The Patriots recently re-signed quarterback Tommy DeVito and released fellow signal-caller Joshua Dobbs. DeVito due to this fact appears to be in the driving force’s seat for Recent England’s QB2 post behind MVP runner-up Drake Maye, but he won’t go unchallenged.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss says the Dobbs release makes it more likely that the Patriots will draft a passer or sign one as a priority UDFA. While the team was all the time going so as to add one other quarterback or two to its depth chart and was not going to hold only Maye and DeVito, it’s notable that a team that just won the AFC could also be content to have largely unproven options behind its starter as an alternative of a more established talent (like old friend Jimmy Garoppolo, who continues to be a free agent).
If Recent England does select so as to add a quarterback via the draft or the UDFA pool, ESPN’s Jordan Reid (via Reiss) offers several possibilities. Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, whose performance in a losing effort in the primary round of the 2024 College Football Playoff led Reid to contemplate him a Day 1 talent, was less impressive in his final season on campus. That said, he’s a three-year starter with experience under center and within the shotgun who’s lauded for his character. Reid projects him as a fourth- or fifth-round option in next month’s draft.
Luke Altmyer, meanwhile, must be available within the fifth or sixth round. Reid praised the Illinois product’s Senior Bowl performance along along with his arm strength, accuracy, mobility, and decisiveness. The Patriots may feel that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and quarterbacks coach Ashton Grant may help Klubnik, Altmyer, or a player with the same draft projection to achieve their ceiling sooner moderately than later and thus create – together with DeVito – a snug enough quarterback situation behind Maye.
Maye, whose breakout second skilled campaign ended with a disappointing performance in Super Bowl LX, will after all be counted upon to steer the Patriots on one other deep postseason run. If he’s forced to miss any length of time, Recent England’s possibilities of such a run will suffer a serious blow no matter whether the club adds a player on the free agent or trade markets or takes a likelihood on a rookie.