4 Starting QB Options for the New England Patriots in 2021

Cam Newton turned out to be ill-suited to fill the Tom Brady-sized shoes for the New England Patriots this season, so the team will begin the 2021 offseason with a giant "Help Wanted" sign on its quarterback room. 

Newton threw just five touchdowns (while adding 12 on the ground) to 10 interceptions and 2,415 yards in 14 games, and the Patriots recorded their first losing season since 2000. 

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on Sunday NFL Countdown that the Patriots "enjoyed their relationship" with the 31-year-old but will likely part ways in 2021. 

Fortunately for New England, there are plenty of intriguing options in both the potential free-agent market and the draft. None are guaranteed fixes, though: It's rare for a signal-caller of magnitude to be available in free agency and the Patriots will be armed with the No. 15 pick in this year's talent grab. 

It's probably not high enough to even be in the conversation for a trade up to get Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson or Justin Fields, so those three are unlikely. But there are others who could be had at the pick or with a more reasonable trade. 

Let's look at two veterans they could acquire through a trade or free agency and two who could be claimed via the draft. 

This is the most obvious of the bunch.

Jimmy Garoppolo was a polarizing figure in the Patriots' front office when he was traded. As the details of the tension between Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft and Tom Brady emerged, it became more clear that the coach was a fan of Garoppolo but ownership wanted him to be traded. 

Now that Brady is out of town, it makes sense there could be a reunion brewing between the coach and his former quarterback. 

The 49ers won the NFC championship with Garoppolo at the helm last season but it's the only year he's managed to remain healthy. In the four seasons since he was traded from New England, he has played in just 30 games. 

This season, he only played in six games while dealing with an ankle injury. He threw seven touchdowns to five interceptions while completing 67.1 percent of his passes. 

After going just 3-3 in his starts and owning the 12th pick in the draft, the Niners might be ready to move on from the 29-year-old. It will only cost them $2.8 million in dead cap if they trade or release the quarterback, who is set to make $26.2 million next season. 

Of all the quarterbacks who could be available, Garoppolo is the one with the strongest connection to the franchise. After serving as the backup for three years in New England, he could come in right away with a knowledge of Belichick's system and culture. 

This is probably the biggest long shot on the list but it's worth exploring. For the second year in a row, there's a chance Dak Prescott becomes available and would be the top quarterback available by a wide margin. 

Last season, the Dallas Cowboys couldn't come to an agreement with their star before signing him to a one-year franchise tag. And after the 27-year-old suffered a major ankle injury that held him out for most of the season, the Cowboys are again faced with a tough decision. 

If they elect to let Prescott walk or the relationship has become untenable, the Patriots would have to be considered one of the teams most compatible with his services. 

The Mississippi State product figures to be an expensive option. He played under the franchise tag worth $31.4 million last season, meaning another year under the tag would be $37.7 million. That's a number that could make the Cowboys shudder given their projected cap-space total of $18 million right now. 

Conversely, the Patriots struggled through a season with a mediocre roster to get out of salary-cap purgatory and enter the offseason with the fourth-most cap space ($58.7 million). 

When healthy, Prescott has been one of the top quarterbacks statistically. In 2019, he was top five in yards, passing touchdowns and QBR. He was on pace for another huge year in Dallas before his season-ending injury. 

It's more likely than not that Dallas figures out how to keep him around at least one more year, but the Pats should be monitoring the situation closely. 

As evidenced by Belichick's drafting and belief in Garoppolo, he has no problem finding a quarterback at the FCS level. Though the Patriots don't have the draft position to get one of the top three signal-callers, Trey Lance has a high ceiling and could slide to 15. 

At minimum, the 20-year-old should slide far enough that the Pats could trade up and the cost wouldn't be prohibitive. 

Given how mock drafts have changed from the beginning of the season to now, Lance is the forgotten quarterback prospect. While Zach Wilson was throwing himself into the top-five mix, the North Dakota State product was only given one game to prove himself in 2020. 

That didn't go so well. Lance only completed 50 percent of his passes against Central Arkansas but this is still a player who threw no interceptions in his first season with the Bison. He has NFL size (6'4", 227 pounds), athleticism and the arm talent to make the transition from FCS to the NFL. 

Belichick was obviously willing to take on Cam Newton with the potential that he brings as a runner. A young Lance has the ability to be everything the Patriots hoped Newton would be. 

There is definitely valid criticism with Lance that coming from the FCS level with only one game in the last year could keep him from being a starter. Drafting him would likely mean signing a veteran to start and mentor him at the beginning of the season: Ryan Fitzpatrick or Andy Dalton could fill that role. 

However, Lance's upside and ability would likely have him starting by the end of the 2021 season. 

Another quarterback who could be in the Patriots' range is Mac Jones. Outside of Zach Wilson, no one at the position has done more for their draft stock than the Alabama star. 

The criticisms of Jones are obvious. While Lance is put down for inferior level of competition, Jones is questioned because of the superior talent around him. It's fairly easy to put up dominant numbers in a college offense with Najee Harris, DeVonta Smith and Alex Leatherwood—not to mention Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III last season. 

But that discounts the maturity and fortitude Jones shows as a passer. Watching him operate the Alabama offense, he shows no signs of trouble processing. In Alabama's heavy-RPO offense, he almost never makes the wrong read and had just four interceptions to his 36 touchdowns. 

PFF tends to grade quarterbacks based on the quality of their throw regardless of who they are throwing to or what happens after the catch. No one has graded higher since 2019 than Jones, according to those metrics. 

The 22-year-old has the arm talent and polish to start sooner rather than later. The track record of Alabama quarterbacks in the NFL isn't great but neither is Ohio State's, and most expect Justin Fields to be a top-five selection. 

Jones could be a steal in the middle of the first round, and the Patriots would make a lot of sense as a great mutual fit.