Patriots need to call the Bengals about Andy Dalton right now

Tom Brady has made up his mind to leave the Patriots. New England needs to move quickly to secure Andy Dalton as his replacement.

Even without Tom Brady on the roster, Bill Belichick still has a veteran roster capable of making a deep playoff run. The Patriots need to acquire a quality replacement for Brady if they want to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Making a trade for Andy Dalton is the best realistic option available to Belichick and his front office.

Well before the Brady news broke it was already apparent that the Bengals were willing to “listen to offers” on Dalton. Quite a few teams have filled their quarterback needs in the last 24 hours. Now the Bengals are running out of teams interested in a new starting signal caller. The Patriots just so happen to be a new team in the market for that sort of player.

It only makes sense that the two franchises get together and make a deal. Dalton’s personality and playing still make him a perfect fit to thrive under Belichick. He’s not remotely concerned about getting credit or racking up stats. He just wants to win games. That’s a quality that will endear him to everyone in New England.

Dalton isn’t going to suddenly blossom into an All-Pro with the Patriots, but they don’t need him to be that sort of player either. New England needs a steady hand at the quarterback position who can help keep the offense on schedule. Without Brady in the fold they will lean on their defense to win games. Dalton is just the sort of game manager that can play to the strengths of Belichick’s current roster.

Acquiring Dalton won’t break the bank for the Patriots either. A third round pick should be enough to get a deal done. Dalton’s $17.5 million salary for 2020 isn’t cheap, but it’s also much less than Brady was going to cost the team. The fact that his contract expires after next season also prevents New England from overcommiting to Dalton if things don’t work out.

Trading for Dalton isn’t going to make anyone in Foxborough forget about Brady, but he can keep things ticking for Belichick for at least one season. Securing an upgrade over Jarrett Stidham is a necessity for the Patriots at the moment. Brady represents the best realistic option at quarterback for New England.