New England Patriots: Count on Bill Belichick making draft day trades
The New England Patriots are sure to make trades in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft.
The NFL draft can be fun for New England Patriots fans and enthusiasts in general. I’m one. But if it can also be a post-facto drag and a terrible disappointment.
Why?
Your team doesn’t draft the guy(s) you wanted or thought they should have. Your team traded out of a spot where one of these guys was right there for the Taking. Or your team just didn’t have a clue of what they were doing or a plan to execute it if they did.
Welcome to the world of a Patriots draft fan! I have written that the Patriots only predictability is their unpredictability. Now, I’m going to completely contradict my own dictum and say this: one aspect of the New England Patriots every year is predictable.
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“Why that’s preposterous”, you say. “How can you now say anything about their draft will be predictable when you’ve asserted on more than one occasion that they are entirely unpredictable? You must be bonkers!” Hmmm … that indeed may be true, but in any event, there is one thing that is absolutely predictable about the Patriots Draft and will be on April 23-25.
Enough suspense, this is it. That Patriots will trade up, down and all-around later this month in the annual NFL Draft.
The New Patriots 2020 draft will definitely include trades.
That’s it, that’s my iron-clad, take it to the bank, can’t miss, lock, absolute guarantee (have I missed any good metaphors?). The Patriots will be trading. Now, this postulation wouldn’t exactly qualify as a bonafide revelation. Hardly. No rocket science here. They just do it.
Mock draft articles abound in trade speculation. Patspulpit.com‘s recent mock draft by Ryan Spagnoli is a case in point. Here’s what he postulates:
"Patriots trade picks 1-23, 3-98 and 6-195 to Detroit for pick 2-35 and 3-67 and a 2021 fourth-round selection.Patriots trade picks 6-204 and 6-212 to Jacksonville for pick 6-189.Patriots trade picks 6-213 and 6-230 to Minnesota for pick 6-205."
This a very plausible suggestion by Ryan.
Detroit is a popular possible trade destination since that franchise’s management (and coach) is populated by former New England Patriots people. Pundits have clearly speculated that the option for New England to trade down from their 23rd spot in the first round to pick up a second-round pick and a third maybe or whatever is certainly plausible.
A note about trade speculation that lands the Patriots in the second round. Ah … the Patriots haven’t really done very well with their second-round picks under Bill Belichick. Rather dismally, actually with one exception of singular note, Rob Gronkowski, and a few other good players. Other than that, not so much.
This article points out their record in the second round in the 20 years of Bill Belichick’s tenure in New England.
R.J. White of CBSsports.com puts out this scenario for a New England draft trade in a recent article:
"For this mock draft, which will be my last before rolling out the seven-round monster next week, I’ve put together six trades that in a bubble I think could happen, including the Dolphins and Patriots moving up for quarterbacks, the 49ers and Seahawks trading out of the first round, and the Buccaneers and Ravens jumping up the board to take top talent at key positions of need."
In this draft, the Patriots move up seven spots to No. 16 in the first round to nab highly rated quarterback Justin Herbert from Oregon. R. J. White notes:
"With teams like the Raiders, Jaguars and Saints possibly in the market for a QB, either at their own picks or via trade, the Patriots make a bold move to secure the last first-round talent at the position, giving up No. 23, 87 and 125."
That cost translates into the Patriots surrendering their first round pick at 23, their first of 3 third round picks at 87 and their fourth round pick at pick 125. Interestingly, Justin Herbert just might be worth that trade, though I’d still opt for Jalen Hurts and using the other picks to bolster the team elsewhere, especially the offensive skill positions.
So national pundits and local pundits think the same, the Patriots will trade.
Next. New England Patriots: 4 wide receivers worth targeting in NFL Draft. dark
Personally, I’d rather see the Patriots hunker down for once, keep OUT of that dreaded second round and KEEP and USE all the picks they have. There’s an article with a Patriots’ draft that envisions just that scenario. The Patriots keep and use all their 12 picks.
Only thing is, that’s not going to happen. Get odds in Las Vegas if you can on that. It’s a sure thing. So that’s that, my theory of the New England Patriots unpredictability is out the window. That being said, have to go now, and drum another theory I can later debunk myself.