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The Colts have drafted Jacob Eason as their quarterback of the future. That leaves the Patriots free to deal for Jacoby Brissett.
The Patriots are staring down the possibility of beginning the 2020 regular season with Jarrett Stidham as their starting quarterback. It’s time for Bill Belichick to secure an upgrade. Bringing Jacoby Brissett back to New England makes too much sense not to happen.
The fact that the Colts spent a fourth round pick on Jacob Eason should only make it an easier deal for the Patriots to complete. He now becomes Indianapolis’ obvious choice to take over for Philip Rivers in the future.
Combine that with the fact that Brissett only has one year left on his current deal with the Colts and it’s easy to see why he might be on the move. It’s hard to envision a scenario where Indianapolis makes him a compelling offer to stay before he hits free agency.
Now is the time for the Patriots to make an offer to the Colts that will compel them to pass on the idea of keeping Brissett as a backup in 2020. It shouldn’t require too much in terms of draft compensation. A fourth round pick should be enough to get a deal done. The Colts would love that pick to be in this year’s draft so they can immediately find another young player to bolster their roster.
The Patriots would love to bring Brissett back to Foxborough given the familiarity he already has with their offensive system. The possibility that the current pandemic might shorten training camp will place a premium on players who already understand a team’s culture and playbook. Brissett could return to the Patriots and be ready to start for them when the regular season opens.
The Patriots will also appreciate the opportunity to effectively rent Brissett for one season. If things go south for the team in 2020 they could enter next year’s draft with a high pick. In theory, that would allow New England to select a highly rated quarterback at the top of the 2021 draft if Brissett doesn’t prove worthy of being the team’s long-term starter.
The Colts aren’t going to give Brissett away, but the time is perfect for the Patriots to make their trade offer. He would offer them an immediate upgrade at the game’s most important position. Look for New England to strike quickly if they do want to reunite with Tom Brady’s former backup.