The New England Patriots came into free agency needing to make numerous upgrades to their roster on both sides of the ball. Patriots fans weren’t disappointed as the front office made significant signings, using their league-leading cap space to add talent to the roster.
While they’ve zeroed in on signing notable defensive players, one of the quieter yet important moves they made was signing backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs to a two-year, $8 million deal. Dobbs, 30, spent this past season with the San Francisco 49ers, where he appeared in two games, starting in the final game of the regular season versus the Arizona Cardinals.
Joshua Dobbs Reunites With Mike Vrabel
Dobbs is an eight-year veteran and was selected in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Along with the Steelers and 49ers, he’s also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, and Tennessee Titans.
Dobbs was a journeyman backup before getting an opportunity to be a starter for the Cardinals in 2023 while Kyler Murray was sidelined with a torn ACL from the year prior. In that same season, he was also a starter for the Vikings, compiling a 3-9 record, throwing for 2,464 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
The move to sign Dobbs reunites him with Mike Vrabel, as Dobbs played for the Titans in the 2022 season. Signing Dobbs was a solid move by the Patriots, as he provides much-needed depth and experience to the quarterback room as he’s started in 15 games.
Having played for Vrabel before, Dobbs gives Vrabel an insurance piece at quarterback if anything happens to Maye (knock on wood). Although Dobbs doesn’t have the same arm talent as Maye, both quarterbacks have similar dual-threat abilities, giving Josh McDaniels a backup he can rely on.
Before the signing, the Patriots only had two quarterbacks on their roster, Drake Maye and Joe Milton III. The signing of Dobbs slots him behind Maye in the depth chart, which could potentially mean the Patriots trade Milton after his performance in the last game of the regular season.