Getty The New England Patriots have been named "potential suitors" for a former No. 3 pick who could be traded.
Mac Jones is the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots, but the team is unlikely to hesitate to pursue alternatives if he doesn’t step up after an indifferent second season. One option might involve trading for a former third-overall NFL draft pick who’s been demoted.
Trey Lance remains the subject of trade speculation, and Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports named the Patriots as one of four potential suitors. Benjamin detailed how San Francisco 49ers’ head coach “Kyle Shanahan is already comfortable with surprise standout Brock Purdy, 23, and probably trusts his own system enough to deploy Sam Darnold as the reclamation-project backup.”
The note about Darnold proved prophetic, as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported the 49ers officially named Sam Darnold QB2 behind Brock Purdy on Wednesday, August 23.
#49ers QB Sam Darnold was named the team’s No. 2 QB, per me and @TomPelissero. He’ll be the backup to Brock Purdy to begin the season.
This further puts the future of former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance in some doubt.
Rapoport also noted how the new depth chart will only fuel further trade speculation about Lance: “Prior to the Draft, there were a few trade discussions. Perhaps those will pick up.”
The Patriots could be intrigued by another chance to design an offense around a mobile quarterback. Head coach Bill Belichick tried the same, for only limited success, with Cam Newton in 2020.
Perhaps things would be different if Lance finally unlocked the potential that convinced the 49ers to trade three first-round picks to the Miami Dolphins back in 2021.
Top-3 Pick Needs Fresh Start
A broken ankle suffered against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2 required a pair of surgeries and cost Lance what should have been a banner season. He’d been given the starting job, but instead had to sit and watch Purdy, the last player drafted in 2022, cement his status as San Francisco’s QB1.
The one-year deal the 49ers gave former New York Jets and Carolina Panthers passer Darnold further weakened Lance’s position. Now, the 23-year-old needs a fresh start, evidenced by Lance not being in attendance for the Niners’ Wednesday practice session, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic.
Trey Lance is notably missing from today’s practice. Will try to get an explanation after practice but source says the 49ers are considering all options with the former No. 3 overall pick.
Lance would get a do-over on his pro career if he joined a Patriots team still far from settled at football’s most important position. Jones has hardly silenced doubters by tossing 24 interceptions in two seasons.
Belichick has been accused by former players like two-time Super Bowl winner Asante Samuel of not giving Jones the best chance to succeed. It’s a reasonable argument after Belichick let ex-defensive coordinator Matt Patricia call the offense last season, with predictably mediocre results.
The problem was addressed by Belichick bringing Bill O’Brien back as offensive coordinator this year. O’Brien’s system could be the perfect fit for Lance’s dual-threat skills.
Patriots Have the Right Offense for No. 3 Pick
Lance was a prolific playmaker in a read-option offense at North Dakota State, so he might adapt quickly to O’Brien’s playbook. The latter called plenty of run-pass-option plays as OC for Alabama a year ago, and O’Brien already has Jones and the Patriots running more RPOs.
One great example from the game against the Green Bay Packers in Week 2 of the preseason was broken down by Taylor Kyles of Patriots on CLNS.
🔊SOUND ON🔊
Mac Jones ranked bottom-3 in yards/attempts and average depth of target on RPO dropbacks last season
Expect that to change drastically under new OC Bill O’Brien
Packaging these play designs around Lance’s legitimate threat as a runner might make the Patriots close to unstoppable. That’s assuming O’Brien and Belichick could find a way to get Lance on track in a way the 49ers never could.
It wouldn’t be easy, but plays like this touchdown run against the Packers from the 2021 season would offer a building block for success.
Newton rushed for 12 touchdowns on similar play designs for the Pats. He also threw for 61 yards on RPOs, per Pro Football Reference.
The Patriots have a blueprint that could transform Lance. Provided Belichick and the franchise deem it worth the risk to trade for a signal-caller who hasn’t come close to playing up to his draft status.