The Patriots have made their choice between Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo. And now they have only one quarterback on the roster.
So what’s next for the Patriots, after trading Garoppolo to the 49ers? With few free-agent options available, it’s intriguing to wonder whether the Patriots would consider pursuing Colin Kaepernick, given that Kaepernick has performed well against them in the past.
Whatever they do, they need someone, soon. Which makes the move so surprising, since it was viewed as a given that coach Bill Belichick wanted to keep Garoppolo in place as the backup to Brady for 2017, and then to decide what to do with him later.
The move, for a second-round pick, becomes even more confusing given the widespread belief in the 2017 offseason that Belichick wanted multiple first-round picks for Garoppolo. If he’s taking a second-round pick in 2018 now, wouldn’t he have taken a single first-round pick in 2017?
The good news for the Patriots is that the Week Nine bye makes it easier for them to get a backup up to speed, whoever it may be. Given that the trade deadline doesn’t arrive until 4:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, maybe the Patriots will trade for a quarterback.