The departure of quarterback Tom Brady for the New England Patriots was the biggest story of the NFL offseason. And one of the biggest news items in recent memory.
Now, the Winning Poker Network sportsbook has released odds on who will replace him as ‘Next Starting QB for NE Patriots”.
Jarrett Stidham (-500)
Brian Hoyer (+300)
Cam Newton (+850)
Brian Lewerke (+5000)
Stidham is a second-year quarterback out of Auburn. He slipped to the fourth round after a poor final season but has the physical tools (arm, touch, mental makeup) that coach Bill Belichick looks for in his signal caller. Stidham is really hurt by the shortened NFL offseason and no one knows what training camps will look like. I believe he would definitely be the Week 1 starter if not for that.
Hoyer is entering his 12th year in the league and this is his third stint with the team. The Patriots love his veteran leadership, but his is clearly a backup at this point in his career, especially if you have any hopes of making the playoffs. However, there is a decent chance that Hoyer is the starter for at least Week 1 of the regular season.
Newton seems like a good choice in theory. He is a former League-MVP who has taken his team to the Super Bowl. He also seems to be recovered from his injuries and has the confident personality that wouldn’t make him blink twice in taking over for a legend.
The downside to Newton is his skills don’t really translate into New England’s short passing game that’s predicated on quick decisions. The team also doesn’t have any salary cap space to pay him currently.
Lewerke was just signed as an undrafted free agent from Michigan State, the same college as Hoyer. He seems to have some intriguing skills to work with, but his best-case scenario is to learn from the Practice Squad this year.
