One take on a Pats/Vikes Trade
Will the Vikings trade up to No. 3 with New England? Three thoughts from a Patriots insider
There is no chance the Bears trade away the chance to draft Caleb Williams No. 1 overall. There is little chance the Commanders move off the No. 2 pick. But there have been consistent rumblings that the Patriots might consider a deal for the No. 3 pick.
To get a better handle on that possibility, I talked to Tom Curran — a Patriots insider for NBC Sports Boston — on Wednesday's Daily Delivery podcast.
*Why would New England even consider making the deal?
The Patriots need a quarterback. They have a draft pick that ensures they can get a quarterback. So why is a trade even a possibility?
Curran gave two good reasons. First, New England has a lot of needs. The Patriots finished 4-13 last season and if they are being honest they are in the early stages of a rebuild. Getting multiple first-round picks (just how many is a subject for the next item) might be more valuable than choosing a QB now.
Second, which feeds off the first reason: The Patriots saw what happened to QB Mac Jones when they lacked the support around him. A productive rookie for a playoff team in 2021 turned into a lost cause by 2023, in part because the rest of the roster was in decline.
"They brought it on themselves," Curran said. "That's part of the reason Bill Belichick is visiting colleges right now."
What would it cost the Vikings to move up to No. 3?
Curran suggested that informal conversations with the Patriots lead him to believe it would cost the Vikings the No. 11 and 23 picks this season, next year's first round pick AND another pick, perhaps even another future first rounder, to move up to No. 3.
"I don't know if that's their official stance within the (draft) war room, but I think that's probably what they're doing now," Curran said.
In essence, it will take "a Godfather" type of offer, Curran said.
Which quarterback do the Patriots actually want?
An interesting wrinkle to all this is that my assumption (and most mock drafts) have the Patriots choosing Drake Maye No. 3 if they keep the pick. It is also assumed that the Vikings would take Maye if they move up to No. 3. But Curran made it sound like it might not be such a slam dunk on the New England side.
"To me, I feel like it's a coin flip between Maye and J.J. McCarthy," he said.
If Maye is the QB the Vikings want the most, and it turns out he's still available at No. 4 (Arizona) or No. 5 (Chargers) because the Patriots take McCarthy, it could make a trade for the Vikings a little easier.
https://www.startribune.com/will-the-vikings-trade-up-to-no-3-with-new-england-three-thoughts-from-a-patriots-insider/600359561/
BTW, the compensation quoted pretty much mirrors what Guru posted earlier today in another thread....
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
MAD GAINZ wrote:
The thing I'm going to find fascinating is which QB will drop and what it would take for some teams to trade out.If you believe everything you read, you have Caleb Williams at #1 and then could see 2 of Daniels, Maye, or McCarthy go at #2 and #3.
But then you've elite WR prospects in MHJ and Naibors that I don't think teams would trade out of taking them at 4, 5, or 6 unless it was a bounty. You also have 2-3 elite LT prospects and Brock Bowers at TE who I'm reading a bunch of FO folks and scouts have as a top 6-7 player in the draft regardless of position.
We could see that 4th QB drop into that 8-10 range just because there are some elite prospects at other positions and teams that are looking for elite pieces to put around their QB.
Like let's say it goes...
1 - Caleb Williams
2 - Daniels or Maye
3 - Maye or Daniels
4 - Marvin Harrison Jr
5 - Alt
6 - Naibors (Giants are bluffing about a QB and want one of the elite WRs to drop to them)
7 - Bowers to Tennessee to give Levis another weapon to go with Hopkins and RidleyNow it gets interesting... Falcons could go OL or defense with Kirk in tow or they could easily trade out for a team that wants whoever dropped out of Maye, McCarthy, or Daniels.
Thursday is gonna be fun (unless we don't get a QB)!
No, this will not be a pleasant place if the Vikings dont pull the trigger or get out-maneuvered.
If teams stay put, then your scenario very plausibly plays out. Personally, I think the fireworks via trading starts early and disrupts.
I just think a QB needy team (Raiders, Bronco's, Vikings) or someone like Seattle is going to want to move-up for one b4 10. I also think the Gmen want out of Danny Dimes and are not looking to put a weapon around him. I hope I'm very wrong and you're very right.
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
Edit Post (mod action — author will see a notice)
Warn Poster
Suspend User (3 days)
The user will be suspended for 3 days and will receive an email with the reason and information about how to appeal.