The New England Patriots are about to enter into a whole new era for the first time in 20 years. With future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback now officially a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Patriots will have a new starting signal-caller under center for the first since all the way back in 2001.
With the tandem of Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer currently atop the team's depth chart at the quarterback position, it remains to be seen as to what exactly comes of head coach Bill Belichick's plan for the 2020 campaign. As it stands today, it appears as though Stidham is gearing up to serve as the team's starter with the journeyman in Hoyer once again slated for a backup role.
However, because the soon-to-be second-year signal-caller in Stidham remains unproven, the Patriots' most glaring need is still the quarterback position with the summer now officially in full swing. With the unproven Stidham only backed-up by the aforementioned Hoyer, who has only proven that he is not at the level of a starting NFL quarterback, the Patriots need to immediately address this issue as the offseason is only progressing further and further toward the 2020 regular season.
If the Patriots are going to return to the postseason even in the absence of Brady, New England must add another signal caller that can truly rival and challenge Stidham this offseason. Luckily for the Patriots, though, there are two key options at this position that remain unsigned — longtime Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, both of which are currently unrestricted free agents without an NFL home in sight.
Had it not been for some recent stretches of injury trouble, Newton would no doubt still be the starting quarterback for the Panthers. The former NFL MVP and NFC Champion appears healthy, though, as Newton has continued to post-workout videos of himself on social media — presumably to prove his level of renewed health as the “coronavirus” pandemic hasn't allowed him to formally workout for franchises in person. A significant upgrade from Stidham, Newton would put the Patriots in position to go toe-to-toe with the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East as both the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins don't figure to be much of a threat in 2020.
On the other hand, Kaepernick hasn't played in the NFL since back in 2016 but does have a solid track record from his days with the 49ers. Another NFC Champion, though not a former league MVP like Newton, Kaepernick could no doubt challenge Stidham for the team's starting role. Even so, this is a no harm, no foul type of situation for both Kaepernick and the Patriots as New England currently has absolutely nothing to lose by taking a chance as the heralded organization won six Super Bowl titles under the guidance of Brady. If this experiment doesn't ultimately work out, it wouldn't cost the Patriots too much money or time while still giving them a legitimate chance of contending for a divisional crown in 2020.
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