Fun trade concept here:
Barnwell's 2017 All-Trades Mock Draft: Deals for all 32 teams
"
Patriots get: 1-1, 2018 conditional fourth-round pick, WR
Josh Gordon (from Browns)
Saints get: CB
Malcolm Butler (from Patriots); 2-53, QB
Cody Kessler(from Browns)
Browns get: QB
Jimmy Garoppolo, 2018 conditional fifth-round pick (from Patriots); 1-11, 3-76, LB
Stephone Anthony (from Saints)
This is a three-way trade designed to solve everyone's problems. The Patriots are biding their time with Garoppolo and Butler, both of whom are due to hit unrestricted free agency in 2018 and attract deals the Patriots would be unlikely to match. It's possible the Patriots could franchise Garoppolo, but as I've
written about in the past, it's at least difficult to imagine agent Don Yee -- who represents both Garoppolo and
Tom Brady -- wanting to keep his quarterbacks on the same team.
The Patriots have floated their desire to get multiple first-round picks for Garoppolo and the 12th overall selection for Butler, but it's hard to see how they have the leverage to pull all of that off, given how teams know they can go after these guys next year while the Patriots will only be left with a pair of third-round compensatory selections in the 2019 draft as a result. The dream of getting three first-round picks for their star players was always going to be hard to pull off, but in this deal, the Patriots settle for the top selection in a draft
with a few options at No. 1.
Bill Belichick loves trading down, which he could then do and amass additional selections in what is projected to be a deep class, but he can also just stay put and draft a franchise pass-rusher in
Myles Garrett at a relative position of need for the Patriots. Not a bad fallback plan. We'll give the Pats Carolina's fourth-round pick in 2018 through Cleveland, with the selection conditionally improving to a third-round pick (if Garoppolo takes 70 percent of the offensive snaps) or even as high as Houston's second-round pick (if Garoppolo makes the Pro Bowl). They also take a flyer on Gordon, whose story is well-documented; the Browns have publicly wavered on bringing back the troubled wideout, but the Patriots have taken a risk on players before, and Gordon's production would make him a franchise-caliber wideout if he stayed on the straight and narrow.
The Saints want Butler, but they don't want to trade the 11th pick, a straight-up deal, for the privilege of acquiring the Super Bowl XLIX hero. They're giving up Anthony, but they soften the blow of losing the 11th selection by moving up 24 picks into the middle of the second round and acquiring Tennessee's second-round selection. We'll also send them Kessler, who was
reasonably competent for the Browns in eight starts, albeit all winless. Kessler gives them a developmental prospect behind
Drew Brees and
Chase Daniel.
The Browns get their franchise quarterback while moving down 10 spots in the first round, leaving them with consecutive selections at 11 and 12. They miss out on Garrett, of course, but in a draft that is deep with pass-rushers, Cleveland shouldn't have trouble adding a useful contributor with one of its six picks in the top 80. The Browns will also get a conditional fifth-rounder back from the Patriots, which should escalate if Gordon breaks out in New England; this will be a fourth-rounder if Gordon plays 50 percent of the offensive snaps and a third-rounder if he racks up 1,000 receiving yards.
They'll also make a Patriots-esque move for Anthony, who fell out of favor with new Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen after being taken with the 31st pick of the 2015 draft. The Patriots have gone after linebackers like
Kyle Van Noy and
Akeem Ayers in the past, but Anthony's a better fit in a 3-4 at inside linebacker, where the Browns can slot him alongside
Jamie Collins. This trade is nuts, and there are too many moving parts for it to ever happen. That doesn't make it unfair or implausible."
Hmmmm.... so the Pats give up Butler and JG (essentially), and get back the #1 pick (using it on Garrett) and Gordon (who they don't need but sure, what the hell).