Bailey Zappe’s initial release had many shocked that the second-year player might have played his last snap in New England.
However, the Patriots signed Zappe back to the practice squad after he cleared waivers, but there was an initial report that stated the Patriots were still looking for a veteran backup for Mac Jones.
Do the Patriots really dislike Zappe? I get the sense that they still like him in the building, however, he was viewed as a “Matt Patricia guy” and a selection to fulfill the Kyle Shanahan-style offense that was a failure last season with first-time offensive coordinators trying to implement it.
Pierre Strong Jr. was another one of those picks that was supposed to thrive in that outside zone scheme, but he was recently traded to the Cleveland Browns for offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr. It is possible the Patriots could be trying to right the ship internally with those picks from 2022, which are no longer deemed scheme fits in Zappe, Strong, and yes, Tyquan Thornton, too.
The Patriots still believe Cole Strange is a fit in the new offense and can adapt, even if he is more suited for the agile offensive line system Kyle Shanahan and many west coast offenses deploy.
There is still some belief that Zappe can develop the parts of his game to be a capable backup in the system, but the Patriots likely want to find a veteran quarterback who can step in now behind Jones to mentor him and jump in if needed due to injury.
After what we saw all summer, Zappe is not capable of doing that right now and would benefit from developmental reps. Zappe’s game, in its current state, is more suited for single-read offenses that are predetermined, which is very similar to those QB-friendly systems Shanahan runs.
If Zappe is more QB3 than anything, who could the Patriots bring in that fits the scheme, is good enough to run it in a pinch, and is mature enough to be comfortable as a mentor and backup?