Russell Wilson? Jacoby Brissett? Patriots' options for veteran quarterback are interesting

BOSTON -- We're at the point of the calendar year where you can't believe a single thing you hear about some of the top quarterback prospects in the draft. Misinformation and misdirection are often the name of the game, as it's always worth wondering more about why a certain rumor is being floated than it is to worry about the actual substance.

So, when it comes to forecasting which quarterback might be available for the Patriots at No. 3 overall out of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels, nobody knows much more than what was known before the combine. Throw in the "rise" of J.J. McCarthy and the continued unknown of Michael Penix Jr., and the 2024 quarterback class is not lacking on intrigue.

Still, even if the Patriots do what's expected by drafting a quarterback, the team won't want to throw that player right into the fire if he's not ready. And setting him up to play under Mac Jones and/or Bailey Zappe may not be the best introduction to the NFL either.

Ergo, we've heard a lot about the Patriots wanting to sign a free-agent, veteran quarterback to most likely begin the 2024 season as the starting quarterback. That's been a common sense conclusion, but reports have also indicated that it is indeed their plan.

And with free agency looming next week, a decision may be coming soon. The options are ... well, interesting.

Russell Wilson

The Broncos announced Monday that they will be releasing Russell Wilson when the league year begins next week, after just two underwhelming seasons. For the Broncos, who gave up two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, Noah Fant, Shelby Harris and Drew Lock to acquire Wilson and a fourth-round pick two years ago, this is a massive admission of a mistake. The five-year, $245 million contract with $165 million guaranteed added some insult to that injury, and the Broncos will now carry $85 million of dead cap space over the next five years, with a $35.4 million cap hit hovering over them for the coming season.

Yikes.

That's all included here because it's relevant to the attractiveness -- or lack thereof -- of Wilson on the open market. If a team that was that committed to him is willing to endure such a massive loss and penalty just to get rid of him, how many teams will really come calling?

It's certainly a very real concern, but fortunately for Wilson, he plays quarterback in the NFL. And teams will always try to find a cheat code to fill a need at the most important position in the sport.

In the case of Wilson, that cheat code could come if he ends up signing a deal at the veteran minimum. With the Broncos still paying him all that money, Wilson could represent a bargain for a team hoping he still has something left.

Here are the pros with Wilson: He's cheap, he's experienced, he's won a Super Bowl, he's made nine Pro Bowls in a 10-year stretch, he led the league in touchdown passes once, and while he's obviously slowed some with age, he still has some mobility.

Here are some of the cons -- err, well, here's the main con: He's weird. From running high knees up the aisles on an international team flight when everyone else is sleeping, to the "Mr. Unlimited" videos, to that Subway commercial, to him running imaginary huddles in full view of television cameras in an empty stadium, to claiming God spoke directly to him after his infamous goal-line interception to lose a Super Bowl, to his former Seahawks teammates seemingly not liking him, to his "Go Hawks" sign-offs, to his "Let's ride" pump-up videos, there's a lot with Wilson. Look at the aforementioned dead cap hit and lost draft capital that Denver is OK with taking on in order to give him the boot.

There's also the football part. Wilson started 30 games for Denver, going 11-19. He completed 63.3 percent of his passes for an average of 220 yards per game and 7.1 yards per attempt. He threw 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2022 but improved with 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2023. After posting an 84.4 rating in 2022, he posted a 98.0 rating in 2023. That's ... really not bad. Among full-time NFL starters last year, he ranked sixth in passer rating. He also ranked ninth in touchdown passes.

(He also went from 277 yards and three touchdowns rushing in 2022 to 341 yards and three touchdowns rushing last year.)

Was that performance worthy of the megabucks he was given in Denver? Nope. Will it be enough to get several teams to take a bite on the potential of the 35-year-old putting forth a solid season as a starting NFL quarterback. You betcha.

Will it be New England that ultimately lands him? Well, assuming he can get over this history ...

... it remains a distinct possibility. (Some geniuses saw this possibility arising months ago. Shoutout to those incredible humans. Very brave, very wise.)

Jacoby Brissett

Say what you will about Russell Wilson -- and yes, there's plenty to say about Russell Wilson -- but at least he's not boring. Jacoby Brissett, on the other hand? Wellllllll.

Obviously, a lot of football fans in New England have a soft spot for Brissett. A third-round pick out of NC State by the Patriots in 2016, he stepped in admirably during Tom Brady's suspension and Jimmy Garoppolo's injury to start (and win) a game on a Thursday night in just his third week as an NFL player. It was cool. Brissett's also a high-character, high-quality individual by all accounts, earning the respect of seemingly every teammate and coach he's worked with in the NFL. All of that is understood.

It's just ... the football. There's not a whole lot to get excited about there. He has started 16 games total over the past four years, going 6-10 (for Miami in 2021 and Cleveland in 2022). He's 18-30 as a starter in his career, with most of that damage coming in his 4-11 season as the Colts' starter in his second season when Andrew Luck was hurt. He's completed just 61.3 percent of his passes, averaging just 6.6 yards per attempt. He's thrown 51 touchdowns and 23 interceptions, good for an 85.3 passer rating.

He's thrown three touchdowns or more in a game just four times, and he's topped 300 passing yards in a game six times, with a high of 326. He presents a minor rushing threat (915 yards, 15 touchdowns on 230 career carries).

Brissett would absolutely be a quality individual to serve as a mentor to a young quarterback in the Patriots' room, but would he really help them win games on Sundays? Probably not.

At the same time, his cost will be relatively low, and it's well-known that he has the emotional maturity to handle several different roles within a quarterback room. For those two reasons, he'll remain high on the Patriots' list.

Joe Flacco

We shouldn't spend too much time on Joseph Vincent Flacco. Nevertheless, his name has been out there. 

Even Flacco himself didn't believe he deserved the Comeback Player of the Year Award. Everybody got a little too riled up with that one. The reality is, for as fun as Flacco made a few games last year ... he played quarterback at a subpar level. That's typically what 38-year-olds who were never great to begin with do.

Flacco made five starts for Cleveland, and though he won four of them, he completed just 60.3 percent of his passes while throwing 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. In Cleveland's playoff loss, he topped 300 passing yards ... but threw two picks with one touchdown.

He was a chucker last year. He had some fun, won some games, provided some entertainment, made for a good story. But no, he serves few if any needs of the Patriots at this point in time.

Kirk Cousins

Too expensive, probably looking to be a starter for the next couple of seasons. Next.

Baker Mayfield

We examined this one thoroughly on Monday, but it's a similar conclusion to Cousins. He's going to cost a lot, and he's going to want to be a starter. After what he went through to start his career, and with his performance last year, he's more than earned that right. He'd only make sense in New England if the Patriots don't draft a quarterback.

Ryan Tannehill

We've heard just about nothing regarding Ryan Tannehill and the Patriots. We can probably assume that isn't because the Patriots are playing coy in their pursuit of the 35-year-old. He threw four touchdowns with seven interceptions last year, a season in which he got hurt and lost his starting job to Will Levis.

He had just 13 touchdown passes with six picks in 12 starts a year earlier, and he threw 21 touchdowns to 14 interceptions in 2021, his last full season as a starter. His outstanding 2020 season was, really, an aberration. 

Could he come into New England and play the position at a reasonable level while being less weird than Russell Wilson? Probably. That, though, is the definition of damning someone with faint praise. 

Gardner Minshew

Gardner Minshew has a little bit more working in his favor than some other names on this list. He's a little bit younger, as he'll turn 28 in May. So he still has some potential of recapturing the performances of his first two seasons in the league, (37 TDs, 11 INTs for Jacksonville). His 2023 stats weren't eye-popping (62.2 percent completion rate, 15 TDs, 9 INTs, 84.6 rating, 7-6 record), but he has a case of being just as fine-ok-mediocre-meh as anyone else on this list.

Minshew probably won't be a first choice, but in terms of a short-term, NFL-capable starter who won't demand an insane salary and could be moved to the bench if the rookie proves ready for the job, Minshew checks the boxes.

Cam Newton or Tom Brady

OK, just kidding. Just wanted to make sure you were still reading. Thanks for hanging on through the end. (If you skipped to the end and saw this, I retract my appreciation for your efforts. Shame on you.)