What Exactly Are the Patriots Doing?

The New England Patriots were expected to find their long-term replacement for Tom Brady at some point during the 2020 NFL Draft. But, in classic Bill Belichick fashion, that didn't happen and the Patriots threw a draft curveball at all of us. Again. Not only did the Patriots not select a quarterback, they didn't really address their offensive shortcomings at all. At this point it's fair to wonder just what the heck they're doing.

If the Patriots believe Jarrett Stidham is truly their quarterback of the future, then it would have made sense to get him some weapons in one of the deepest wide receiver classes ever. They failed to adequately do that, instead choosing defenders with their first three picks. In the third round, they reached on two tight ends, selecting UCLA's Devin Asiasi and Virginia Tech's Dalton Keene when there were better players on the board. Even with those picks, they still utterly failed to address their lack of playmakers. I'm not sure how that sets Stidham up for success.

After not taking a quarterback and not upgrading the offense around Stidham, it would be fair to assume the Patriots plan on tanking in 2020. While our own Liam McKeone doesn't believe that's the case, it might be the franchise's best bet for a quick turnaround in the post-Tom Brady Era.

The 2021 NFL Draft class is likely to have two elite quarterback prospects in it: Clemson's Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State's Justin Fields. Keep an eye on North Dakota State's Trey Lance as well. Those three guys could all potentially be the kind of franchise quarterback the Patriots need.

At numerous spots in the 2020 draft, the Patriots could have taken a quarterback. The team had chances to select Jordan Love, Jalen Hurts, and Jacob Eason during the three-day event and passed on each guy. The only quarterback they acquired was undrafted free agent Brian Lewerke, who never completed more than 59.6 percent of his passes in a season during his five years at Michigan State.

The Patriots currently have no salary cap space, no real playmakers on the perimeter, and an untested quarterback no one outside New England believes in. The fact that they didn't try to change any of that during the draft seems insane. Belichick doesn't seem like the type to tank for a season, but that is the only way this makes any sense at all.