Report: Patriots Advised to ’Stay out of the Bidding War’ for Former No. 2 Pick

The quarterback market is pretty full this offseason. Many NFL teams will try to get their next franchise quarterback. The New England Patriots need a quarterback, too. They had Cam Newton under center in 2020, and he wasn’t enough. The 2015 NFL MVP wasn’t able to lead the Patriots to the playoffs. Carson Wentz from the Philadelphia Eagles is making headlines these days. Adam Schefter from ESPN reported on his next move. The Patriots may get the former No. 2 pick.

Paul Perillo of Patriots.com believes that the Patriots won’t give the Eagles every player they seen in return for Wentz. According to sources, the Eagles are looking for a “Matthew Stafford Package” in exchange for their superstar.

“If we go back and look, that was a third-round pick this year, two future (first-round picks) and Jared Goff,” Schefter said.

.@AdamSchefter says there's a chance we could see Carson Wentz get traded "this week" and that the Eagles are looking for a "Matthew Stafford package" in return. pic.twitter.com/1CnIYcQnf9

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 8, 2021

Patriots may not go after the former No. 2 pick

That’s pretty much for someone who is coming off a season in which coaches benched him for rookie Jalen Hurts. Wentz had career lows in completion percentage and threw 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. 

“As for the Patriots, most reports have included Chicago and Indianapolis as potential landing spots for Wentz,” Perillo wrote. “Given what the Eagles are looking for, Bill Belichick would be wise to stay out of that bidding war as the rebuilding process can’t afford to part with so many resources in the draft. If the price drops, a reclamation project like Wentz would be intriguing given his talent and past success.”

Michael Lombardi of The Athletic says the Eagles are turning NFL teams off with their high price.

The Eagles asking price, according to one team source, was ridiculous, laughable, and not worth countering. Until they lower their expectations, based on the uncertainty of the player and contract, their initial price will never be obtained.

— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) February 9, 2021

Perillo and other analysts talked about Las Vegas Raiders free agent quarterback Marcus Mariota and his potential landing in New England.

“More realistically, reports out of Las Vegas have included the Patriots as a possibility to grab Raiders’ backup Marcus Mariota. Mariota, who is also a former No. 2 overall pick, lost his job in Tennessee to Ryan Tannehill last year and signed with the Raiders as Derek Carr’s backup in 2020.

“The Patriots wouldn’t likely have to cough up much to get Mariota, who has excellent mobility and size at 6-4 and 222 pounds. He’s been erratic as a passer with 77 touchdowns and 45 interceptions in his career for an overall rating of 89.5.”

Mariota is stronger and healthier than Wentz. Sports Injury Predictor explains that Wentz has an 83% chance of sustaining an injury in 2021. Mariota’s chance of suffering an injury is 23%.