Analyzing the current roster
Let’s start here, because you know that’s what Belichick will do. Here’s what Belichick thought about Stidham back in October.
“Jarrett is a smart kid,” he said. “He picks things up very quickly. He has a good grasp of the offense given where he is in his career. He’s handled everything we’ve thrown at him. In practice, he does a good job. He gets a lot of passes on our defense and when he has the opportunity to get the offensive snaps, he’s prepared and does a good job of those. But you know, it’s always different in the game. I think he’s doing all he can do.”
And what about Cody Kessler? Here’s what he said about him in October.
“Cody’s done a nice job for us,” Belichick said. “He’s really smart. He’s come in here, he’s learned. He’s out there calling plays, signaling receivers, making adjustments like he’s been here longer than the two weeks or whatever it is. He’s picked things up very quickly and has a good rapport with all of the players and is willing to do whatever we’ve asked him to do.”
Clearly, Belichick likes them both. Because the coach has yet to be aggressive about acquiring a quarterback, we can deduce — for now — that he thinks one of them is starting-caliber. Of course, that deduction could change if the Patriots acquire someone else, whether by trade or free agency.
So what are his options there?