Patriots Sign Former 3rd-Round Pick At Quarterback

The New England Patriots decided to trust Mac Jones again and kept him on the starting position. However, the Patriots also decided to sign another quarterback. Getting Matt Corral from the Carolina Panthers made sense for head coach Bill Belichick. The Patriots will have to find a way to use Corral alongside Jones, Bailey Zappe, and Malik Cunningham.

Source: The #Patriots have claimed former #Panthers QB Matt Corral.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 31, 2023

The team made some major changes at quarterback this offseason. They released Zappe and Cunningham, but added both players to the practice unit. Corral’s signing makes things a little difficult for these two. Zappe was a good replacement for Jones last season. Cunningham was a star in training camp. Why did Belichick push them around? Corral could be the second option behind Jones and experts embraced this idea.

It is interesting to note that the Panthers traded with the Patriots to get Corral with the 94^th overall last season. New England got the 137^th overall pick and a 2023 third-round pick. Bill Barnwell from ESPN discussed this move, suggesting that Belichick knew how to get Corral and two picks within a year.

Patriots getting the picks from the Panthers when they moved up to draft Matt Corral *and* getting Corral without the Panthers ever giving him a single snap is a sneaky incredible trade

— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) August 31, 2023

It is up to Corral to get the best of this opportunity. Seeing him shine as a Patriots quarterback would be a big blow for the Panthers. Did they lose a valuable player?

Patriots sign the young quarterback amid multiple QB moves

Corral underwent a foot surgery in his rookie season with the Panthers and didn’t have the best preseason this year. He didn’t deliver the expected performance in the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions. The Panthers had no other option and let him go.

The Patriots have a tricky quarterback situation as well. Jones is their starter but NFL analysts still discuss the mistake he made last season. Many thought that Belichick would finish the season with Zappe at center. Jones has skills and potential and maybe the Patriots were right about giving him another chance.

Corral will have to show his best performance if he wants to secure his spot in New England. Belichick won’t think twice before cutting all ties with him.