I get where you’re coming from.
Some thoughts to consider:
—how important are McCourty’s back end play and leadership skills? We know that he’s an excellent tackler. We know that he’s a mediocre pass defender, but that he has precious experience. How much of a loss would it be? Is he really the glue that holds the secondary together, or just an overpaid FS? I really don’t know the answer to that, although I tend to lean towards the former.
—will the Pats draft a safety high in this year’s draft? There are more holes to fill than in most years, so this is anyone’s guess. If so, you could be onto something. Fingers crossed that it’s a high pick for the secondary that works out.
—what would a team give us in trade value? It obviously wouldn’t be a first. Would it be a second? I don’t know. Surely, we could get a third, I’m assuming. Is a third enough compensation for you, or are you simply doing it for cost saving purposes? I’m hesitant to think that we could just move on in 2018, at least with this year’s crop of CBs and an aging (and weak against the pass Chung).