Tua Tagovailoa somehow ends up as a Patriot

If trading up for Joe Burrow is reaching for the moon, then leapfrogging the Miami Dolphins to steal Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa would be aiming for the stars.

Granted, the Dolphins aren’t simply going to hand their arch-rivals the No. 5 pick and one of the most promising arms in the draft. They are clearly in the market for a quarterback as well, and Tagovailoa’s name has come up often for them on mock draft boards.

Fortunately for the Patriots, the New York Giants at No. 4 or Detroit Lions at No. 3 could be open for business in some last-minute wheeling and dealing. Both being NFC teams make the idea of a swap even more appealing.

Belichick would still have to empty the bank, and he’d be taking a chance on a player with an extensive injury history. You can rest assured the Patriots would have to pony up a 2021 first-round draft pick and then some to pull off the blockbuster trade.

But the thought of the Patriots going into the season with Tagovailoa at the helm over Stidham and Brian Hoyer is enough to sleep better at night.

Stidham could always come out next season and prove he’s more than just some guy Belichick drafted for filler space behind Brady, but that assumption could turn out to be an even bigger gamble, particularly if Tagovailoa goes on to be great.