The harsh reality for the New England Patriots is that Tom Brady cannot be the team's quarterback forever. Eventually, the superstar will move on or retire, leaving the Patriots to pick up the pieces and figure out how to move on. Some teams get lucky with this. Without any sort of backup plan, the Indianapolis Colts replaced Peyton Manning with his carbon-copy, Andrew Luck. However, the Patriots might not get handed the same fate, causing the team to plan for the future now.
The Patriots first made hints at this by scheduling visits with both Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater. New England will not draft either player. They simply do not have a high enough pick and there is literally no chance the team trades up for either one. However, it does show that New England is ready to put some depth at the position to help for future years. New England traditionally only carries two quarterback on the roster, but a third could be on the way.
The interest in drafting a rookie also brings up the question of Ryan Mallett's future. The backup has been with the team for two full seasons now and has thrown just a small handful of passes during a real game. However, there is a high amount of trade interest around Mallett. Playing behind Brady can really do something to a quarterback's stock. The 2014 offseason has seen multiple teams inquire about Mallett's price tag, but it has been deemed too high for any deal to be made.
It really only a matter of time before Mallett heads elsewhere. Right now, the Patriots wanted a third-round draft pick for the quarterback. While most teams turned their noses on that demand, a year from now New England just might get a buyer. So what do the Patriots do if Mallett is gone?
Drafting a quarterback in the first round really hurts the team's salary cap, adding one to two million each season. ESPN.com reports grabbing another late round option in a deep draft might be a better idea. Both Aaron Murray and AJ McCarron are being compared to Brady in terms of their playing style. Both quarterbacks are traditional pocket passers with great accuracy an decision making skills. If the Patriots are going to get someone decent, but not spend a fortune, McCarron and Murray are the best available.
