NFL Draft 2012: Why Andrew Luck Could Be a Good Fit for the New England Patriots

The Tom Brady era is coming to a close.

Brady has given the Patriots a dynasty and is going to go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever put on a jersey. He entered the combine out of shape and sat around until the sixth round of the draft to hear his name called.

These days, he's married to Gisele Bundchen.

Bill Belichick has worked his magic again and will enter the 2012 NFL draft with two picks in each of the first two rounds.

Coincidentally, there is a once-in-a-generation quarterback that could help the Patriots carry on their legacy.

Andrew Luck is probably going to be the undisputed No. 1 overall selection in next year's draft, barring some sort of tragedy.

Even teams who have a franchise quarterback have to consider making a play for Luck, if they have the opportunity.

The Browns, for example, have Colt McCoy—they shouldn't think twice about ditching him if they have the No. 1 overall pick next year.

Having said that, there is a chance that a team who has their quarterback of the future would find a package deal more valuable than selecting Luck.

The Panthers, Vikings, Bengals, Titans, Jaguars and 49ers could all have the No. 1 overall pick next season, but all invested in a quarterback of the future in the 2011 draft.

While the 49ers would without doubt jump at the chance to draft Luck, given his relationship with coach Jim Harbaugh, the other teams might see surrounding their quarterbacks with a number of high draft picks as a better route to go.

The Patriots' pick is likely to be at the back of the first round. They also have the Saints' first-round selection and the Raiders' second-round pick. They could probably form a package deal, similar to the Falcons' for Julio Jones, to make a play for Luck.

He'll likely go to the highest bidder, and it's hard to see any team have more to offer than the Patriots.

A move like this would be somewhat out of character for Belichick, but the "team first" system he runs in New England doesn't work without a dominant quarterback.

The Patriots are going to suffer a major setback if they don't find Brady's replacement in the next couple of years.

Ryan Mallett is on the roster, but he is nowhere near the caliber of quarterback that Luck is. He'd be an afterthought if the Patriots could bring in Luck.

Where would the Patriots go, however, if Luck did come to town?

It could be like a Joe Montana and Steve Young situation. Luck is going to be one of the most NFL-ready quarterbacks to ever come out of an NFL draft, so it's likely he'd start in his rookie season on 24 or so teams in the league.

However, if he landed on the Patriots roster, it would be intriguing to see if Belichick would let him ride the bench and learn the ropes or deal Brady to salvage some of the picks they lost to get Luck in the first place.

New No. 12 in Foxborough? Let the wild speculation begin.