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

[FourierSeries]

The New England Patriots could shock the league by trading up in the 2014 NFL draft.

The Patriots are looking to move up in the first round of the draft to find a top-tier wide receiver, team officials told Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman. Head coach Bill Belichick believes a major receiving threat is one of the Patriots’ “main missing ingredients,” Freeman reported Wednesday.

The Patriots have shown interest in first-round prospects Mike Evans, Odell Beckham, Brandin Cooks, Marqise Lee and Kelvin Benjamin. Evans should be a top-10 pick, Beckham and Cooks are expected to be drafted between No. 10 and No. 25, and Lee and Benjamin still could be available when the Patriots pick at No. 29.

The Patriots drafted wide receiver Aaron Dobson in the second round and Josh Boyce in the fourth round of the draft last year. They also picked up undrafted receiver Kenbrell Thompkins, who began the 2013 season as a starter, as a free agent.

Earlier this month, I mentioned the possibility that the Patriots could trade up for a wide receiver. It would be difficult to trade up for Evans, but Beckham or Lee would make sense in the Patriots’ offense. A league source told me that the Patriots showed a lot of interest in Lee at February’s NFL Scouting Combine.

http://nesn.com/2014/04/report-patriots-want-to-trade-up-in-first-round-draft-wide-receiver/

 

[Froob]

Didn't think we'd get our annual "Pats to move up into top ten rumor" so early.

 

[Sicilian]

team officials told Bleacher Report’s

Done.

 

[JackBauer]

Did the Onion buy out Bleacher Report, or something?

 

[ripatsfan91]

If we do draft a WR early, I hope its either Evans or Robinson.

It might not cost that much to move up this year because the draft is so deep and almost every team wants to move down. I think the highest we would move up to is the 12-13 range if someone really drops.

 

[Bourne Again Christian]

This solidifies it the Patriots are going defense in the first round and are targeting a defensive lineman.

 

[Tunescribe]

I hope this doesn't happen. It'll only empower the fantasy geeks.

 

[TheBaronPatriot]

Love moving up rumors. My favorite was the move up to draft Vernon Gholston! Have you seen that dude in a t-shirt??

On a serious note, would love to see Watkins here. But I'll dream on. And in any event, Atlanta showed us the cost/benefit of moving up for a top ranked WR in Julio Jones. If he goes down, your eggs are in that basket and the depth there is a problem since with all the picks you used to get him you could have added depth.

 

[Bourne Again Christian]

Maybe Mack? He would look great In a Pats uniform.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Love moving up rumors. My favorite was the move up to draft Vernon Gholston! Have you seen that dude in a t-shirt??

On a serious note, would love to see Watkins here. But I'll dream on. And in any event, Atlanta showed us the cost/benefit of moving up for a top ranked WR in Julio Jones. If he goes down, your eggs are in that basket and the depth there is a problem since with all the picks you used to get him you could have added depth.

DeWayne Robertson always comes to mind when I see these types of reports every spring.

 

[Big-T]

Trading up for a WR? Only if it's Evans or Watkins! If a trade up is on the cards though I'd hope it was for a play maker on defense.

 

[dales804]

Evans would be nice but that's a costly price to pay since he'll probably go top-12, at worst.

I do like Mike Freeman. I used to read him when he wrote for CBSsports.com. I don't know why he went to BR but I don't visit that website so anything he writes now I don't see.

 

[resdubwhite]

Spitballing season has begun.

I've heard they want to get into the top 5 for Manziel.

 

[DaBruinz]

People, the Patriots have dropped over $20 million in money into the WR position since the start of free agency of last year. That is in signing bonuses and guaranteed money to Amendola, Edelman and Lafell. That doesn't include the draft currency spent (2nd and 4th round picks).

Sorry, but all signs point to this being one of those BS rumors. I would say that I am surprised that Kyed didn't do better research, but then, if he did, he couldn't try and sensationalize his story..

 

[Ivan]

Almost impossible to believe unless they plan on having Sammy Watkins punch a cop the week before the draft. I would bet on them drafting a QB in the first before i could see them giving multiple picks to get a WR.

 

[RayClay]

BB tipping his draft interest to some reporter? Ha. The only way he'd do that is to dupe other teams into drafting certain types of players so that they would push others........

Never mind you other teams. Pick all those WRs before bad Bill can get his hands on them!

 

[Rob0729]

I take all pre-draft rumors with a grain of salt, but Freeman said "receiving threat" not WR. That means the Pats may be targeting Amaro or Ebron if the rumor is true and not one of the WRs.

 

[RayClay]

I take all pre-draft rumors with a grain of salt, but Freeman said "receiving threat" not WR. That means the Pats may be targeting Amaro or Ebron if the rumor is true and not one of the WRs.

"The Patriots are looking to move up in the first round of the draft to find a top-tier wide receiver, team officials told Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman."

 

[patfanken]

The more WR's and OT's and QB's that go in the top 28 picks, the better the choice of players will be, who the Pats actually NEED.

 

[PatsDeb]

Yay, BB listened to me and is loading up for one last hurrah!! Take that, Broncos! I am getting excited about this year (whether the rumor is true or not, and I agree with those who say take the rumor with a grain of salt as it is probably just BB mind games)!!