POSSIBLE ROSTER MOVE THE PATRIOTS COULD MAKE AT QUARTERBACK

Hoyer, Stidham and Brady chatting during Patriots camp

With NFL rosters dropping to 53 players in a little over a week, one hot topic around New England is how many quarterbacks do the Patriots keep on their roster? The following is a possible way to solve this issue at roster cut time.

Assuming none of the three quarterbacks sustain an injury prior to August 31st, this is a way Belichick could make things work.

Brian Hoyer has long been praised for his ability to run opponents’ offenses leading up to games. Assuming rookie Jarrett Stidham also has that ability, I think the Patriots should play things out as follows.

Gentleman’s Agreement- Inform Hoyer of their intentions of cutting him. Also inform him that should the Patriots need another quarterback this season, he is who they will call.

This scenario works for the Patriots because they can then maintain their typical two quarterbacks without trying to sneak Stidham onto the practice squad. While they can’t guarantee that the Hoyer safety net would be there, it is a relatively safe bet in my opinion.

It works for Hoyer because he’s getting paid all but $200,000 of his 3 year deal with the added option of signing for more money later in the season. In the meantime he gets to spend more time with his family. By not being traded, he gets to control his next landing spot. He could wait it out and see if the Patriots come calling, or he could keep another team in playoff contention.

Jacoby Brissette interviewing in 2017.

Should the Patriots press their luck with this plan, knowing that Hoyer being available isn’t a sure thing, there could be some other familiar faces to pursue. Former Patriots Ryan Mallett and Jacoby Brissette could be potential marks if needed. Mallett is not on an NFL roster this season and has signed to play with the XFL next season. Brissette is in the final year of his rookie contract and could make for an interesting trade option.