Tom Brady left New England for Tampa Bay, and the Patriots are still searching for a worthy replacement. Corey Sipkin/Associated Press

Wanted: Tom Brady’s successor.

Let’s call it the sequel. Because the first successor has been a bust so far.

Seven games in, Cam Newton hasn’t resurrected his career to the point where you’d want to take a sizable chunk out of next year’s cap space and extend his stay in Foxborough.

Superman hasn’t been the answer. He’s more like a work in progress, trying to wrap his head around the Patriots’ offense.

That being said, there are still nine games to play, and based on his performance last week against the Bills, Newton at the very least has something to build upon.

Whether Newton is able to right the ship, however, remains a huge question mark. At this point, it’s just not looking good for him to stay on the job beyond this year, or be the bridge to the next Patriots quarterback.

So where does that leave the Patriots?

Basically without a clue on the most important position on the field. They still
haven’t solved their quarterback issue post-Brady.

Newton has alternately dazzled and fizzled. That’s not what Bill Belichick is looking for in the long term.

After a solid first two weeks in New England, Cam Newton has struggled to generate any offense for the Patriots. John Munson/Associated Press

While Newton has brought an element to the game that’s helped the offense progress, his mobility hasn’t put them over the top. With seven interceptions and three fumbles in six starts, he’s made too many mistakes for that to happen.

What about Jarrett Stidham?

Early on, we were led to believe he was going to be the heir. He just hasn’t done anything to warrant having the top job.

The second-year quarterback hasn’t shown any ability to be consistently effective.

Between last year and this season, he’s thrown four interceptions on 27 pass attempts. That’s not starter material.

Brian Hoyer, meanwhile, has looked the best in the offense, that coming Week 4 in Kansas City. He moved the ball, but the veteran quarterback also made a couple of glaring errors that dearly cost the Patriots against the Chiefs.

That dropped him to No. 3 on the depth chart.

Bottom line: If the Patriots want to get back into contender-land, they need to find their future quarterback.

What does that involve?

Jarrett Stidham hasn’t distinguished himself as the quarterback of the future in New England, but he could be handed the reigns later this season to get a chance to prove himself. John Munson/Associated Press

First, it means sticking with Newton until they’re officially eliminated from the playoffs, then see what Stidham can do given the chance to start. That would allow the Patriots to basically confirm the answer isn’t in-house.

After that, see what shakes out.

Who becomes available? What will the cap look like post-pandemic? And where do you sit in terms of the draft?

Already, checking the current NFL landscape, it doesn’t appear Jimmy Garoppolo is long for the 49ers. His five-year contract runs through 2022, but the guaranteed money runs out after this season. The team can save at least $24.1 million against the 2021 cap by trading Garoppolo. Or, they might just cut him, if Kyle Shanahan brings in someone he likes better (Matt Ryan, Kirk Cousins).

The 49ers do have an out in Jimmy G’s contract, so they could dump him relatively risk-free in terms of a cap hit.

Would he be the answer in Foxborough? Temporarily, but not sure about long term.

It’s hard to ignore Garoppolo’s penchant for getting hurt. He’s injury-prone, to say the least. Would that all of a sudden change in New England?

Hard to say. But it’s no secret Belichick loves him. So that makes him a real possibility down the road.

If the Jets ultimately land the top pick in the draft – hello, Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence – it’s possible they’ll part with Sam Darnold. He’s a mess. But maybe with better coaching, he could realize his potential. Still don’t think the Patriots would acquire another project, but you never know.

It’ll also be interesting to see what shakes out in Detroit with Matthew Stafford and Atlanta with Ryan. And let’s not forget old friend Jacoby Brissett, who becomes a free agent with Indianapolis after this season.

All of the above would qualify as good bridge quarterbacks until the Patriots find the guy who will ultimately lead them into the future.

Which brings us to the draft.

If the season ended today, the Patriots would be picking 10th.

Lawrence won’t be in the cards, and Ohio State’s Justin Fields is probably out of reach, too. Both are likely top-five material, with Lawrence going first, whether it’s the Jets or someone else.

North Dakota State’s Trey Lance and/or BYU’s Zach Wilson could be on the Patriots’ radar. They project as top-15 or top-20 picks.

Both are underclassmen.

Lance is 6-foot-3, 221 pounds. He’s the complete package with arm strength, size and running ability. Lots of upside with him.

Wilson is also 6-foot-3, 203 pounds. He’s dominated weak competition this year. Scouting reports suggest he has good arm talent, is accurate, and makes good decisions. So he’s probably in the mix.

Other quarterbacks to keep an eye on are Florida’s Kyle Trask, Alabama’s Mac Jones, Iowa’s Brock Purdy and Texas’ Sam Ehlinger.

Whoever it is, the Patriots are going to have to identify the best fit for them, and make sure they get their man.

Ideally, the Patriots would trade for or sign a bridge quarterback and take their future quarterback in the draft.

But there’s still a lot of fact-finding the Patriots have to do between now and then.