New England Patriots

Will Tom Brady really leave the Patriots? It’s possible, even if it would be wild to see. If No. 12’s days are over in New England, the Patriots don’t really have a successor to tab in-house. And Bridgewater’s proven (if limited) success in New Orleans could entice Bill Belichick to make a recruiting call in free agency.

That might be the biggest coup of all the teams listed here. Belichick is the longest-tenured coach in the NFL, and the addition of Bridgewater could make the smooth passing-of-the-torch from Brady to Bridgewater that Sean Payton might be hoping for with the Saints. It’s the sort of easy transition that all teams hope for but few are able to execute.

It’s also significantly more difficult to picture Bridgewater having as much fun in the notoriously-joyless Patriots organization as he’s enjoyed with the Saints. But Belichick has made bold, landscape-changing moves before, and his team is one dark horse that is impossible to overlook.

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