Patriots: Why Justin Fields is a great fit in New England

Poise in the pocket

Brady’s calm in the pocket and in the biggest moments was a defining aspect of the Patriots’ two-decade run of unprecedented success with him at quarterback.

Don’t worry. This isn’t the start of an outlandish comparison between Fields and Brady. However, the poise Fields has demonstrated when things start to break down around him will have played a significant role in the Patriots’ apparent interest in him.

Fields can sense pressure and move intelligently around the pocket to prevent pass rushers from getting home. He has an innate sense for how to use his body to evade defenders in the pocket and possesses the composure to reset his feet and his eyes after doing so.

Enjoying success against NFL pass rushes will be a different matter entirely and Fields will likely experience growing pains in that regard when he gets to the pros. His abilities as a scrambler could help lessen the learning curve, though, and the positive signs he has demonstrated in moving around the pocket, combined with his clutch performances in two College Football Playoff games with Clemson, may well have convinced the Patriots that Fields is a quarterback they can mold into a dynamic and composed field general at the highest level.