An unnamed offensive coordinator recently said that when Lamar Jackson 'throws, he hopes'. The NFL draft prospect had a confident response to those remarks. USA TODAY Sports
ARLINGTON, Texas — The New England Patriots need to find an eventual successor to 40-year-old quarterback Tom Brady. Perhaps they’ll find him in Louisville's Lamar Jackson.
The former Heisman Trophy winner said Wednesday that he met privately with the Patriots twice — once for a private workout on campus, and later for a day-long visit at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. The only other team to work Jackson out was the Houston Texans.
Jackson said he was in awe of the Patriots’ history when he visited earlier this month. He was also surprised to find coach Bill Belichick in a jovial mood.
“I’ve always seen him so serious. Even when he won the AFC championship, he just passed the trophy like he was so serious about it. So I was like, he’s probably going to be hard or something,” Jackson said. “But he was cool, laid back. Just wanted to talk and stuff like that, so it was pretty cool for me.”
What exactly did Jackson say to make Belichick crack a smile? The quarterback couldn’t remember — it wasn’t a specific joke — but clearly he made a good impression.
“We were just talking and having conversation, and he was trying to help me. And he, like, giggled and started laughing, and I said, ‘Oh snap!' "Jackson said.
Jackson’s other visits included a stop in New Orleans, where the Saints are also looking for Drew Brees' heir apparent.
Jackson said the visits provided a chance to prove to teams that he can be a leader and show that he's equally adept at understanding a playbook as he is at scrambling.
“The talent speaks for itself. I just had to show them what I knew, that I knew football, that they could talk football with me,” Jackson said.
If the Patriots were to use one of their two first-round picks on Jackson — they currently own the 23rd and 31st selections — get ready for questions about how he compares to Brady, who isn’t exactly known for his mobility.
But Jackson’s experience in a pro-style offense under Louisville coach Bobby Petrino could make for a smooth transition to the NFL, especially with time to develop behind the three-time league MVP.
“You've got to know how to throw that ball. If coach Belichick is looking at you, you can't just know how to run it, in my eyes,” Jackson said.
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Follow Lindsay H. Jones on Twitter @bylindsayhjones
