Although the Patriots need a quarterback, free agent pass catchers of value may look at the Patriots and be like "who's throwing me the ball?" The NFL is a where players make their millions. One wrong signing could be financially devastating for any player.
The Patriots were honestly not built for Cam Newton and Cam was not the passer the Patriots were hoping for. If the Patriots redshirted Stidham, he did not look good in relief. Both players are enough to scare off good talent and the Patriots struggle to develop pass catchers.
The Patriots dynamic duo of tight ends came into the league in 2010. One half of the duo ended up in jail and the other half by the end of 2015, had given enough concern that the team should've been looking to draft a tight end in 2016.
The Patriots have drafted four tight ends and four receivers since 2015. Malcolm Mitchell had a promising career but his knee issues ended his career early. None of the other eight players had or have made a difference. So it's a safe bet that the Patriots haven't really hit on a pass catcher via a draft pick in over five years.
With that in mind, the Patriots are at the mercy of free agency. Unless the Patriots make a trade, realistically they're looking at tier two and three quarterbacks. Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Andy Dalton don't exactly scream success to free agent pass catchers.
The Patriots are going to have to sell everyone they sign that they have a plan. Question is, do players have enough faith in Bill Belichick to come to New England or did Tom Brady and Cam Newton destroy the Patriots as a viable place to play, with their performances in 2020? If not, the Patriots will need to finally develop some pass catchers.
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