Patriots Meet With Another Dual-Threat Quarterback

With rumors swirling this offseason that the New England Patriots are looking to move on from quarterback Mac Jones, the team added another log to the fire by meeting with QB prospect Malik Cunningham recently.

Cunningham also met with the Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts, Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network tweeted on April 10. Earlier in the offseason, the Patriots met with another dual-threat QB, Anthony Richardson of Florida, at the NFL combine. He is projected to be selected in the first round.

Cunningham was called “another day-three option” by Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar, who referred to him as a passer with more “physical upside” than Jones and the other QB on New England’s roster, Bailey Zappe.

Despite his speed, athleticism and individual success at Louisville, Cunningham is not expected to be taken early in the draft, which starts April 27. He is projected to go later (if at all) in the draft due to concerns about his arm strength, size (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) and durability, according to Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings.

“Despite his late-round billing, Cunningham does have one elite trait in his corner — creation capacity,” Cummings wrote on April 4. “He’s a phenomenal athlete with burst and speed in space, but his lateral twitch, agility, and throttle control serve as equally exciting properties. Particularly for teams who value athleticism at QB … Cunningham would fit early on as a developmental backup worth stashing.”

---

Malik Cunningham Was Record-Setting Quarterback in College

Cunningham, 24, is drawing interest after a productive career at Louisville. In five seasons with the Cardinals, Cunningham threw for 9,660 passing yards and 70 touchdowns with 29 interceptions and a 62.6% completion rate. He was also a threat with his legs, racking up 3,179 rushing yards and 50 rushing touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards per carry.

He finished his career at Louisville with the most touchdowns in program history, surpassing the previous record held by Lamar Jackson late in the 2022 season. In fact, Cunningham was redshirted during Jackson’s final year with the Cardinals in 2017 and took over under center soon after Jackson departed for the NFL.

---

Malik Cunningham Fits Patriots’ Type

Cunningham’s connection and similarities to Jackson are notable, as New England has been linked to him as well this offseason. The Patriots thus appear to have a type in their recent pursuit of a potential alternative to Jones: a dual-threat quarterback.

Between Cunningham, Jackson and Florida QB Anthony Richardson, New England has shown interest in multiple dual-threat signal callers this offseason. That suggests a possible change in organizational philosophy for the Patriots, who briefly tried a mobile quarterback with Cam Newton in 2020 before drafting a traditional pocket passer in Jones the following year.

New England’s offense struggled with Jones in 2022, however, ranking 26th in the NFL in total yards per game (322). Given the proliferation of dual-threat quarterbacks around the league such as Jackson, Kyler Murray, Josh Allen and others, the Patriots may feel that they need one as well to keep up.

New England has typically shied away from dual-threat QBs in the past, as Newton was the only one on their roster in recent memory. With new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien coming in, however, the Patriots have a chance to modernize their offense and add some athleticism to it.

With New England unlikely to acquire Jackson from the Ravens based on recent reports, drafting Cunningham could be a good alternative. He would bring some of the same skills to the table at a much cheaper cost and would give head coach Bill Belichick another option under center in case Jones doesn’t work out.

0 Comments