Report: Patriots Want To Trade Up In First Round, Draft Wide Receiver

mgteich said:

I agree with what you posted.

However, I think it possible that there are players that Belichick would give a pick to move up a few spots to get. After all, Belichick has traded up in the first about as much as he has traded down.

My preference is to keep the pick. I think that it is a major plus to have a player for the extra year. But, if Belichick gets what he was offered last year, he'll trade down. There is a lot of talent between 30 and 70.

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I agree with your assessment. Keep the pick, or trade down for multiple picks. Get us another TE, a Center and a QB (AJ McCarron, preferably) and then work on a DE, etc. That's my take on things. YMMV, of course.

unless the pats are giving up on Dobson Thompkins and Amendola, after only one season I don't see them Drafting a WR higher then the 5th round if at all

The only two players I would like the Pats to trade up for are Aaron Donald and Eric Ebron. I'd be delighted with one of those 2 because I think they would have the most impact right away as rookies.

I do like the prospect of Mike Evans, I think he is going to be really good but they already have Dobson,Edelman, Amendola and Thomkins. I think Dobson is going to make the leap this year. However I would not be disappointed with Evans either. That's a lot of height and firepower to add for Brady.

mgteich said:

I agree with what you posted.

However, I think it possible that there are players that Belichick would give a pick to move up a few spots to get. After all, Belichick has traded up in the first about as much as he has traded down.

My preference is to keep the pick. I think that it is a major plus to have a player for the extra year. But, if Belichick gets what he was offered last year, he'll trade down. There is a lot of talent between 30 and 70.

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I can see some positives to a trade down this year, but it really doesn't have anything to do with what I'd been posting, so I'm really not sure why you originally quoted me if this is where you were going.

Nothing and I mean NOTHING surprises me anymore with Bill especially after his aggressiveness in the 2012 Draft were he saw the top-end talent went quality over quantity. I do not pretend to even remotely know what his particular drafting strategy is any given year except that he refuses to pass up on value. Since the 2010 Draft the Pats have been taking the quantity approach(2012 exception) to build the depth on the field.

I've read numerous posts and professionals opinions that this year is epically deep in so many positions that all the teams will look to capitalize on that very notion and try to trade down hence it will be a sellers market for that proposition. So tons of teams will flood the phone lines looking for trade downs in hopes of trying the "Pats" typical approach and will likely not get fair value for that very pick that they would've say last year for instance and what we fleeced the Vikings for....he! he!

This could be the year that trading up could be a very cheap option compared to others and BB does seem to like going against the grain. I can't imagine next years draft being nearly as good, so maybe throw in a 2nd or 3rd rounder from next year(BB's ability to recoup picks is legendary). They also did workout quite a few of the potential first round WRs at Gillette. But I'm sure there a number of players in the trade-up category that BB wouldn't mind drafting........he may even go after one of the OT's for all we know.

But definitely put me in the Mike Evans fan club.....kid would be a stud in our offense. Follow him up with Austin Seferian-Jenkins in the 2nd if we can keep it.....wow that would be scary!

SB39 said:

That is way too vague and broad of a statement to apply to this (or any) draft. If the guy you want is available for a price you are willing to pay, then move up.

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No it isn't. This draft is deep at the wide receiver position where last year's draft, for example, was not. Watkins and Evans, IMO, stand above the rest and both are projected to go anywhere from the top ten to just outside the top ten. So, if the Pats want to trade up, that's where they are going to have to go. As for Benjamin, I don't see him making it past the Ravens, personally.

Niklas comes from the Matthews family of great NFL football players with a tie in to BB.

ND TE Troy Niklas' uncle is the great 14X ProBowler OL for the Houston Oilers, Bruce Matthews. His brother Clay Jr. played LB for the Browns with BB as HC. Here's what wiki says

Quote:
Bruce comes from a football family. He is the son of Clay Matthews, Sr., who played in the NFL in the 1950s. His brother, Clay Matthews, Jr., also played 19 seasons in the NFL, mostly for the Cleveland Browns. He is the uncle of Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews III, Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Casey Matthews, and Kyle Matthews of USC football. Bruce's disposition for football has been continued by several of his sons. His son Kevin played center for Texas A&M until the 2009 football season,[1] and is currently a member of the Washington Redskins. Jake Matthews is currently a senior at Texas A&M University and plays offensive line for the Texas A&M Aggies, a position for which he was nationally ranked coming out of high school. His son Mike is also on the offensive line for Texas A&M, he is currently the starting center.[2] He is the uncle of Notre Dame Fighting Irish Tight End Troy Niklas.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_M...an_football%29

Maybe it means nothing at all but it's worth noting I think.

Also, BB has never drafted a WR in the 1st round so it's highly unlikely he'd trade up to do so in the deepest WR draft of his tenure. OTOH Ethan Hammerman (DraftMecca writer and Pats fan) said yesterday "If the Pats decide to move up, and it jives with all the info I've heard this year...Mike Evans. Mark it down."

If the Bills at 9 and Giants at 12 don't draft Evans, a trade to get ahead of the Steelers at 15 with either the Rams at 13 or the Bears at 14 would probably be necessary. Roethlisberger would benefit greatly by have a comeback receiver like Evans. I don't see that much draft capital expended by BB but I do think Evans is a very special player and with BB you just never know. Any trade up like that would almost require next year's 1st.

Beckham is another WR BB could be targeting ( if he's targeting any WR). Beckham is a far more well rounded WR than Evans & Beckham can play any WR position on the field. He's also a return guy. Both are special players & either would make the Pats extremely tough to defend.

That clearly means we are trading down

I can see BB trading up to get Donald

Nunchucks said:

Team officials told bleacher report? The ball boy? the equipment guy?

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Haven't you heard? BB has them on speed dial.

Considering this is such a deep draft, especially at wide receiver, I would prefer to trade back and get an extra pick or two and then take the best possible defensive lineman or tight end with our first pick. I don't think we should be thinking about wide receiver with our first pick at all!!!! We have other needs that we can address. We also have Boyce, Thompkins and Dobson coming back for year two, let's give them a chance to develop.

We have made solid moves on the defense but we are still in need of LB, DT and DE, also safety, but that's kind of a need you can go into the season with.

One addition very important to this defense is the offensive side ability to stay on the field and not get a lot of 3 rd and out like we are seeing over the last couple of seasons. So I can see BB going heavy on offense, and that can go as high as drafting a WR in the 1st round, this whole "BB never drafted a WR in the 1st round" means nothing to me.

I don't believe in a huge trade up thought.

If we are going to go WR, hopefully, it is
Kelvin Benjamin*WRFlorida St
He is practically a TE at close to 240 pounds, he would give us a huge RZ weapon and could be used all over the offense.

Vegas Patsfan said:

If we are going to go WR, hopefully, it is
Kelvin Benjamin*WRFlorida St
He is practically a TE at close to 240 pounds, he would give us a huge RZ weapon and could be used all over the offense.

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To shamelessly paraphrase patchick, a slower, less athletic Mike Williams with a dubious work ethic?

Hell naw.

IMHO, if the Bills pass on Evans at 9 (unlikely), then the trade phones would be active, especially at 11.

I agree that Evans would take 2 firsts, probably plus more. I recall it requiring two 1sts and two 2nds to get Julio Jones (plus another pick).

As you say, Evans is a special player. I just don't see Belichick doing this.

chevss454 said:

If the Bills at 9 and Giants at 12 don't draft Evans, a trade to get ahead of the Steelers at 15 with either the Rams at 13 or the Bears at 14 would probably be necessary. Roethlisberger would benefit greatly by have a comeback receiver like Evans. I don't see that much draft capital expended by BB but I do think Evans is a very special player and with BB you just never know. Any trade up like that would almost require next year's 1st.

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ashley1992 said:

Considering this is such a deep draft, especially at wide receiver, I would prefer to trade back and get an extra pick or two and then take the best possible defensive lineman or tight end with our first pick. I don't think we should be thinking about wide receiver with our first pick at all!!!! We have other needs that we can address. We also have Boyce, Thompkins and Dobson coming back for year two, let's give them a chance to develop.

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I agree, but if it's Evans or Watkins they are targetting, I am ok with trading up. Boyce, thompkins and dobson are not in the same class as those guys. Marquise ale is another possibility and the more likely target as he will be available after pick 20 and won't take much to trade up and nab him. They lost out on deandre hopkins last year, whom ai believe they were targeting and dobson was more of a consolation pick.

Kelvin benjamin doesn't possess the smarts for our offense.

Vegas Patsfan said:

If we are going to go WR, hopefully, it is
Kelvin Benjamin*WRFlorida St
He is practically a TE at close to 240 pounds, he would give us a huge RZ weapon and could be used all over the offense.

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TommyBrady12 said:

I agree, but if it's Evans or Watkins they are targetting, I am ok with trading up. Boyce, thompkins and dobson are not in the same class as those guys. Marquise ale is another possibility and the more likely target as he will be available after pick 20 and won't take much to trade up and nab him. They lost out on deandre hopkins last year, whom ai believe they were targeting and dobson was more of a consolation pick.

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What makes you believe they were targeting Deandre Hopkins last year?

Don't get why people list DT as a need. Wilfork, Kelly, Siliga, Jones, Armstead and Vellano.
If we were going to draft DT we would have let Vince and/or Kelly walk IMO.

AndyJohnson said:

Don't get why people list DT as a need. Wilfork, Kelly, Siliga, Jones, Armstead and Vellano.
If we were going to draft DT we would have let Vince and/or Kelly walk IMO.

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With Wilfork and Kelly both coming off injuries and being up there in age, Armstead, not sure what we can expect out him , Vellano is more of an over achiever and wore out toward the end of the year and Siliga and Jones good rotational guys, I think we can never have too many good big men in the trenches. This is a good year for defensive tackles in the draft and if one of the top guys are available, I think we have to strongly consider them...ie Hageman, Donald, Tuitt, Nix, Jernigan or Easley. I think any one those guys would improve the defensive line and upgrade the interior pass rush which at times last year was lacking.