I've done a lot of Stidham film study over the last few weeks and here's what I've learned:

Stidham has a lot of great attributes -- good judgement, great arm strength, ball protection, decent mobility, and the ability to hit open receivers at any distance. He has the physical tools to be a successful NFL quarterback and he has demonstrated leadership ability throughout his college career and rookie season. He had the best preseason in recent memory for a Patriots rookie.

The problem is that Stidham has not shown an ability to routinely throw into tight windows and hit receivers in stride. He is prone to overthrowing receivers, which we saw on his pick six last year, especially on deep routes. He doesn't have great pocket awareness, doesn't step up in the pocket under pressure, and holds onto the ball too long.

In terms of his fit with this current Patriots roster, this could be problematic. Our receivers were terrible at getting separation last year and were very rarely open. As a result, Stidham may need to hit tight windows to be successful, which could lead to a lot of frustrating incompletions and interceptions. I expect the offensive line to improve this year with Andrews returning and players from the last two drafts improving depth, but if this unit struggles against the pass rush again, Stidham will not have Brady's superhuman ability to maneuver the pocket under pressure.

Here's my best guess for Stidham this year: he will be a solid game manager on a run-heavy offense that can confidently make reads, hit open receivers, and protect the ball. He will give us a chance to win games. Do I think he's "the guy"? No. But if he is able to improve his accuracy and pocket presence, and develop good chemistry with his receivers, he has the potential to make the leap.