I've always laughed off all the talk of the Pats trading up. The rumor has been around for a few weeks.
Just for fun, in a prior thread that posted the question "who would you target", Ingram was my pick for the guy most desirable in the top-10. The guy is so versatile... BB loves that more than anything. True football players. I've posted my opinion on Ingram before, wont do it again here. To me, the question isn't whether BB would want Ingram on the team, but at what cost.
The idea that BB would trade both first rounders for Ingram doesn't fit. BB works too hard to accumulate 1sts to throw them around. There was a lot of press coverage of an conversation between BB and Tim Dimitroff after Atlanta traded all those picks for Julio Jones. BB felt it was too much to give up for one guy.
Belichick advised against Julio Jones trade - NFC South Blog - ESPN. So, no chance that he would do something like that himself.
But, I also have to concede that Ingram was not invited to Foxboro under the misconception that Ingram is going to somehow drop into the 20s. Impossible. And further, BB would not waste his time meeting a guy he has absolutely no shot at.
So, I'm starting to come around to the idea that maybe a trade-up is possible. It would have to be on terms that BB already feels comfortable with. What if there is a team looking to trade down, and has asked for trade value that BB already knows he is willing to give up.
What about this as a theory. The Pats were dangling Hoyer as an RFA for a 2nd, and KC was an interested party. That conversation could easily have drifted into discussion around whether the Pats would be interested in the #11 pick.
Suppose BBs friend Pioli was willing to give up #11 for a first, a second and some players? Let's call it #27, #63, Brian Hoyer and Ryan Wendell. Two backups for us that can be starters for the Chiefs. KC gets credible depth on the interior line that they need. They get QB depth that they need. The #27 could be Nick Perry and #63 could be Bobby Wagner. That's four good players that can contribute for the Chiefs on both sides of the ball.
The thing that makes it work, the deal is pretty damn affordable for the Pats. Hoyer is going to walk next year anyway, and we have Mallett on the roster already. Wendell has started for us before, and we have options along the interior line, including bringing Koppen back for his sunset years. And, best of all, it doesn't cost us both first rounders.
I could probably paint a similar scenario around the Dolphins at #8. Cleveland at #4 is not viable, but Cleveland might trade down from #22 for considerations which include Hoyer. (Maybe that's where the Brockers rumors are coming from)
