You don't need to be the lead detective to figure this out. The New England Patriots are piling up clues in tangible ways.
With the NFL Draft less than three weeks away, the focus is on the Patriots' plans to take the No. 3 overall pick and secure a potential franchise quarterback, who has been missing since Tom Brady left town. There are signs that this is coming.
“You can get someone at three, and if someone offers a bag, you can get a lot of so-called first-round picks.” [in a trade]those things definitely have to be talked about,” rookie head coach Jerrod Mayo said at a league meeting in Orlando late last month.
December 31, 2022. Glendale, Arizona.United States; Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy (9) throws a pass during a game
Patrick Breen/Republic/USA TODAY
The Patriots were shocked by the offer to consider parting ways with a premium draft pick, but appear to realize how important this decision is to the organization's future. Opportunities to acquire Drake Maye and Jaden Daniels don't come along every year.
Mayo has already indicated that the draft will play a key role in rebuilding the Patriots' roster.
“You want to draft and develop, and when it’s all said and done, you want to draft and develop,” Mayo said.
One would think that if that was indeed the Patriots' motto, they would apply that approach to the most important positions on the field, and their actions suggest they would. While Mayo was speaking in Orlando, de facto general manager Elliott Wolfe was returning home to the team facility and preparing for his next move.
Giving up the chance for New England to draft its next signal-caller means the front office will enter the season satisfied with running Jacoby Brissett as QB1.It doesn't seem like that option belongs to anyone.
Priority preference.
Add to that the fact that Mayo led the New England delegation on a four-stop pro day tour evaluating USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Maye, LSU's Daniels and Michigan's JJ McCarthy.
On Friday, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported that the Patriots hosted a visit from Maye's “top 30” prospects, with meetings with Daniels scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. Breer said McCarthy is scheduled to visit next week.
There's still a chance they could trade down or use a No. 3 wide receiver like Marvin Harrison Jr. We all know the Patriots could use one of them, too. However, quarterback appears to be the likely candidate at this point.
