Patriots

Morning sports update: NFL draft expert thinks Tua Tagovailoa would be a ‘great fit’ with the Patriots

"I actually love the Tua fit there."

Tua Tagovailoa playing for Alalbama in Sept. 2019.

By Hayden Bird

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be felt across the sports world. The first NFL player to reveal a positive test for the virus, Brian Allen of the Rams,  was announced on Wednesday.

And even seemingly distant sports events like college football are now grappling with uncertain futures in 2020.

NFL draft expert’s take on the Patriots and a quarterback: Predicting what Bill Belichick will do in the NFL draft is nearly impossible, but it’s entirely conceivable that the Patriots make a bold move to take a quarterback.

To replace Tom Brady, New England has an array of options. One of the simplest — though costliest — would be to trade up in the first round of next week’s draft (April 23-25) to get Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

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The talented Tagovailoa would be in consideration for the No. 1 pick had he not gotten hurt in the 2019 college football season playing for Alabama (suffering a dislocated hip). Still, the prospect of the Patriots trading up into the top-10 seems distant.

For draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, anything is possible if a team is willing to pay.

“You could always have enough, if you’re willing to part with future picks,” Jeremiah told “Dale & Keefe” of WEEI on Wednesday. “They have those three’s [third-round picks]. They could package a couple of those three’s and pick No. 23 and a pick next year and they could get all the way up there.

The possibility of Tagovailoa working with Belichick is an intriguing one for Jeremiah.

“I just think in terms of fit, I actually love the Tua fit there,” Jeremiah explained. “He doesn’t have a huge arm, but he’s got enough arm and just the way he can operate and be efficient and just get the ball out and be a distributor, that to me is a great fit for what they have traditionally done in New England for awhile now. I know the hip is a concern, but if your doctors are OK with that, I would be all for it.”

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But given the expected competition to take Tagovailoa, Jeremiah admitted, “I don’t really see them doing that in this draft.”

Trivia: Ted Williams holds the record for drawing the most walks in a season by any Red Sox batter with 162 (which he did twice). In fact, Williams holds nine of the top 10 seasons in walks drawn in team history. Who is the only player not named Ted Williams to rank in the top 10?

(Answer at the bottom).

Hint: He once won the American League batting title with just a .301 average, the lowest by any winner in Major League history.

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Jerry Remy on the origins of “Big Papi” as David Ortiz’s nickname:

On this day: In 2000, the Patriots selected Tom Brady in the sixth round of the NFL draft. Given Brady’s draft position, he was only a secondary topic in coverage of New England’s picks.

In the Boston Globe recap of the draft, Nick Cafardo described Brady’s NFL potential to Patriots fans for — in many cases — the first time.

“With a quarterback in mind, the Patriots passed on the athletic Joe Hamilton of Georgia Tech to go for Tom Brady of Michigan with their next pick,” wrote Cafardo. “Brady, projected as a third-rounder, said he wasn’t upset at slipping. ‘I don’t think disappointment is the word,’ he said. ‘ Whether it’s the second or sixth round, I think everyone starts on the same level.'”

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Cafardo, added that “Brady’s selection should not affect backup quarterbacks John Friesz or Michael Bishop.”

In 2019, Brady even got to hold his famous draft card. The six-time Super Bowl winner is undoubtedly the greatest draft steal in NFL history.

Classic rewind: Let’s look back on Game 4 of the 2008 NBA Finals.

Trivia answer: Carl Yastrzemski

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