Mac Jones is the New England Patriots’ undisputed starting quarterback in 2023. But who is next in line if Jones is out?
That question became even more interesting on Thursday when the Patriots reportedly claimed Matt Corral off waivers and added him to their practice squad. The former Carolina Panthers quarterback joins fellow 2022 draft pick Bailey Zappe and rookie quarterback/wide receiver Malik Cunningham to give New England three QBs on its practice squad – one of whom was called up before Week 1 to support Jones, the only QB currently in the 53-man roster.
While Cunningham is more of a developmental prospect, there could be some real competition between Corral and Zappe, who the Patriots surprisingly passed up after a disappointing preseason before bringing him back to their practice squad. How do the two QBs compare?
Phil Perry summed it up with a great analogy on Thursday’s Arbella Early Edition of NBC Sports Boston.
“You need a scout team quarterback that can move,” Perry said, as seen in the video player above. “They haven’t had one in a long time. You’ll see mobile quarterbacks in the NFL almost every two weeks. So (Corral) has some athleticism. He has a better arm than Bailey Zappe.”
“When I was talking to my good friend Tom Curran today, I said, ‘He sounds a bit like Bailey Zappe on a Mario Mushroom.’ He’s a little bigger, he’s a little faster, his arm is a little stronger. So physically he is a better candidate than Bailey Zappe.
Corral was a legitimate dual-threat quarterback at Ole Miss, where he rushed for 614 yards and 11 touchdowns in 13 games as a senior and also rushed for 3,349 yards with 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. Zappe was a more productive passer at Western Kentucky — he set NCAA records for passing yards (5,967) and passing touchdowns (62) in 2021 — but is far less mobile, with just 17 rushing yards this season.
🔊 Patriots Talk: Panthers insider explains why QB Matt Corral was available to the Patriots | Listen and Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
Corral is also the higher draft pick: the Panthers selected him in the third round (94th overall) – ironically with a pick the Patriots traded to them – while New England took Zappe in the fourth round at No. 137 . That said, Zappe has experience working in his favor, as Corral will face an uphill battle learning Bill O’Brien’s offense.
“He’s going to have to deal with some of the things that Zappe had to deal with this summer, which is that you’re coming from a college-style offense: everything spread out, a lot of RPOs,” Corral’s Perry said. “He’ll be able to handle the RPOs that Bill O’Brien throws at him, but what about the other things? Under center, footwork on big play-action shots down the field while keeping his back to the defense. These are things that would be relatively new to him.
As Perry made clear, both Corral and Zappe function as career backups that would represent a significant step down from Jones if they were to take action. And if Corral struggles to take over New England’s offense, perhaps the Patriots will stick with Zappe as his backup. However, Corral appears to have a bit more potential than Zappe, so it’s worth giving the 24-year-old a chance to prove himself.