The NFL is a copycat league, and one former New England Patriots player has an interesting idea to improve a Pats offense that struggled throughout the second half of the 2019 season.
ESPN analyst Tedy Bruschi, who won three Super Bowl titles in 13 seasons with the Patriots, suggested on Twitter the Patriots use a method that's worked so well for the New Orleans Saints over the last two years.
Taysom Hill is technically a quarterback, but in addition to sometimes being under center, he also sees snaps as a wide receiver and running back. The former BYU quarterback threw for 55 yards, ran for 156 yards and a touchdown, and caught 19 passes for 234 yards with six touchdowns in 2019.
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One of the advantages of having Hill in the game is it keeps defenses guessing, and this unpredictability is quite valuable for the Saints.
One of the best examples of Hill's impact came in Sunday's NFC Wild Card Game loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Hill threw a 50-yard pass, ran the ball four times for 50 yards, and caught two passes for 25 yards and a touchdown in the Saints' 26-20 defeat.
New England Patriots
Bruschi's suggestion isn't a bad one, and the Patriots have never been afraid to use trick plays or have players not named Tom Brady throw passes. Brady battled through multiple injuries in 2019, and any type of offensive scheme that can help preserve his health for the playoffs would be great for the Patriots.
Finding someone as versatile as Hill is much easier said than done, however. If the Patriots don't see anyone on the free agent market who would fit this type of role, they could look to the 2020 NFL Draft, where head coach Bill Belichick might have as many as 12 picks to use. One player from the 2020 draft class who could potentially fill this role is Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts.