Even after the New England Patriots re-signed Cam Newton, it seemed like they might still be in the mix for another quarterback. And as the terms of Newton’s contract came to light, the deal showed the Patriots were not wholly committed to Newton as the starter. He’s going to make $3.5 million in base money, with up to $14 million in escalators.
New England’s remaining options seem to be fairly limited. There’s a trade for Jimmy Garoppolo, an option that seems costly, judging from coach Kyle Shanahan’s recent remarks. And then there’s the NFL draft, where the Patriots would probably have to trade up to get a starting-caliber quarterback.
Well, in ESPN’s Todd McShay’s latest mock draft, the draft analyst predicted the Patriots would do just that: trade up for a young QB. Here are the details.