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In case you’ve been living on the moon over the past few months, Tom Brady’s time in New England may be over as the six-time Super Bowl champion and soon to be free agent could elect to sign with a new team this offseason.
Whenever Brady makes his decision then the rest of the free-agent pieces around the league will fall into place. However, we can still play the hypothetical game as Brady continues to mull over his options and look at how the Pats should go about replacing Brady if he leaves New England.
Jarrett Stidham and Cody Kessler would be the only quarterbacks on the roster if Brady bolts, so it should go without saying that the Pats would be looking to add a more experienced quarterback to the fold.
While they could elect to go the trade route and perhaps target Andy Dalton, Cam Newton or Nick Foles, signing a free-agent quarterback could make the most sense.
Philip Rivers is looking for a new home, Marcus Mariota is a free agent with plenty of experience under his belt and Jameis Winston could also be looking for a fresh start somewhere, but according to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, Teddy Bridgewater could be the best option.
I’d choose Bridgewater. The knee is obviously a concern, and Bridgewater played well behind one of the league’s best offensive lines and with a brilliant mind calling plays in 2019, but nobody in this group offers his combination of youth, accuracy, intelligence and possible upside. I’m not sure Bridgewater will be the best passer in this group in 2020, but he’s likely to produce the most value over the next five seasons if he can stay healthy.
Bridgewater was extremely impressive last season posting a 5-0 record with the Saints when Drew Brees was injured. The 27-year-old threw nine touchdowns and just one interception during his run with New Orleans.