The NFL Draft is upon us. With Tom Brady now relaxing in TOMpa Bay (or Tampa Brady, both are equally stupid), is it time for the Patriots to rebuild? Or should they try to reload, and give Hoyer/Stidham the weapons needed to be decent? What will New England do?
1. Trade Up and Take a Top QB
This is the sexiest option. With it being reported the Lions want to trade the third overall pick, the Patriots have been linked to pulling the trigger. By trading up to three, the Patriots likely would have their pick of Tua or Herbert. If you listen to the Korner Booth, you know which quarterback I want. If you don’t listen, first off, what are you doing? Second off, it’s Tua. If he can stay healthy, he is more NFL ready than Herbert. However, Herbert has shown an ability to stay healthy, and it’s a question if Tua can play without the weapons he had at Bama. I think it just depends on what Belichick and McDaniels want to do with the offense. This would be a monumental trade, which would be looked at for years as a make or break for both cities. What would it take?
According to Spotrac, the Patriots are 30th in cap space for the upcoming season. If making this move, the Patriots would have to shed salary cap. Trading reigning DPOY Stephon Gillmore would take about $18.67 million off the cap, and a one-for-one deal is worth exploring. I’m not advocating this, as the team needs a phenomenal defense to stay competitive while developing a QB. Another option would be packaging Joe Thuney (and his $15 million cap hit) with Sony Michel and the 23rd pick. Thuney would help bolster the Lions O-Line, and Michel could help Kerryon Johnson get less carries and stay healthy. Both could be replaced (especially Michel) in later rounds.
2. Trade Up to Fill Some Other Holes
Quarterback is the big question of next season for the Patriots. Do they love Jarrett Stidham long term as reported? Can Hoyer keep the team competitive? If either of those questions are “yes,” then they should look to trade up and fix some other issues. Try to trade up to ten and take Jedrick Wills out of Bama, or try and snag Jeudy out of Bama or Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb. I personally love the idea of having a guy like Ruggs being a third option behind Edelman and Harry. LSU linebacker Patrick Queen could even be available to keep that defense strong.
If the Patriots trade up, that doesn’t necessarily mean they will be taking a quarterback, and they could package the 23rd pick and Thuney or JC Jackson to grab one of these guys.
3. Stay at #23, and take a Project QB
This quarterback class has some heavy hitters in it early, but some solid choices in the late first or even the second and third rounds. At 23, the Patriots Draft board should include guys like Utah State’s Jordan Love, Washington’s Jacob Eason, or Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts. I don’t think any of those guys are day one ready, but if the Patriots want to treat this as a punt year, these guys could be incredibly intriguing options.
Side note, if the Patriots draft Jake Fromm I will cry. I do not think Fromm will necessarily be bad, but I think he will be a lower tier game manager at best.
4. Stay at #23 and take another position
Some of the guys I mentioned above might be available in the third round or later. As I mentioned earlier, there are other things this team needs to address. The Pats could get some more weapons for whoever is under center by taking Baylor’s Denzel Mims (unlikely he would be there), Clemson’s Tee Higgins, or even Jonathan Taylor out of Wisco. They could get some more line help and reach on a guy like Austin Jackson out of USC or hope Louisville’s Becton falls after his failed drug test. They could even try to replace Kyle Van Noy with Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray. If the team is a sold on Jarrett Stidham as reported, expect one of the first two options, but Murray is an interesting choice here.
5. Trade Back for Value
This would be the most Bill Belichick move. All these questions surrounding the Patriots moving up, or taking a quarterback, and Bill decides to trade back to the second while also getting a fourth and a fifth next year. Some of the guys available at 23 will also be available at 48. The Patriots’ draft board should also include some of the runningbacks in this draft, such as Swift out of Georgia.
Knowing how the Patriots draft usually goes, they probably won’t even take a quarterback, and we’ll all look like fools.
While you’re here, let me know on twitter how wrong I am, and while you’re there, be sure to follow Belly Up’s NFL Twitter for all your draft needs.
And if you need even more draft content, listen to the Korner Booth draft special!
