Patriots rumors: Buzz surrounding Belichick trading up for Fields
By Riley Hamel
Are the New England Patriots preparing to make a major move on draft day?
As reported on April 26, the San Francisco 49ers, who hold the No. 3 pick in this week’s draft, have narrowed their sights to two prospects; Alabama’s Mac Jones, and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance.
As the #49ers close in on their decision of which QB to take at No. 3, sources say they are down to two prospects — and the belief is those two are #Bama QB Mac Jones and #NDSU QB Trey Lance. Several sources say the focus does appear to have shifted to those two.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 26, 2021
Immediately after San Fransisco traded up into the Top 3, the overall feeling around the league was they were going to take Justin Fields out of Ohio State. But as the days went by, Mac Jones became the favorite to be drafted by GM John Lynch.
Jones is widely considered the most “NFL ready” option in this year’s class. He ran a complicated offense at Alabama, is accurate with the football, and seems to learn almost anything on the fly. These attributes make Jones a no-brainer for Kyle Shanahan, who loves to run an offense built around this type of talent.
On the other hand, GMs across the NFL believe the FCS prospect Trey Lance may have the biggest upside of the top 5 QB prospects. He’s incredibly athlete, has a rocket for an arm, and protects the football. Despite his lack of experience (only played 17 games in college), Lance has impressed both on the field, and in recent meetings with GMs and coaches.
Was just told “Trey Lance the young man/student of the game is even more impressive than Trey Lance the athlete”, which is saying A LOT. This man is talented as hell, and the amount he was asked to do/was responsible for within the offense at North Dakota State is exceptional. A+
— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) February 25, 2021
That leaves Justin Fields for the New England Patriots
So, assuming these reports come true, Justin Fields will be available at 4. Fields has been tied to New England all off-season, with reports coming out in March that the Patriots were “really high” on the signal caller from Ohio State.
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So for Bill Belichick, this recent report of the 49ers not wanting Fields is fantastic news. But a few things stand in the way of NE finding their QB of the future.
- He won’t fall to 15. Too many teams in this draft are looking for a talented, young QB. The Bears, Vikings, Falcons, and Panthers (despite trading multiple picks for former Jet Sam Darnold) are just a few teams rumored to be in the quarterback mix.
- Potential trade package may be costly. For Bill to move up into the Top 10, it would most likely take multiple picks.
- Even if they get into the Top 10, that doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed Fields. There’s a real possibility another team could leap frog the Patriots and grab the Ohio State QB.
But with all this in mind, it seems Bill is doing his due diligence anyway.
This is the best case scenario. In my opinion, Justin Fields is the second-best QB in this draft. Many misconceptions have been placed on him since draft season rolled around. He can’t get to his second read, he’s the last guy in first guy out, and other overall character concerns. But, when you watch the tape, the former shouldn’t be a problem…
One of the criticisms of Justin Fields by NFL scouts has been that he "struggles to process" the second, third and fourth progression.@danorlovsky7 : "That is not what the tape says!" pic.twitter.com/BfjaxlE2dw
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 5, 2021
Fields is 6′ 3″, weighs 227 pounds, has a monster arm, and when a play doesn’t go according to plan, can escape and beat defenses with his 4.4 speed.
With these attributes and physical characteristics, it’s hard to pick a better mentor than Cam Newton. Cam is a former-MVP, played in a Super Bowl, and has a year under his belt as the Patriots QB. He’s considered a fantastic leader in that locker room, being picked as a captain in his very first year.
Next. New England Patriots: 5 best NFL prospects to select at No. 15. dark
He would be the perfect player to serve as Fields’ teacher. And, to make it even better, they already have a solid relationship.
For Pats fans, this is going to be a long week. This year’s draft is the perfect opportunity for New England to get their QB of the future, and I think Justin Fields is the perfect fit.
I can’t wait for Thursday.