Michael Lombardi meticulously explains why Patriots unlikely to trade up for QB
The New England Patriots’ quarterback situation is one of the more intriguing storylines heading into the 2021 season.
Cam Newton re-signed on a one-year deal, but his role as the starter is far from being secure. The Patriots trading for Jimmy Garoppolo or another veteran isn’t very likely, but the possibility of Bill Belichick drafting a signal-caller has much higher odds. The main question now is — how far are the Patriots willing to go for one of the top-tier prospects in this year’s draft?
Former Patriots executive Michael Lombardi joined The GM Shuffle podcast and discussed the situation in great detail, ultimately saying he doesn’t believe the team will trade up.
“They’re not far away. Obviously, they have to fix the quarterback position,” Lombardi said, transcribed by ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “Cam Newton has to play much better. Where are they with Jarrett Stidham, and can they trade up? If Mac Jones goes three, which is what we all believe to be true, then where does that all fit? That means get to 4. Do they like Justin Fields? I don’t think so. Do they like Trey Lance? I’m not sure. I don’t know.
“Just knowing how they operate, I couldn’t imagine they could get either one of Lance or Fields to a high enough point to justify trading up to get them. This is what fans don’t understand. If you have a grading system that you have to really adhere to, you’ve got to be able to say; well Lombardi says, ‘They don’t like Fields and they don’t like Lance.’ That doesn’t mean they don’t like them. What I’m saying is they don’t have them graded high enough to be able to justify them at that point in the draft.”
With an inside perspective, Lombardi doesn’t believe the quarterbacks are graded high enough to justify the assets they’d give up to trade.
“To go in the first 15 players; let’s just say, you think Justin Fields is a 69 player. You graded him 69,” Lombardi continued. “That player has abilities and can create mismatches versus most opponents in the league. He’s a featured player on the team. Has the ability to impact the outcome of the game. No one player can take him out of the game. Each week he has a consistent level of performance. Plays at a championship level in most situations. Rates in the top 10 in positions of his league.
“If you feel comfortable grading Justin Fields there, then OK, you can do that. I don’t. I don’t think he’s going to be a top 10 quarterback in the league. Now, you can disagree with that. That’s fine. Again, this is really important about the draft. What you have to understand about the draft. I don’t want you to think how I think, but I want you to understand how I think. That’s really critical to separate the two things.
“… So, when I say they can’t trade up to get that, I’m saying they can’t put verbiage next to the player that justifies it. Like, if I gave him a 63 grade — ‘He’s a one-dimensional player that can do well, has certain skills to be productive in a role. He may never be a full-time starter.’
“OK, if you think Justin Fields is, then you’d say, ‘A player that has the ability to be a starter, but can’t overcome some of the limitations. He’s adequate at the position, struggles to be productive versus blue or top-level players. Doesn’t play on a consistent level.’ It doesn’t mean he’s not a good player. You’re just describing this. And if you don’t have verbiage next to this, you can’t really justify it. But, if all you do is say, ‘He’s first-rounder’ or, ‘He’s a second-rounder’ then what are we saying?
“That doesn’t say anything. Descriptions tell you what he is. That’s why it’s hard for me to see them drafting quarterbacks like Fields or Lance, or even some of these guys early, because they can’t fit the description to justify trading for them.”
Lombardi knows how the Patriots operate and it’s extremely possible Belichick plans to start Newton if a quarterback he wants doesn’t drop to No. 15.
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