Should The New England Patriots Go After Joe Flacco?

When the New England Patriots signed Cam Newton on a one year deal, it was to help push Jarett Stidham to starter level. Some crazy analysts over at ESPN even picked Stidham to be the best quarterback in the AFC East. Fast forward to week 11 and the Pats have a weakness at QB,

While Cam Newton has been enough to keep the Patriots interesting, he’s not the quarterback he used to be. Even if Stidham never develops into a franchise quarterback, New England still will need to draft a quarterback this offseason. It’s highly unlikely they’ll bring Cam Newton back after his struggles this season so the new rookie will need a mentor next season. Should the Pats look across the division for a former Super Bowl champ, Joe Flacco?

Right now that’s the exact role Joe Flacco is filling with the Jets. Both Flacco and Newton signed one-year deals with their respective teams but they’re two completely different deals. Cam signed a 1-year/ $1.7 million dollar deal that could balloon all the way up to more than $7 million if he remains the starter. Flacco signed for $1.5 million to be a back-up.

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Both Cam and Flacco have struggled this season and both teams could walk away with a losing record. While Cam Newton could potentially play a few more years longer than Flacco, both seem to be at the tail end of their careers. Neither is playing at a level that requires a long term deal, but if New England wants to develop their next franchise QB, Flacco should be an option.

As a starter, Flacco has 6 touchdowns and 3 interceptions on a bad New York Jets team. Taking away his two plays against the Broncos, he’s only started in 4 games this season. He’s got multiple touchdowns in his past two games and is approaching the 1000 yard mark. It’s no secret that the Patriots are strapped for cap space. Even Bill Belichick admitted they financed their future to remain competitive. Now they’ll need a cheap option to be the bridge to the next guy and Flacco should be it.

The Miami Dolphins found success bridging the gap with Ryan Fitzpatrick. Could Joe Flacco be their guy next season to do the same?