 years. The cornerstone of their success Tom Brady has moved on and signed with Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, the Massachusetts based franchise did not use any of their ten drafts picks to get in another quarterback. It perplexed many however general manager Bill Belichick had this to say to the reporters. 

Bill Belichick explains why he didn’t draft a quarterback 

“If we feel like we find the right situation, we’ll certainly draft them. We’ve drafted them in multiple years, multiple points in the draft. Didn’t work out the last three days. That wasn’t by design. We just tried to do the best we could with what we had this weekend.”

The Patriots did not have a first-round pick. They used the 37th overall pick to make Safety Kyle Dugger their top draft pick. Also, they bolstered their squad with 3 linebackers, 2 tight ends, and one each of an offensive tackle, kicker, guard, and center. 

New England Patriots General Manager Bill Belichick’s Dog Takes His Place at NFL Draft

As per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, The Patriots signed a couple of undrafted free agent quarterbacks. These are Louisiana Tech quarterback J’Mar Smith who won the Conference USA Offensive Player of the year. And Michigan State’s Brian Lewerke who led the Big Ten in completions, attempts, and interceptions last season.

As of now, The Patriots have 4 quarterbacks with Jarrett Stidham expected to be the first choice. He will be 24 when the season starts in September and has one season’s experience. Brian Hoyer has had Super Bowl glory but is not expected to dislodge Stidham. He was released just 8 months back to let the 23-year-old be backup to Tom Brady. 

Will New England Patriots sign a new quarterback?

The New England Patriots are woefully short on quarterback experience. Could the franchise make a blockbuster trade? One option, in particular, is Aaron Rodgers who could potentially be unsettled after the Green Bay Packers drafted 21-year old Jordan Love. It seems farfetched, but ‘The Patriots’ could see Rodgers come in and groom Stidham for the future. The same case can be made for Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton. He will face severe competition for the starting spot from top draft pick Joe Burrow. 

Will the Patriots trust Stidham? Or will they trade for a veteran and give the youngster another season to mature and fill Tom Brady’s shoes? 

It seems to be the former as Bill Belichick said, “Jarrett had a good year last year. He improved a lot. We’ll see where that takes him.”