Whether the Patriots take a quarterback in the draft or not, it makes sense for them to add a veteran to the mix.
The presence of an experienced signal caller was sorely missing in the quarterback room last season.
During the latest “Eye on Foxborough” podcast, Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com said she wouldn’t be surprised if new Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt wanted to reunite with Joe Flacco in New England.
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For a time, the Van Pelt-Flacco union was magic.
“It was like a match made in heaven,” Cabot said of the relationship between the offensive coordinator and quarterback. “They were just perfect together.”
The Browns signed Flacco late in the year after starter DeShaun Watson went down to a season-ending injury in November. Cleveland had utilized through other quarterbacks, before Flacco righted the ship. He immediately provided a spark for the offense. With him as the starter, the team went 4-1 down the stretch to close out the regular season.
He passed for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns, with eight interceptions. He earned Comeback Player of the Year honors, as the Browns were able to lock up their first playoff spot since 2020.
The Browns might want to bring Flacco back, but Cabot believes the veteran will test the market to see if any other teams might want to bring him aboard.
“I was thinking it would probably be smart for the Patriots to sign Joe Flacco,” Cabot said. “He’s looking for an opportunity to go somewhere where he can compete for the starting job, or to start.
“Alex Van Pelt knows what he’s all about and what he can do. And if you have a really good receiver that can go down field, and catch these deep passes from Joe Flacco, you can get a lot of mileage out of that.”
The Browns certainly did, until hitting the post-season. Flacco’s magic ride came to an end, as he threw a pair of pick-sixes against the Houston Texans, who blew out the Browns, 45-14, on Wild Card weekend.
Flacco is 39. In terms of the Patriots, he could be a stop-gap until the rookie quarterback is ready to go. That’s assuming, of course, the Patriots part ways with Mac Jones. Flacco, who won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens, would also serve as a good mentor.
Flacco does throw a terrific deep ball, but the Patriots, as presently constituted, really don’t have anyone that qualifies as a deep threat. That could change either in free agency, or the draft.
Baker Mayfield and Jacoby Brissett, two other quarterbacks set to become free agents along with Flacco, also worked well with Van Pelt during their time in Cleveland.
