It’s always a fascinating time of the year and the NFL’s offseason never fails to throw up some curveballs and the last few weeks have certainly provided plenty of headlines.
For a start, it’s an offseason like we’ve never previously seen before due to the worldwide pandemic forcing teams and players to stay apart and the Draft becoming fully virtual.
Nevertheless, there have been plenty of big moves. In this article, we’re going to take a look at three teams that are facing a dilemma at the quarterback position.
Two veteran quarterbacks have been on the move this offseason, with Tom Brady signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philip Rivers leaving the Los Angeles Chargers for the Indianapolis Colts.
New England Patriots – AFC East
The Patriots are now in a position that they knew would be coming one day, but a position that is very unfamiliar as Brady, who spent two decades with the franchise, left this offseason.
The six-time Super Bowl winner has left a big hole in the New England roster, a one head coach Bill Belichick will have to assess to see whether a free agent QB or Draft prospect would be the better option.
Belichick and the Pats have the No. 23 pick in the 2020 Draft. Last year, they drafted Jarrett Stidham from Auburn and rolling with him could be an option. There's always been talk about whether Belichick could succeed as well without Brady, and vice-versa, and we're going to get those answers this season.
If not, the Patriots could trade for Andy Dalton, who had a 2-11 record as starter for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2019, or pick up free agency quarterback Cam Newton. The latter played just two games last season and there was plenty of controversy surrounding his release by the Carolina Panthers.
It would be fair to see what Stidham has to offer as a starter, but the Patriots should keep their options open to see who they could take with the 23rd pick.
Jacksonville Jaguars – AFC South
The Jags haven’t got as big of a problem as the Patriots, but it is unclear whether they’re going to roll with Gardner Minshew and bring in a backup or maybe bring in a quarterback through free agency or the Draft and have Minshew as a backup.
Jacksonville traded former Super Bowl winner Nick Foles to the Chicago Bears this offseason, leaving them with just Minshew on their roster at quarterback. Nevertheless, the latter showed plenty of positives in 2019 and would certainly step up to the mark as the starting QB.
Minshew played 14 games for the Jags in 2019, completing 285 of his 470 passes for 3,271 yards and 21 touchdowns. There were some bright moments for the former Washington State QB, so the likelihood is that the Jags should go with him for 2020.
Another option would be to see what free agents are about, like Dalton and Newton or see who falls to them with the No. 9 overall pick. However, the team also have other areas to assess as well after defensive end Calais Campbell departed for the Baltimore Ravens last month.
Miami Dolphins – AFC East
More questions are being asked about the quarterback position in Miami, with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen currently on the books. After finishing bottom of the AFC East with a 5-11 record, this will be a big offseason for the Dolphins.
Fitzpatrick played 15 of the 16 games for the Dolphins in 2019 and the highlight of their season was coming from behind to beat the Patriots 27-24 at home, ending their divisional rivals' chances of a first round bye.
Looking at the bigger picture, the Dolphins really need to either trade for or draft a quarterback, who they feel will be their starter going forward. Miami have the No. 5 overall pick in the Draft, where they could pick Tua Tagovailoa or even trade up for LSU’s Joe Burrow.
The first option seems more realistic as the Bengals look certain to take Burrow with the first pick. Brian Flores is building a team in Miami that will be looking to challenge in the coming years and Alabama’s Tagovailoa would be a good fit.