NFL Insider: Patriots Put Out QB 'Feelers' Before Signing Corral; Targets?

After cutting Bailey Zappe and Malik Cunningham, the New England Patriots pursued an older, more experienced backup quarterback for Mac Jones.

The New England Patriots quarterback room is undoubtedly one of the youngest in the NFL. Of the two signal-callers on the 53-man roster, only Mac Jones has started a single game in the league. However, if you add in a practice squad which includes Bailey Zappe and Malik Cunningham, the Patriots have two quarterbacks who have made a start. 

For a young quarterback like Jones, who is entering only his third season in the NFL, having a veteran back him up wouldn't be unusual. Giving a young quarterback a veteran to lean on is pretty common, as the backup isn't only insurance for the team just in case the starter goes down with an injury; backups are also there to help the starter. 

Now, that isn't to say a younger backup can't do the job, as they certainly can, which is what the Patriots hope Matt Corral can be for them. Yet, a new report from Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer sheds light on the fact that New England may have been looking for an older option. 

"They at least put feelers out on Colt McCoy and Case Keenum (the Texans really value Keenum in how he can help C.J. Stroud)," Breer writes. "So it’s not like getting Jones another sounding board wasn’t considered—it was more that the right one wasn’t out there."

While the Texans ultimately decided to stick with Keenum as a mentor for rookie starting quarterback C.J. Stroud, the Patriots could've signed McCoy. However, a reported elbow injury that helped lead to the Cardinals releasing him may have also caused New England to go another direction. 

Then again, if the Patriots truly valued the experience behind Jones, they could've gone another direction rather than the 37-year-old.

Instead, the Patriots signed the 24-year-old Corral, who will backup Jones when the Patriots host the Eagles on Sunday.